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Native Plant Expo & Marketplace Partner and Sponsor, Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office and the Washtenaw County Master Rain Gardener program, are thrilled with the success of this year’s event! Native plants play a major role in protecting water quality by helping water soak into the ground. As water soaks in it gets cleaned before reaching our rivers and lakes, in addition to reducing flooding. Native plants offer many benefits at small and large scales. Read more to find out about how native plants help support our many different Michigan ecosystems, visit popup gardens this summer, and learn more about bringing native plants to the landscapes around you.
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Water Resources Commissioner, Evan Pratt, leads several departments through different methods of storm water management and protecting water quality. Keeping surface water clean is one of the Water Resources mandates and native plants play a big part in that.
Native plants help water soak into the soil, and when that happens the water gets naturally cleaned. This is something that nature has done since time immemorial. Many different kinds of ecosystems, including forests and prairies, have plants with very deep roots that help water soak in.
With the development of houses, roads, and buildings, that water will flow over the surface instead of soaking into the ground. As water travels over these hard surfaces, it picks up what’s in its path and the temperature rises. That hot and dirty water then pollutes our rivers, which is where were get our drinking water. While our drinking water is cleaned at the plant, it’s better for everyone if it starts out as clean as possible.
Soaking water into the ground by using native plants of is getting back to how nature originally did it. This is the best and most efficient way to clean water on a landscape scale.
The more water that soaks into the ground also means the less water there is for flooding. Native plants can make a big difference in reducing and preventing flooding in homes, yards, and streets.
These are some of the main ways native plants support the mission of the Water Resources Commissioner’s Office. While there are many reasons to support native plants, for this Sponsor, the focus is clean water.
By partnering with the Conservation District and sponsoring the Native Plant Expo & Marketplace, Water Resources is able to reach a wider audience. They used to host a small native plant sale which reached residents who were planning home rain gardens through the Master Rain Gardener program. The larger scale NPEM reaches people who are working on all kinds of projects from planting a few native plants in their flower bed to doing a large-scale restoration. Regardless of the size or number of plants, all of these projects are good for water quality.
The more people that can include native plants in their landscapes, the more impact these habitats can have. Supporting the growth of the NPEM helps open up the opportunity to learn about native plants to new audiences and reach the expanding community throughout Washtenaw County and beyond.
Master Rain Gardener
Rain gardens are the gold standard of water quality practices! They capture water when it rains and soak it into the ground with their incredible native plants. One thing that you need for a well-functioning rain garden is plants that are adapted for both wet and dry conditions. Rain gardens will fill up with water during wet periods, but will dry out when it doesn’t rain for extended time in the summer heat. This requires hardy, native plants with deep roots!
Native plants are adapted to these fluctuating conditions. They also have many more benefits when it comes to our natural heritage. Native plants are special to here, and thrive in our local landscapes. Many of them are unique to Michigan and provide valuable habitat, food, and beauty for wildlife and people. We live in such a beautiful, unique place and native plants are an integral part of our diverse ecosystems.
Interested in learning more about rain gardens?
Rain Garden Program - https://www.washtenaw.org/647/Rain-Gardens
Water Resources offers free on-site consultations throughout Washtenaw County to help residents think about managing stormwater and planning or designing rain gardens. Make an appointment with us!
https://rain-garden-assistance.appointlet.com/
The Maser Rain Garden class is open and FREE to everyone in Washtenaw County
Learn more about joining the next session or watch online at your own pace.
https://www.washtenaw.org/675/Master-Rain-Gardener-Class
The Master Rain Gardener program hosts events and rain garden tours throughout the year. Come join us!
Calendar - https://www.washtenaw.org/calendar.aspx?CID=58
Subscribe to Newsletter - https://washtenaw.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=892493d1b26f76330e4abef57&id=4283408822
Want to see a few large public rain gardens in action?
