Promoting a Clean Chesapeake Bay and Climate-Resilient Maryland Communities Through Ecological Landscaping
The Bay-Wise Living Landscapes Program is a science-based, peer education program conducted by University of Maryland Extension (UME) that teaches Marylanders sustainable landscape and garden practices that promote clean water, healthy soil, native biodiversity, and climate-resilient communities through our statewide Master Gardener program.
March 4, 2026 ALERT: TODAY IS UMD GIVING DAY! Please support our Bay-Wise work with a contribution of any amount, for today and future generations. We are grateful for your donation!!
Most Maryland residents live within a half-mile of a storm drain, stream, or river. Most of those waterways eventually drain into the Chesapeake Bay. What we do to maintain our own landscapes can affect the health of our local waterways, the Chesapeake Bay and our environment. We all need to do our part to take care of our waterways and environment. By changing a few simple landscape practices, you and your family can help keep Maryland communities healthy.
The University of Maryland Extension Bay-Wise Program focuses on water quality, biodiversity, and climate resilience. It comprises a comprehensive set of environmental topics that affect the quality and quantity of water here in Maryland. We promote a range of sustainable gardening practices that are appropriate for landscapes of all sizes.
If you are interested in having your landscape or garden evaluated for Bay-Wise certification by a Master Gardener team, please reach out to your nearest Extension representative on this contact list.
For all other Bay-Wise inquiries, contact:
Dr. Stacy Small-Lorenz
Residential Landscape Ecology Specialist
Maryland Living Landscapes "Bay-Wise 2.0" Program Lead
sslorenz@umd.edu
Or
Elizabeth McGarry
Bay-Wise Administrative Assistant II
emcgarry@umd.edu
