Lawnside Public School Demonstration Rain Garden

Overview

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History:

The Lawnside Public School rain garden was installed to beautify the site and to intercept, treat, and infiltrate stormwater runoff from a portion of the school's roof.

Staff from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program conducted an educational program for the Lawnside Public School's 21st Century Community Learning Center's students. This educational program included a discussion on what a watershed is, what a rain garden is and how it works, and facts about the native plants that they helped to install in their school's two rain gardens.

This rain garden is part of the Cooper River Watershed. The Cooper River watershed is characterized by extensive residential and commercial development, and as a result its streams are severely impacted by increased stormwater runoff. To address the water quality issues associated with increased stormwater runoff, demonstration projects like this rain garden are essential.

Type of Runoff Managed:

This rain garden manages stormwater runoff from a portion of the school's roof via a redirected downspout.

Installation:

The rain garden was installed in July 2011 by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program staff and undergraduate student interns, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Camden County, the Camden County Soil Conservation District, and the Lawnside Public School's 21st Century Community Learning Center's students. Staff from the Lawnside Department of Public Works assisted with the labor of the rain garden by excavating and hauling away a portion of the native soil. The native plants that were installed in this rain garden were purchased from Popes' Gardens.

Approval to install the rain garden was granted by the Lawnside Township Engineer and the Superintendent of the Lawnside School District. This rain garden was funded by a 319(h) grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Plant List:

Black-eyed Susan
Blue Lobelia
Gray Goldenrod
Inkberry Holly
New England Aster
Swamp Milkweed
Switchgrass
Wild Bergamot

Maintenance:

This rain garden is maintained by students and the Building and Grounds Department of the Lawnside School District.

Mid-Atlantic Rain Gardens
updated 03/2012 by rutgers.water.resources.program