April 2015

Back in June of 2013 I got an email from Esther, a math teacher at the Seattle Girls’ School in the Central District of Seattle. “Would you be interested in helping us figure out whether a rain garden might be feasible for us?” she asked. I couldn’t wait to go talk about rain gardens with an engaged teacher and help her use a rain garden to tie together broad subjects across their “STEAM” curriculum (STEM is great but when you add Art, learning really heats up!). We walked around the school for a couple of hours, I blabbered on and on about everything from rain garden sizing calculations to plant pallets to creative ways to convey water from place to place. I gave Esther a Rain Garden Handbook, some brochures and promised to be available if she and her students had any questions.

Fast forward a year and I’m back at the school for their first ever “garden party.” As I walked up, a 5th grade student said “this is a rain garden. Do you know what a rain garden is? Well let me tell you…” and then launched into an eloquent description of both the complex problems of urban runoff and how this project that she had personally helped design and create was addressing it. I couldn’t stop smiling. Of the many things I love about this campaign, empowering members of my community like Esther and her students is the most gratifying. Learn more about the Seattle Girls’ School’s Garden project on their blog and learn more about the value of school rain gardens at 12000raingardens.org  

By Aaron Clark