Bangor Area Storm Water Group - BASWG

06/05/2026

World Environment Day, observed each year on June 5th, encourages communities around the world to take action to protect the environment and local natural resources.

We want that mission to start right here at home through stormwater education, stream cleanups, and community involvement that helps protect local waterways across our region.

Keep an eye out for upcoming cleanup events and opportunities to help make a difference in our community, or contact us to submit your own ideas to help!

06/03/2026

Do you know what a Trash Trap is?

A Trash Trap is a device placed in waterways that catches floating litter before it can move farther downstream. It collects everything from plastic bottles to small bits of debris during rain events and regular flow.

Once it fills, the material is removed so it can keep working and keep more waste out of our rivers and lakes. Pretty sweet, right?

Feel free to learn more here: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/trash-traps-litter-prevention/

From simple storm drain traps to swimming robots, “trash traps” are capturing litter before it can wash into streams, rivers and oceans.

06/01/2026

We encourage volunteers to get involved with stormwater management and join our members and teams on stormwater projects. Throughout the late spring and into the summer, BASWG hosts street and stream cleanup events in each of the towns and communities that we’re a part of. Each organization within BASWG organizes its own event at a time that works best for its community, so sign up to be notified about the schedule, or keep an eye on our page for more information!

https://baswg.org/contact/

05/25/2026

On Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who gave their lives in service to our country.

In Bangor and communities across Maine, it’s a time to reflect on the sacrifice behind our freedoms and the responsibility we all share in taking care of the places we call home.

We'd like to extend our gratitude to the fallen service members and their families.

05/22/2026

Healthy lawns start with smarter mowing decisions.

Once we get through keep your grass around 3 inches to build stronger roots, improve drought resistance, and reduce weeds. Cut no more than one-third of the blade at a time, and keep mower blades sharp for healthier regrowth.

Leave clippings to naturally return nutrients to the soil.

Learn more by visiting the resources page of our website: https://baswg.org/resources/mowing-tips/

05/20/2026

🐝 Happy World Bee Day!

Bees are basically nature’s most efficient multitaskers, and they never even brag about it (at least not to me).

Here's a few fun bee facts to brighten your day:

- Bees can visit up to 5,000 flowers in a single day.
- They communicate through a “waggle dance” that shares directions to food.
- One honeybee colony can pollinate hundreds of millions of flowers each year.
- And without them, a lot of our favorite foods would quietly disappear from the menu.

Clean water and healthy landscapes help bees thrive too. When habitats are protected and runoff is managed, pollinators get the safe spaces they need to keep doing their thing.

So here’s to the bees, small workers with world-sized importance.

05/15/2026

Got shade? Skip the struggle with grass and go with groundcovers instead.

Plants like wintergreen, pachysandra, sweet woodruff, bunchberry, and lily of the valley thrive in low light, help stabilize soil, and add color and texture where turf falls short.

Find more planting tips at baswg.org/resources/

05/11/2026

Can you lend a hand? Taking this quick survey about the Outfall SignSearch will help us improve how we create educational materials for the public.

Across our communities we have placed 40 outfall signs with our fun BASWG emojis. Have you seen them on ads, YouTube, or at the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor? When you find a sign with those little guys on them, there will be a QR code that you can use your phone camera to connect to the SignSearch.

This quick survey helps us learn what you care about and how we can do better. Thanks for helping us improve!

Take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2N7DYNY

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

05/10/2026

Moms come in all forms across Maine, and this time of year, they’re all busy.

Out in Maine’s woods and waters, you’ve got Moose guiding wobbly calves through the woods, loon moms giving piggyback rides, deer keeping watch in tall grass, foxes running full-time snack delivery operations, and even ducks leading a full parade across your lawn. Spring is a season of raising the next generation.

You can support them right at home. Hold off on mowing a little longer, leave natural areas along water, and give wildlife the space they need to do what they do best.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, wild and human alike.

05/08/2026

Vegetated buffers are one of the simplest ways to protect Maine’s water.

These planted strips along shorelines, streams, and drainage areas slow stormwater, filter pollutants, and reduce erosion before runoff reaches lakes and rivers.

Native grasses, shrubs, and trees work together to catch and absorb excess water while also supporting local wildlife and stabilizing the landscape.

Even small buffer plantings can have a measurable impact on water quality.

Learn more: https://baswg.org/resources/planting-using-buffers/