RESIDENTIAL RAIN GARDEN WORKSHOP

The Norwalk River Watershed Initiative is pleased to present a Residential Rain Garden Training Workshop for landscape care professionals on April 4^th and 5^th.  Interested gardeners, municipal managers, and residents are also invited to register and attend. 

Rain gardens are depressed garden beds filled with a variety of perennials and shrubs that are both water and drought‐tolerant. Rain gardens collect runoff from impervious surfaces and allow it to infiltrate into the ground and improve water quality by filtering out pollutants.    Rain gardens are a proven, environmentally friendly technique for receiving and filtering storm water runoff and they are also attractive additions to the landscape.

This one and a half day workshop will provide in-depth training on the design and function of rain gardens.  The workshop will cover the basics from designing and sizing, to installing and maintaining a rain garden.   It will be held at the Old Wilton Town Hall with instruction provided by Michael Dietz, Director of the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System’s NEMO Program.  It will also include a half-day, hands-on demonstration with an installation of a new rain garden. 

Registration is required and seating for this workshop is limited, so please register by Friday, March 29^th.  The cost for the workshop is $45 and includes morning snacks, lunch and all required materials.  For program details and to register, visit http://nemo.uconn.edu/raingardens  or contact Michael Dietz at 860-345-5225.

Since its inception in 1996, the Norwalk River Watershed Initiative has been committed to raising awareness and fostering stewardship of our waterways.  Our members work collaboratively within Norwalk, Wilton, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Weston, Redding and Lewisboro communities to address local water quality and resource protection issues in the Norwalk River Watershed.