TNN: Rain Gardens: A Homeowner’s Journey; Sept. 24

Every time it rains, water running over impermeable surfaces, such as roofs or driveways, gathers pollutants as it travels. These pollutants can include dirt, oil, trash, fertilizer and bacteria. This water then enters storm drains and can flow directly to nearby streams and ponds untreated. In fact, many storm drains have a notice that indicates such. The US EPA estimates that pollutants carried by rainwater runoff account for 70% of all water pollution. Join us to see how using the deep roots of native plants can create a point of interest and solve problems with stormwater runoff. Hear about a journey of creating a spot that is a rain garden and a pollinator garden, which evolves continuously with the seasons to be a haven for birds, bees, and butterflies.

Seeing a migratory bird stop over in her yard, or an opportunist native plant that chooses to grow in her garden, Samantha Bean finds joy in the unexpected. Blending the exhilaration of learning all about native plants that pique her curiosity every day with her love of writing led her to starting her own blog. With her husband Mark, they have slowly been transforming areas of their yard into native habitat and she loves to chronicle her discoveries about the creatures that share her home while describing the many habitats that exist for them on her blog at FlutterByMeadows.com. Growing up in the Sourland Mountain region of Central New Jersey, she spent a lot of time exploring the woods behind her home. Following a similar path, her young daughter Emma can be found roaming the pollinator gardens, rain garden, or meadows around their home in Hopewell Valley. Samantha is an Executive Committee member of the Garden Club of Trenton, and loves to sketch birds in her spare time.

Online booking for this program ends on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, at 6:00 pm. If you wish to register after the deadline, please email education@bhwp.org for space availability and reservations.