Rain Gardens to the Rescue

Thanks to generous donors like you, funding provided by GlobalGiving and The Fred A and Barbara M Erb Family Foundation, Friends of the Rouge awarded eight (8) rain gardens to Detroit residents participating in the Rain Gardens to the Rescue program in 2021. The rain gardens were installed in August and early September 2021 at the homes of Detroiters who completed a five-part training course where they learned all about rain gardens, their installation and maintenance. 

Sewage overflows from antiquated infrastructure in large metropolitan areas are a major source of water pollution in the Rouge and Detroit Rivers as well as the Great Lakes. Rain gardens are a low cost solution to this type of pollution. Rain gardens installed in 2021 were designed by participants during the training course with support from stormwater experts.  They have replaced 1,305 ft² of lawn with beautiful gardens that act as sponges that store and directly prevent 7,338 gallons of water from flowing into the combined sewer system every time it rains.  These gardens are also helping Friends of the Rouge move toward a goal of 5,000 rain gardens by 2035!

Carla, a 2021 participant, shared her experience with the program, “The classes were incredibly informative and inspiring, making me want to install a second rain garden in 2022” and that “it was a great experience from start to finish”.  Another 2021 participant, Alicia, mentioned that installing a rain garden, after seeing the damage this year’s storms and flooding caused, gave her a deeper appreciation for the project in managing stormwater in addition to the benefits for pollinators and having less grass to cut. 

Funds received through GlobalGiving allowed Friends of the Rouge to support two (2) additional residential rain gardens on Hubbard Street in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood.  These residents experienced multiple flooding events in 2021 with damage to their homes. Newly installed rain gardens are moving and storing rainwater away from family homes.  Joe who installed a rain garden in his backyard on Hubbard Street has been elated that he has not had any water seeping into his basement since the garden was installed.  He plans to install another rain garden in his front yard next spring. Friends of the Rouge looks forward to supporting additional rain gardens in the community in 2022.

This coming year, Friends of the Rouge will focus on underrepresented communities of color and low income households in Metro Detroit that are disproportionately harmed by increased flooding events and environmental pollution. FOTR and partners work to expand our audience by providing educational materials in Spanish and Arabic in addition to English. New installations will include smaller scale residential gardens in addition to several large-scale gardens at local houses of worship in an effort to educate and engage the community with the rain garden design and installations as well as inspire members of the congregations to install rain gardens of their own.  Rain gardens also benefit the community by providing community gathering space and green space to connect with nature. Thank you for your support of Rain Gardens to the Rescue!

Links:

• Rain Gardens to the Rescue
• Friends of the Rouge