Do you compost your leaves and grass clippings? Have you had your soil tested? Do you keep fats, oils and grease out of the kitchen drain? If so, you are already doing your part for a cleaner, healthier Chesapeake Bay. Now, Hampton Roads residents can take their commitment one step further, by signing up for the free askHRgreen.org Bay Star Homes program.

To enroll, participants simply register online at askHRgreen.org/BayStarHomes and pledge to practice at least eight environmentally-friendly behaviors in their homes and yards that will have a lasting impact on the waterways. The program is open to all Hampton Roads residents regardless of housing type and whether they live on the water. After signing up, Bay Star Home participants will receive a welcome packet full of green tips and information and may also become eligible for additional environmental offerings from city or county programs. Program offerings vary by locality, but all participants will be recognized with a Bay Star Homes garden flag to proudly display their commitment to a clean, healthy Bay.

Bay Star Homes originated in the City of Norfolk and is now open to citizens all over Hampton Roads through the region-wide askHRgreen.org public awareness and education campaign, supported by the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg; the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Southampton, Surry and York; the town of Smithfield; and HRSD.

“Bay Star Homes is all about making a difference at home, wherever you may live,” said Fleta Jackson, public relations specialist with the City of Norfolk and team member of askHRgreen.org. “Imagine the impact this program will have on our local waterways now that the region is working together.”

All the green practices included in Bay Star Homes can be accomplished at little or no cost to residents. The program also has options to fit every resident: homeowners, renters, apartment-dwellers and those living in the suburbs or on rural farms. So far, over 1,000 residents have already made the pledge for a cleaner, healthier Bay.

“It takes a community of individuals making small changes to protect our waterways and restore their vitality,” said Julia B. Hillegass, askHRgreen.org team member. “Bay Star Homes is just one way to ensure we each protect the region’s most defining resource, water.”

To learn more about Bay Star Homes or to register your home for the program, go to askHRgreen.org/BayStarHomes.