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Have you considered planting a tree in your yard? Or maybe a bush that would nourish butterflies? Or a plant with berries for birds?
				Mabe you have room to plant a rain garden. Or at least set up a rain barrel.
				And if you were planning to reach for a chemical pesticide to get rid of some weeds &#8230; well, maybe you just shouldn&rsquo;t.
				Those are some of the topics likely to come up in a webinar the Master Watershed Stewards of the Penn State Extension will host at 7 p.m. Monday, April 12.
				&ldquo;The goal is really to raise awareness,&rdquo; said Richard Troscianecki, Master Watershed Steward Coordinator for Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think people always realize that their yard has a connection (to the health of the watershed.) &ldquo;They might think, &lsquo;oh, it&rsquo;s only the big buildings that have large parking lots, or the golf courses.&rsquo; &ldquo;
				But even a small decision you make about your property can reduce &mdash; or increase &mdash; the amount of pollution that runs into the nearest waterway, and potentially affect drinking water as well as the risk of flooding.
				Interested property owners may apply to have their land certified as &ldquo;watershed-friendly&rdquo; and, no, that doesn&rsquo;t mean an inspector will visit to make sure you&rsquo;re following the best environmental practices.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s more the honor system,&rdquo; Troscianecki said. &ldquo;My wife and I moved up here five years ago and our property is certified wildlife habitat. We take it pretty seriously. I think most people would take it pretty seriously.&rdquo;
				&ldquo;The webinar is going to ask some pointed questions,&rdquo; he said, explaining it will help people identify potential problems regarding stormwater runoff and suggest solutions.
				&ldquo;There are real challenges,&rdquo; he said, pointing out that many people have noticed they seem to see fewer monarch butterflies each year.
				&ldquo;I live in an area on the east side of the valley, in Thornhurst. I have a lot of milkweed, and there&rsquo;s a lot along the road. But we&rsquo;re seeing (the butterflies) less and less. It&rsquo;s the pesticide thing and it&rsquo;s also the development that&rsquo;s taking away habitat.&rdquo;
				As a news release explained, Monday&rsquo;s webinar will show that &ldquo;every property owner can make a positive impact on the health of our waterways.&rdquo;
				Becoming certified as watershed-friendly is open to properties 15 acres or smaller, if the property owners &ldquo;include enough best-management practices for reducing stormwater runoff and pollution, conserving water, and providing beneficial habitats for wildlife and pollinators to reach the qualifying 85% score.&rdquo;
				To register for the Watershed-Friendly Property Certification i webinar, see extension.psu.edu/watershed-friendly-property-certification-program.

Penn State Extension to host Watershed-Friendly webinar