Stormwater Management in Your Backyard: An Extension Program for Homeowners and Master Gardeners

Transcription

1 Stormwater Management in Your Backyard: An Extension Program for Homeowners and Master Gardeners Madeline Flahive DiNardo, Agricultural Agent Dr. Christopher Obropta, Extension Specialist in Water Resources Greg Rusciano, Program Associate in Water Resources

2 What is a Rain Garden? Landscaped areas that treat stormwater runoff. Designed to merge two important goals: aesthetics and water quality. Can be blended into the landscape and made to look natural. Water is directed into them by pipes, swales, or curb openings.

3 How Did the Program Get Started?

4 Rain Garden Project GOAL: To have the rain gardens serve as a model for county residents who are interested in controlling polluted runoff and to help recharge the groundwater FUNDING: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection grant to Rutgers Cooperative Extension and partial funding from the USDA Regional Water Coordination Program Photo by Linda Brazaitis

5 2005 Storm Water Management Class Storm Water 101 Storm Water Best Management Practices (BMPs) Design and Implementation of Storm Water BMPs Technical and Backyard Advice Rain Garden Maintenance and Long Term Success

6 2005 Rain Garden Partners Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County Rahway River Association

7 2005 Rain Garden Partners Walnut Avenue Elementary School, Cranford, NJ Hanson Park Conservancy Cranford, NJ

8 2005 Rain Garden Partners Fanwood Public Library Fanwood, NJ Woodbridge Health Department Woodbridge, NJ

9 2005 Rain Garden Partners Support from Municipal Public Works Departments were Key to the Success of the Projects!

10 Rain Garden Plantings

11 Rain Garden Plantings Swamp Milkweed Bee Balm Soft Rush Photos by Linda Brazaitis

12 Master Gardeners Maintain Rain Gardens Watering Weeding Pruning

13 Rain Garden Maintenance

14 Rain Garden Education Children s Programs Walnut Avenue Elementary School Fanwood Library 85 students participated. Clean Up Messy Town Enviroscape Tour of Rain Garden

15 Program Evaluation Identify sources of water pollution Identify ways to protect ground water

16 Rain Garden Education Evaluation Results Students could identify 50% more ways to protect ground water. On a scale of 1-3, 3 indicating they learned a lot, students rated their learning about protecting ground water as 2.71 and rain gardens as % of the students will tell someone what they learned about rain gardens. 96% would like to learn more about protecting water.

17 Rain Garden Education Presentation on How to Build a Rain Garden Garden tours Web site: raingarden Evening tour of Fanwood Rain Garden Fact sheets Poster

18 Program Evaluation Pre/Post Program Survey 10 True / False Questions Define Watershed Groundwater flow Parts of the rain garden Proper depth of garden Location of rain garden Maintenance tasks

19 Program Evaluation Results 30 Adult participants improved their score by an average of 13%. Pre-program survey scores ranged from 40% to 90%. The average score was 63% and the mode was 60%. Post-program survey scores ranged from 70% to 100%. The average score was 78% and the mode was 70%.

20 Program Evaluation Results Questions that participants improved their scores on were in regards to: Parts of the rain garden Proper depth of a rain garden Care of native grasses Limited use of fertilizers in rain gardens Follow-up survey looked at: What participants learned Number of rain gardens planted Reasons participants may not have planted rain gardens

21 So then what happened? Our fifth community demonstration garden was planted at the Springfield Municipal Building in cooperation with the Springfield Environmental Commission.

22 Follow-up Survey Results Two residential gardens were planted. Two participants plan to install rain gardens. Reasons participants did not plant rain gardens: Poor drainage on property Labor Cost

23 Additional Rain Garden Projects Water Resources Program simultaneously worked with other counties in New Jersey through its SWMIYB initiative. Technical assistance for rain garden education and demonstration programs in the United States Virgin Islands through the USDA CSREES Regional Water Program. Additional demonstration rain garden education and demonstration programs through the Restore-A- Waterway initiative. Targeting middle school kids with Community-Project- Based Learning Program

24 SWMIYB Training of Master Gardeners occurs year round in NJ counties Training occurs in connection with demonstration projects Monmouth County One demo Cape May One demo, one in progress Burlington County Two demos Gloucester County Three demos, plus one Middlesex County Two demos Somerset County One demo Cumberland County One demo, one in progress Essex County One demo Plus the six in Union County already mentioned

25 Restore-A-Waterway Five in Morris County with the Raritan Highlands Compact (Grant from Verizon) Four in Elizabeth/Newark with Future City, Inc. (grant from NJ Sea Grant and NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Program)

26 National Integrated Water Quality Program Program Area 110.C Extension Education Projects

27 Stormwater Management in Your Backyard: An Extension Initiative for NJ, NY and VA Expand the program to rural/urbanizing counties. Gloucester County, NJ

28 Stormwater Management in Your Backyard: An Extension Initiative for NJ, NY and VA Expand the program to rural/urbanizing counties. Ulster County, NY

29 Stormwater Management in Your Backyard: An Extension Initiative for NJ, NY and VA Expand the program to rural/urbanizing counties. Fredrick County, VA

30 Stormwater Management in Your Backyard: An Extension Initiative for NJ, NY and VA

31 Master Gardener Training 4 hours of classroom training Rain Garden Installation demonstration Master Gardeners will maintain gardens Master Gardeners will teach programs at the demonstration sites

32 Stormwater Management in Your Backyard: An Extension Initiative for NJ, NY and VA Train Landscape Professionals on rain garden installation and maintenance so they can offer it as a service.

33 Training for Landscape Professionals Promotion NJ Landscape and Nursery Association trade shows North Jersey Ornamental Horticulture Conference New Jersey Landscape Professionals Alliance NJ Farm Bureau Newsletter Extension Mailings Press Releases

34 Professional Landscaper Training Day 1 NJ Stormwater Management Regulations NJ One Call Center Native Plants Rain Garden Installation and Maintenance Tour of Rain Garden Site Union County Vo-Tech FFA Horticulture Students participated.

35 Professional Landscaper Training Day 2 Rain Garden Installation Demonstration

36 Landscape Professional Training Program Evaluation Pre-Post Multiple Choice Quiz Program Evaluation at the end of each training day.

37 Landscape Professional Training Program Evaluation Results 76% of the participants indicated they will offer rain garden installation services. Most important things learned: Plant selection Rain Garden Design (depth, berms, overflow) Site preparation and location

38 Landscape Professional Training Program Evaluation Results This training was more than I expected and the steps were clearly defined. Thank you so much.

39 Mini-Grant Incentive Program Year 3 of the project Grants of plant material and soil amendments for residential/farm property owners Five mini-grants per county Master Gardeners and outreach program participants eligible to apply

40 Mini-Grant Incentive Program Team of Extension personnel and Master Gardeners select recipients Recipients must allow garden to be photographed and visited by Extension personnel and Master Gardeners

41 Questions?

42 Thank You!

43 Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program