RainScaping Education Station and Rain Garden at
Quiet Waters Park, shortly after installation, Fall 2011
Beginning in 2009, RainScaping Education Stations and large outdoor RainScaping signs were developed and placed throughout Anne Arundel County. And since the installation at Quiet Waters Park in 2011, environmental groups have followed our lead by using the RainScaping Education Station plans and signage for their projects. View the web album—Fall 2011, Installation of the RainScaping Education Station and Rain Garden.
The RainScaping Education Station (RES) is a faux house frame with examples of rainscaping techniques, including a small green roof, a gutter and downspout directed to a rain barrel, a gutter and downspout directed to a rain garden, permeable pavers, and signage. The signs are attached to faux windows and inform visitors about what they can do at their homes, schools, and community buildings to clean up our waterways. For more information, visitors are directed to RainScaping.org.
As part of the RainScaping Campaign, the Chesapeake Ecology Center (CEC) worked with staff at Quiet Waters Park (QWP) and several volunteers to install a RainScaping Education Station and a Rain Garden at the 340-acre Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, Maryland. After several months of planning, installation took place and was completed in the fall of 2011.
Project planning began in the spring of 2011. Zora Lathan designed the RES and submitted her plans to Michael Murdoch, former QWP Superintendent, and the Friends of Quiet Waters Park Board of Directors, which were approved. Throughout the planning phase, Natalie Nucifora, former Volunteer Coordinator for QWP, provided tremendous assistance; and we received assistant from the South River Federation. By mid-fall, installation began and continued over a two-week period.
Ricky Meyer (CEC), did expert carpentry work for the RES and worked on the Rain Garden; and 10 volunteers assisted with the RES permeable paver and Rain Garden installation, including: Joyce Riley-Greene (QWP); Melvin and Mark (QWP); Zora Lathan (CEC); William Sanders (CEC); Daniel Friend; and 8th Grade Volunteers from St. Mary’s Church—Noah, Sam, Cole, and Kenny. Nicki Fiocco (QWP) assisted in helping coordinate volunteer participation. The project was an outstanding, cooperative effort, and it was an educational and fun experience for students!
Next to the RES, volunteers installed a 300 square feet Rain Garden—designed by Joyce Riley-Greene (QWP)—planted with native shrubs, including: Inkberry (Ilex glabra), Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica), and Winterberry (Ilex verticillata). It is also planted with native herbaceous flowering perennials, including: Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosum), Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), Virginia Saltmarsh Mallow (Kosteletzkya virginica), Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida), and Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).
The RES and Rain Garden are placed in a highly visible location that receives lots of foot traffic from walkers and joggers, and is next to one of the main parking lots for the Visitor Center and Ice Rink. Notably, in 2010—the 20th anniversary of QWP—700,000 people were estimated to have passed through its gates; and since its opening, it’s estimated that the park has received 10 million visitors. Judging from the interest and questions received during installation, the RainScaping Education Station and Rain Garden are undoubtedly having a significant impact in helping educate the numerous visitors to Quiet Waters Park about “Beautiful Solutions to Water Pollution!”
RainScaping Education Stations, Outdoor Signage, and Indoor Displays