Mary Beth Doyle Park: This large storm water management project in Ann Arbor captures huge volumes of water and experiences very drastic and noticeable changes in water level between storm events. The site contains a 12-acre wetland which can collect fifteen million gallons of storm water runoff and allows it to drain slowly. In 2009, over 31,000 plugs of 25 species of grasses and forbs were planted along with seeding of 8 acres.
https://www.a2gov.org/departments/Parks-Recreation/parks-places/pages/brown.aspx
Saline District Library: The rain garden at the north entrance showcases a large variety of species and blooms throughout the season. The library is a recipient on one of the first SalineBeGreen Awards from the Saline Environmental Commission in recognition of a variety of environmental efforts which include their rain garden, solar array installation, and environmentally conscious educational events.
https://www.salinelibrary.org/about/
Native plants help water soak into the soil, and when that happens the water gets naturally cleaned. This is something that nature has done since time immemorial. Many different kinds of ecosystems, including forests and prairies, have plants with very deep roots that help water soak in.
With the development of houses, roads, and buildings, that water will flow over the surface instead of soaking into the ground. As water travels over these hard surfaces, it picks up what’s in its path and the temperature rises. That hot and dirty water then pollutes our rivers, which is where were get our drinking water. While our drinking water is cleaned at the plant, it’s better for everyone if it starts out as clean as possible.
Soaking water into the ground by using native plants of is getting back to how nature originally did it. This is the best and most efficient way to clean water on a landscape scale.
The more water that soaks into the ground also means the less water there is for flooding. Native plants can make a big difference in reducing and preventing flooding in homes, yards, and streets.
These are some of the main ways native plants support the mission of the Water Resources Commissioner’s Office. While there are many reasons to support native plants, for this Sponsor, the focus is clean water.
By partnering with the Conservation District and sponsoring the Native Plant Expo & Marketplace, Water Resources is able to reach a wider audience. They used to host a small native plant sale which reached residents who were planning home rain gardens through the Master Rain Gardener program. The larger scale NPEM reaches people who are working on all kinds of projects from planting a few native plants in their flower bed to doing a large-scale restoration. Regardless of the size or number of plants, all of these projects are good for water quality.
The more people that can include native plants in their landscapes, the more impact these habitats can have. Supporting the growth of the NPEM helps open up the opportunity to learn about native plants to new audiences and reach the expanding community throughout Washtenaw County and beyond.
Master Rain Gardener
Rain gardens are the gold standard of water quality practices! They capture water when it rains and soak it into the ground with their incredible native plants. One thing that you need for a well-functioning rain garden is plants that are adapted for both wet and dry conditions. Rain gardens will fill up with water during wet periods, but will dry out when it doesn’t rain for extended time in the summer heat. This requires hardy, native plants with deep roots!
Native plants are adapted to these fluctuating conditions. They also have many more benefits when it comes to our natural heritage. Native plants are special to here, and thrive in our local landscapes. Many of them are unique to Michigan and provide valuable habitat, food, and beauty for wildlife and people. We live in such a beautiful, unique place and native plants are an integral part of our diverse ecosystems.
Interested in learning more about rain gardens?
Rain Garden Program - https://www.washtenaw.org/647/Rain-Gardens
Water Resources offers free on-site consultations throughout Washtenaw County to help residents think about managing stormwater and planning or designing rain gardens. Make an appointment with us!
https://rain-garden-assistance.appointlet.com/
The Maser Rain Garden class is open and FREE to everyone in Washtenaw County
Learn more about joining the next session or watch online at your own pace.
https://www.washtenaw.org/675/Master-Rain-Gardener-Class
The Master Rain Gardener program hosts events and rain garden tours throughout the year. Come join us!
Calendar - https://www.washtenaw.org/calendar.aspx?CID=58
Subscribe to Newsletter - https://washtenaw.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=892493d1b26f76330e4abef57&id=4283408822
Want to see a few large public rain gardens in action?
Mary Beth Doyle Park: This large storm water management project in Ann Arbor captures huge volumes of water and experiences very drastic and noticeable changes in water level between storm events. The site contains a 12-acre wetland which can collect fifteen million gallons of storm water runoff and allows it to drain slowly. In 2009, over 31,000 plugs of 25 species of grasses and forbs were planted along with seeding of 8 acres.
https://www.a2gov.org/departments/Parks-Recreation/parks-places/pages/brown.aspx
Saline District Library: The rain garden at the north entrance showcases a large variety of species and blooms throughout the season. The library is a recipient on one of the first SalineBeGreen Awards from the Saline Environmental Commission in recognition of a variety of environmental efforts which include their rain garden, solar array installation, and environmentally conscious educational events.
https://www.salinelibrary.org/about/
