Success StoryRedwood Rain Garden



Redwood Rain Garden

Author: Amanda Gumbert

Planning Unit: Agriculture and Natural Resources Programs

Major Program: Backyard Streams

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

As impervious surfaces increase in urban areas stormwater management likewise becomes increasingly important. A rain garden is an example of a stormwater best management practice to protect water quality in urban landscapes. Students at Redwood Cooperative School in Lexington, KY, identified the need for a rain garden at their school. With the help of their school director, Redwood leadership team students requested the assistance of an Extension Specialist for Water Quality at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food & Environment. The specialist worked with the students to develop and implement a plan for constructing a rain garden on the school grounds, including partnering with a local private environmental consulting firm to help with installation. Students worked throughout the school year to explore existing water quality restoration areas (on UK’s campus); explore their school grounds and create a map of impervious surfaces; calculate square footage of impervious surfaces and determine volume of runoff from a 1” rain event; design their rain garden; present their project ideas and solicit input from other students; determine a planting plan for the rain garden; and start seeds of native plants for the garden. The culminating event was the installation of a 20’ x 25’ rain garden during Earth Day (April 2019) festivities at the school. During the installation all students had the opportunity to participate by adding gravel to the drainage way, installing plants, or applying mulch. At least one class utilized the excavated material and bowl of the garden to explore positive and negative number sequences. Although the rain garden is not large enough to capture all of the runoff from the school, it collects a significant portion of the runoff and provides filtration before releasing it into the watershed. In addition to providing stormwater treatment the rain garden will serve as an outdoor learning space for the entire school. Further, excess excavated material was made into a sodded mound for physical exploration. Students will be able to explore the water cycle, watershed dynamics, land use, native plants, and other STEM topics well into the future.






Stories by Amanda Gumbert


KYH2O

about 4 years ago by Amanda Gumbert

In an era of instant information availability, Extension personnel must deliver subject matter conte... Read More


Redwood Rain Garden

about 4 years ago by Amanda Gumbert

As impervious surfaces increase in urban areas stormwater management likewise becomes increasingly i... Read More


Stories by Agriculture and Natural Resources Programs


Basics of Floral Design

Basics of Floral Design

about 5 years ago by Kendal Bowman

Success StoryBasics of Floral DesignKendal Bowman, Cooperative Extension Service Intern 2018Clark Co... Read More


Maple Season in Kentucky

Maple Season in Kentucky

about 5 years ago by Kevin Gurtowski

As the new year begins and the winter sets in, folks in eastern Kentucky start to stir about about t... Read More


Stories by Backyard Streams


Ecological Research Education Center Stream Restoration Project

Ecological Research Education Center Stream Restoration Project

about 4 years ago by Carmen Agouridis

Dr. Phil Crowley, former Director of the Ecological Research Education Center (EREC) approached me a... Read More


KYH2O

about 4 years ago by Amanda Gumbert

In an era of instant information availability, Extension personnel must deliver subject matter conte... Read More