We Are Seeds: #4 of 10
Action Item 4: Help Maintain Water Cleaning Efforts!
Clean Lakes Alliance, Yahara CLEAN Compact, is a 20-year project to reduce phosphorus, E. Coli, and runoff in the Yahara River Watershed. They raise community awareness of the water quality in all five Yahara lakes, organize volunteers from local companies to maintain lakeshores, and provide practical advice for individuals to “help the lakes at home”.
This includes planting “deep-rooted native plants and trees” in home gardens, redirecting storm drains into home gardens, clearing away pet waste (E. Coli) and leaves (phosphorus) to reduce toxic run-off, and using sand instead of salt on ice and snow. Full list with additional resources available here.
As of May 2020, Yahara Clean Compact has published a Land Acknowledgement statement recognizing the sovereignty and land stewardship of the Ho-Chunk Nation, “along with the eleven other First Nations of Wisconsin.”
Why is this sustainable?
Clean water is central to a healthy ecosystem. Improving the water maintains native species of plants, animals, and algae, helps improve air quality, and is good for the humans who use gallons of it daily for washing, drinking, and cooking!
#weareseedshunt
Thank you so much for participating in We Are Seeds, the sustainability-conscious scavenger hunt by T.L. Luke here in Madison, WI! This event is part of Winter is Alive! a cooler world carnival (a city-wide, multi-disciplinary event fusing art and spectacle to revision climate change and activate a global relationship) in an effort to educate the community about local sustainable action items and to highlight 50 local small businesses who have gone above and beyond during this pandemic.
This event will be going on from February 12th - March 7th, 2021.
Business Locations
- Madison Public Library (Monroe) - Vilas Neighborhood - Finally "fine free" in 2020, over 12,000 Madisonians can show their faces again in one of their 9 locations!
- Green Life Trading Company - Marquette Neighborhood - Refill and restock your laundry powder and wood conditioner "till the cows come" at this carbon-neutral shop!
- Burnie’s Rock Shop - Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood - Round or square, "tumbled" or polished, magical or just neat, get your goolies here!
- The Soap Opera - Downtown Neighborhood - Want to know what essential oils mice hate and fish love? Educate yourself here! While you're at it, this spot can help you craft a custom scent!
- Boulders - Downtown Neighborhood - 16,000 square feet of space, and all the chalk you need to get between them all!
Heads up, some of these decals have been stolen off of storefronts throughout the hunt. You may have even guessed our clues accurately but still didn't find the decal, and that sucks! But, it's not the businesses' faults, so please still show them your support! Thank you!
Credits
Illustrator & We Are Seeds Organizer: T.L. Luke
We Are Seeds Collaborator: Madison's Central Business Improvement District and City of Madison
Winter is Alive! Organizers: Tamsie Ringler, Bethany Jurewicz, and Karin Wolf
Sustainability Wisdom: Sustain Dane
Decal Fabricator: Billy Goat Graphics (Madison, WI)
T.L.'s Executive Assistant & Researcher: Eli Watson
"They buried us, but they didn't know we were seeds." - Dinos Christianopoulos