If your home is by a lake, stream, river or other waterway, consider choosing native plants to landscape near the water. There are numerous reasons why native plants make the most sense. First, these plants do more than just look great: They provide habitat, food and more for wildlife. But they are also easy to grow, since they require no fertilizers, are drought tolerant and essentially take care of themselves. Flowering native plants also act as pollinators and attract butterflies, bees and birds. Local gardening groups and wildlife departments in your area can help you identify what native plants work best. There are even groups that help share native plants with other gardeners to keep this easy and eco way of growing going.

If you’re an avid or budding fisherman, one thing you can do to help wildlife when you fish is to use non-toxic tackle. Lead is a toxic metal, and many types of fishing tackle are made with solid lead; when the pieces get separated from a broken line, waterfowl like loons, swans and other birds often eat them. Fish who ingest lead are eaten by larger birds (like eagles), who then get lead poisoning from the tainted fish. When shopping for sinkers, jigs and other tackle, look for inert materials like tin, steel and nickel alloy. You can find them at any sporting goods store and online.

If you’re about to do a major home renovation project that involves demolition, you don’t need to send all of the construction waste to the landfill. Most trash haulers will work with commercial and residential clients to minimize the amount of landfill waste by recycling what they call “construction and demolition debris,” including concrete, porcelain, tile, lumber, metals, masonry, insulation and carpet. There is a fee to use the expert sorting and what is called a “diversion initiative,” but it’s a necessary cost to make sure your home remodel is green and clean.