EcoSuperior, Habitat for Humanity Thunder Bay, and United Way Thunder Bay collaborated to build a rain garden at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore on Squire Street.
A rain garden is a bowl shaped perennial garden, and captures runoff from hard surfaces such a roofs and parking lots during heavy rainfall. This absorbs and naturally filters pollutants from stormwater before entering streams and rivers.
Julia Prinselaar is the EcoSuperior Program Coordinator, and explains more about the project.
“We are thrilled to be working with Habitat for Humanity and United Way of Thunder Bay on this project. Before this rain garden, 100 per cent of runoff from the ReStore’s administrative building was flowing from downspouts directly onto the parking lot and lost in nearby ditches and storm drains. Now, some of that runoff is being diverted to a landscaped area on the lawn. This means less runoff overburdening storm sewers during rain storms and more water infiltrating the ground slowly, the way nature intended,” says Julia Prinselaar, program coordinator with EcoSuperior.
Prinselaar goes on to say the city has a program in place to help residents who want a rain garden of their own.
“If homeowners are inspired or interested in creating rain gardens in their own yards, with funding from the city of Thunder Bay we offer the rain garden rebate program that offers a financial incentive of up to $500 to plant a rain garden in your yards.”
Rain gardens come in many shapes and sizes and can be designed to complement various urban landscapes.
(STAFF PHOTO)
