All of us here at Metro Blooms are excited for our 2012 projects… we have dozens! 😀There are two however that we’d like to describe more in depth: Urban Homeworks and the Seward Montessori School Magnet. These projects indeed don’t stop at the raingarden themselves. Both promise a high level of initiative and enthusiasm to bring the raingardens to a higher level of education and community involvement.
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Urban Homeworks is an organization combining affordable housing, volunteer support and intentional community here in Minneapolis/ St. Paul. A raingarden installation works great in this setting because the residents of the Urban Neighbors program actively seek ways be involved in their communities as part of their housing agreement. The raingarden will fit in fabulously to bring people together; keeping the community looking lush, living, vibrant, and contributing to our water quality. What a great way to combine teamwork and strategy to create a solid, effective, and positive way of living in community! Check out their website for more info and videos concerning their work and mission.
Project Description: The project will be part of the 2009 Emerson Ave park and parking area, which is a vacant lot owned by Urban Homeworks. The lot includes a gravel parking area along with a collection of sculptures made by Juxtaposition Arts students. Along with the benefits of art, the site will serve as an education site for North side residents about the art and design of stormwater management, demonstrating how trees and raingardens function for the watershed and create vibrant, aesthetic community space at the same time. The visuals to accompany the garden will provide information on what homeowners can do to reduce stormwater pollution on their own property.
Metro Blooms also plans to develop a raingarden project with the Seward Montessori in Minneapolis. This is a unique project in that the Montessori schooling method incorporates nature deep into a child’s method of learning. Dr. Maria Montessori in 1907 envisioned children learning from a view that sees nature as a source of inspiration and creativity. Because children already hold inner creativity, exposing them to nature through lesson plans is a powerful combination for learning. Dr. Montessori also saw nature as continuous between the indoors and outdoors. This idea helps children establish an awareness of the environment as all-encompassing andtherefore important to consider in any space. Because a raingarden demonstrates nature as well as responsible human interaction with the natural world, it will be a valuable stewardship lesson for the children. Metro Blooms is happy to contribute what it can to this commendable education mission! Check out their website for more info.
Project description: A raingarden and channel drain will be installed near the main entrance on the West side of the school off of 28th Ave S. The channel drain will direct rainwater from an impervious concrete walkway into the garden. The 20′ x 21′ garden will collect and capture approximately 211.64 cubic feet (1,583 gallons) of stormwater runoff in a 1″ rain event. Metro Blooms will complete onsite visual observations of the raingarden’s function after large rain events, as well as install a observation well to ensure the garden is functioning properly.
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There’s much more to come as the grand season of Spring unfolds…
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