At long last ……… the McDougle Middle School Rain Garden Demonstration Project
This week five 8th grade science classes at McDougle Middle School will learn about rain gardens by participating in the completion of a Rain Garden Demonstration Project just outside their science classroom door. They will be supported by two NC State Cooperative Extension employees, Town of Carrboro staff, and several members of the Friends of Bolin Creek. The students are learning from their teacher, Ms. Leigh Aultman, about watersheds and ways to minimize impacts to creeks and drinking water supplies from rainwater running off developed areas.
On Friday, October 29th students will learn about cisterns and rain gardens by participating in the completion of the Demonstration Rain Garden by planting native plants and learn from the NC State storm water experts about how and why rain gardens protect the water in our streams. They will learn about cisterns too and help install one which will collect rainwater from the gym roof.
At 2:30 pm, the eighth grade science students and their teacher Ms. Aultman will be joined in a “Celebration of the Completion of the Rain Garden” by Randee Haven O’Donnel, a long time Bolin Creek conservationist, School system administrators, Principal Debra Scott, and the Paperhand Puppet creek animals.
The Town of Carrboro, in partnership with NC State, the Friends of Bolin Creek and Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools, received a grant to install the raingarden and cistern from EPA last year. Randy Dodd at the Town of Carrboro has been working with Zan Price and Mitch Woodward, experts at NC State to design and construct the rain garden and cistern, and has also worked with school facilities staff Todd LoFrese, Bill Mullin, and Bill Kelley to coordinate the installation.
The purpose of the McDougle Rain Garden Demonstration project is to share with the community how installing a rain garden can be fun, useful, and protect the earth by harvesting and using rainwater, filtering pollutants, irrigating plants, and recharging groundwater.
Friends of Bolin Creek plans further workshop and community events in Spring 2011 to promote homeowner rain gardens.