In the wake of our 3rd Annual Bash this last Friday, a number have been asking “How can I help? How can I volunteer?” It’s an important question. As we approach 2300 in our Facebook Group, we are at the point where we can really begin to shape the conversation on Long Island.

We have a problem with literally a million sources — Every septic tank, every lawn, every can of pesticide, every one of the thousands of outfall pipes and dams. What we can do is this:

We need everyone to understand

1. That they live on top of their drinking water.

2. That anything they put on their lawn goes into our groundwater, into all our rivers, ponds and bays, and yes into our drinking water as well.

So what can you do? What can we do?

Let’s start with this — On the STGSB site, you can order, FREE AND IN VOLUME, for the price of mailing, environmental information cards, which are offered by our good friends at Grassroots Environmental Education. Each order includes one Green Card (double sided) with information on “The Organic Lawn Care Program” on one side and “Pesticides – What You Need to Know” on the other:

Further, it also includes a double sided blue card: “Jump In! Help Protect Our Water!” and “Our Aquifers: Long Island’s Drinking Water Source”

If you are a teacher, could you distribute to your students? If you are a teacher, would you invite us to speak at your school? If you are a good neighbor, and can in this day and age share such information, would you? If you are an eco-friendly local shop keeper, could you keep some by your register?

If you are an artist or designer — we are looking for a really good sign that we can post at all the marinas along our bay(s): What can each boater do to make a difference?

There are literally millions of people on Long Island who do not know how to help, do not know what is causing our environmental crisis, do not know that every little action impairs our drinking water for future generations. I think I speak for my directors and a number of people in Save The Great South Bay — call upon us, we will come. Ask us to meet you and your neighbors. We are there. We now have people independently offering to hold dinner parties so that they and their neighbors can learn more about this crucial issue and how they, locally and individually can help.

I will add a contact form so that you can further suggest how else we can tackle what is the largest environmental crisis in this country that few have heard of. With hundreds of billions of dollars of real estate at stake, and with a price tag to fix of 10 billion (to sewer/install on site denitrification systems to replace the cesspools and septic tanks) and with the clock ticking rapidly, getting people informed is everything. Long Island is worth saving, but if we fail it will be because enough people didn’t know in time.