Community Rain Garden Program

A rain garden is a specially designed, shallow, planted area that absorbs and filters rainwater runoff from impervious surfaces like roofs, driveways, sidewalks, or streets. Rain gardens address key environmental challenges by managing stormwater runoff, reducing flooding, and preventing water pollution. They capture and filter runoff from impervious surfaces, reducing the volume of water entering storm drains and removing pollutants before they reach waterways.

By promoting water infiltration, rain gardens help recharge groundwater and mitigate soil erosion. Planted with native species, they create habitats for wildlife, support pollinators, and enhance urban green spaces, contributing to biodiversity and cooling urban heat islands. Additionally, rain gardens improve community aesthetics and raise awareness about sustainable water and ecosystem management.

Key Features of a Rain Garden:

1. Depressed Landscape: Rain gardens are slightly recessed to capture and hold water temporarily after a rainfall, allowing it to slowly soak into the ground rather than running off.

2. Native Plants: They are typically planted with deep-rooted, native plants that can tolerate both wet and dry conditions. Native plants help absorb water and nutrients, reduce soil erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife.

3. Filtration: The plants, soil, and mulch in a rain garden filter pollutants (like oils, fertilizers, and sediment) out of the runoff before it reaches local water bodies, improving water quality.

4. Size and Location: They are typically small (though they can vary in size) and located in low-lying areas where water naturally collects or where water runoff is directed (e.g., near downspouts or at the edge of driveways).

Benefits of a Rain Garden:

- Reduces Flooding and Erosion: By capturing stormwater runoff, rain gardens help reduce localized flooding and prevent soil erosion.

- Improves Water Quality: They naturally filter pollutants before water reaches streams, rivers, and coastal areas, improving the health of local waterways.

- Promotes Biodiversity: Rain gardens provide habitat for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife, particularly when planted with native species.

- Low Maintenance: Once established, they require little maintenance beyond occasional weeding and seasonal plant care.

Rain gardens are a great way for homeowners, schools, and businesses to contribute to environmental sustainability while adding beauty to their landscapes.

This initiative would aim to reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality, and support local biodiversity by encouraging residents and businesses to install rain gardens on their properties.

Key Elements of the Initiative:

1. Rain Garden Installations:

- Encourage residents, schools, and businesses to install rain gardens—shallow, planted depressions that absorb rainwater and prevent flooding.

- Partner with local landscaping companies (like your husband’s) to help with the design and installation of the gardens.

- Use native plants that thrive in wet conditions to support local wildlife, such as birds, insects, and pollinators.

2. Public Education Campaign:

- Host workshops and seminars to teach the community about the benefits of rain gardens, including reducing runoff, preventing pollutants from reaching local water bodies, and creating habitat for wildlife.

- Offer rain garden design guides and templates to make it easy for homeowners to participate.

3. Local Incentives:

- Work with the Town of East Hampton to offer small grants or tax incentives to encourage residents to install rain gardens.

- Organize a rain garden contest where participants can submit photos of their gardens, with prizes for the most creative or effective designs.

4. Community Demonstration Sites:

- Install demonstration rain gardens at public parks, schools, and municipal buildings to showcase how they work and inspire others to join the effort.

- Consider a rain garden at the local EchoWild wildlife hospital, tying the garden to the broader mission of wildlife conservation and education.

5. Youth Involvement:

- Partner with local schools (such as the Whisker and Brush art school) to engage students in rain garden design and installation. This can combine environmental science with art, with students designing creative signage or plant layouts.

- Host educational field trips to existing rain gardens to teach students about the impact of stormwater on local ecosystems.

Rain Garden Benefits:

- Flood reduction: Rain gardens help manage stormwater and reduce flooding in vulnerable areas.

- Water quality improvement: By filtering stormwater, rain gardens prevent pollutants like oils, fertilizers, and trash from reaching nearby bodies of water.

- Support biodiversity: Native plant rain gardens provide essential habitat for birds, butterflies, and pollinators.

- Community engagement: This initiative offers hands-on involvement, with residents taking personal action to improve the environment.

• East Hampton Wildlife Emergency Trauma Center

• Reduce Heavy Metals by Planting Native Aquatic Plants