Hey, Tacoma: Puget Sound Starts Here Month starts with you Communities across Western Washington are celebrating their local waterways and Puget Sound with family-friendly activities and educational programs during Puget Sound Starts Here Month in May. Here's what's happening in Tacoma: Find the Puget Sound Starts Here street team in Tacoma and win prizes The Puget Sound Starts Here street team will be popping up around Tacoma to talk about water pollution prevention and hand out blankets, umbrellas, beach balls and more during May. To get your limited-edition PSSH swag, register your email to get notifications for where to be and also be entered into a drawing for PSSH goodies even if you can't show up in person. Register your email and find more ways to win at www.PugetSoundStartsHere.org/Tacoma<http://www.PugetSoundStartsHere.org/Tacoma>. Frost Park Friday Chalk-Off: PSSH Edition Friday, May 18, noon to 1 p.m., Downtown Tacoma, corner of South 9th & Pacific Avenue Bring your sack lunch and watch as local professional and amateur artists (and non-artists) create a wide array of chalk art during this weekly lunch hour event. The best PSSH-themed pieces will get special prizes. Healthy Landscapes for People & Wildlife: Presentation and plant walk Saturday, May 19, 10 a.m. to noon, Tacoma Nature Center, 1919 S. Tyler, Tacoma Urban horticulturist Dana Bressette will help you choose the right plant for the right place. Native plants attract wildlife and use less water, pesticides and fertilizers and add beauty to your yard. Dana will also lead a plant walk highlighting plants in their native habitat. This workshop is free. To register, email wburdsall@tpchd.org<mailto:wburdsall@tpchd.org> or call (253) 798-4708. About Puget Sound Starts Here Month The goal of Puget Sound Starts Here Month is to raise awareness that Puget Sound is in trouble due to pollution, and simple actions by all residents can make a huge difference. Puget Sound features 2,500 miles of shoreline. It is home to countless species, including orcas, sea lions, salmon and shellfish, as well as 4.5 million people. Puget Sound creates economic opportunities for the area, including tourism, shipping and seafood, and the region's exceptional quality of life is a key reason many local companies stay and expand here. "Puget Sound is a treasure that belongs to every one of us," said Puget Sound Partnership Director Gerry O'Keefe, "This is our home, and it's up to each of us to take care of our home for our kids, for our grandkids and for our future. It's the responsible thing to do." For more events and information, visit www.PugetSoundStartsHere.org<http://www.PugetSoundStartsHere.org>. About Puget Sound Starts Here Puget Sound Starts Here is a public education and behavior change campaign supported by a partnership of more than 400 organizations, including state and local governments, tribes, and non-governmental organizations all dedicated to water pollution prevention and improving water quality in local lakes, streams, rivers and Puget Sound. Here are examples of what you can do to help save Puget Sound: * Never dump anything - liquid or solid - into a storm drain or drainage ditch. * Fix auto leaks right away and take any used fluids to a recycling center. * Take your car to a commercial car wash instead of washing it in your driveway. * Pick up pet waste regularly - in your yard and on walks - and put it in the trash. * Use natural yard products like compost and mulch. If you use chemical pesticides and fertilizers, follow the directions and use them sparingly. * Store and dispose of household chemicals according to the instructions on the label. * Landscape your yard with native plants and trees that will soak up more rain and slow the flow of runoff. Learn more about Puget Sound Starts Here and the effort to save Puget Sound at www.PugetSoundStartsHere.org<http://www.PugetSoundStartsHere.org>. The website also includes additional information on actions residents can take, and the health of Puget Sound. ###