April showers, right? We have certainly gotten plenty of precipitation this month, some of it rain and some even snow. While the ground has been soaking up some of that moisture, much of it also finds its way over ground or streets or through drains into our town’s waterways. Over the years, I’ve written many times about the various ways in which what we do on the land impacts what happens in the water and to all of the life that depends on it being clean and healthy. This time, I’m writing about an opportunity to learn more about this topic at an upcoming public forum.

As with many things in the spring, a lot seems to be happening all at once as we prepare for the sunnier, busier season. This is the case with the public forum as well. The original date was scheduled for this past week but, due to a conflict with another important environmental meeting, it has been rescheduled for May 21. So, you have time to make time in your schedule to plan to attend if this is something of interest.

This lecture, “Down the Drain – Factors Impacting Water Quality,” is part of the Sustainable Brunswick Lecture Series, which is co-hosted by the Town of Brunswick and the Curtis Memorial Library. The concept is simple: whatever you do on land finds its way to the water. This lecture is designed to share important information about these impacts as well as practical steps that residents of Brunswick can take to minimize them. There will be several experts participating, including the Friends of Casco Bay’s Casco baykeeper, the town coastal resources manager and the town environmental planner.

In addition to a discussion of actions that individuals can take like using fewer pesticides and herbicides on their yards and planting vegetative buffers between lawns and water sources, the lecture will also address changes that the town is considering making to ordinances to ensure better stewardship of our coastal resources. There will be ample room for questions and discussions from participants, and those attending are encouraged to come with topics that are important to them.

This event was rescheduled to accommodate those who wished to attend the Brunswick Executive Airport Master Plan Update meeting, which occurred at the originally scheduled time and date for this lecture — 6 p.m. on April 16. More details about the upcoming “Down the Drai”” lecture can be found at tinyurl.com/3xymxjva. The lecture is free and open to the public. Any questions may be directed to Ashley Charleson, the town environmental planer (acharleson@bruncsiwkme.org) or Curtis Library’s Adult Services librarian, Hazel Onsrud (honsrud@curtislibrary.com).

Susan Olcott is the director of strategic partnerships at Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.