What’s Up, Watershed, March Edition
These Three Features Give You the Tools Needed to Green Up Your Community!
This past Monday when I was sitting at my desk, I was suddenly struck by the abundance of bird song chiming through my window! If you’re anything like the birds, you’re probably starting to itch for the springtime sunshine and the smell of flowers in the breeze. Luckily for you, PRC and three partner organizations just launched a brand-new website that can help you make those springtime dreams a reality! The site, called www.growinggreenercommunities.org, is an online library with tons of free resources on how we can make our communities greener, one property at a time. This project was financed in part by a Growing Greener Grant provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and funded in part by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and its funding partners. Without further ado, here are three of the coolest features our new site has to offer!
Chris Bunn
Environmental Program Coordinator
“HOW TO BUILD A RAIN GARDEN” VIDEO TUTORIAL Before working with PRC, I had only a vague idea of what a rain garden was. It’s a garden that’s watered by rain, right? Well, it turns out there’s a little bit more to it than that. Thanks to our new video, you have the opportunity to become a rain garden apprentice alongside me! During the video, I chat with Stephen Lockard, a local expert who co-facilitates a rain garden program with more than 30 gardens under their belt. Throughout our conversation, we take you through the entire rain garden process, from drawing the garden on paper to digging it out and planting! By the end, you’ll have the skills and knowledge needed to build your very own rain garden. Check it out!
GROWING GREENER COMMUNITIES (GGC) FORUM As concerned citizens who care about our environment, it can be challenging to understand exactly how we can be a part of the bigger solution. It’s not always clear whether or not our current lifestyle practices are environmentally friendly, whether that be what we spray on our flowers to how we care for our yards and lawns. Here at PRC, we have more than a decade of experience educating about and implementing eco-friendly home and yard-care practices, and we’d like to share what we’ve learned with you! Ask us a question on our new GGC forum and receive a personalized answer from our environmental experts. What are you waiting for?!?
GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE WEBPAGE Don’t know what those three words mean? Good — that’s why we created this webpage! Simply put, Green Stormwater Infrastructure (also referred to as GSI) is an approach to managing rainwater in ways that mimic the natural world. To do this, we use various tools and techniques that allow us to capture rainwater where it falls, preventing it from entering storm drains. We often employ the help of plants to accomplish this, as they can soak up this water while also beautifying our communities! On this webpage, we’ll introduce you to all the different kinds of GSI and how you can help implement some in your neighborhood!
That’s all we’ve got for you this month! If you liked any of the features shared in this article, please feel free to share them with a friend or colleague. I wish you a happy spring equinox; may the birdsong wash away all the blues of winter! See you next month.
CLICK HERE to read February 2025 blog: Help Protect Our Water Using This New Website!
CLICK HERE to read January 2025 blog: Winter Sowing: A Cheap, Easy, and Efficient Way to Start Seeds
CLICK HERE to read November 2024 blog: Fireflies — A Magical Reason to Leave Your Leaves
CLICK HERE to read October 2024 blog: Trees Big and Small to Plant This Fall — Three Magnificent Tree Species to Spruce Up Your Yard
CLICK HERE to read September 2024 blog: Beautify Your Yard with These Three Native Plants
CLICK HERE to read August 2024 blog: Cool Waters: How Trees Help to Protect Pennsylvania’s State Fish
CLICK HERE to read July 2024 blog: Do YOU Know What an Immature Dragonfly Looks Like?
CLICK HERE to read June 2024 blog: Rain Gardens: An Upstream Solution to Pollution
CLICK HERE to read May 2024 blog: How to Plant a Nature-Friendly Landscape in 3 Easy Steps!
CLICK HERE to read April 2024 blog: April Showers: The Journey of a Spring Raindrop
CLICK HERE to learn more about watershed protection
MEET PRC ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR CHRIS BUNN
On a day-to-day basis, Chris’ work includes creating watershed-focused educational content and supporting the implementation of nature-based solutions to residential stormwater pollution. In his free time, Chris enjoys writing and performing original music, growing food, and nerding out about native plants.
