Volunteers Needed for Planting
February 16th – Meet at the Josephine Building parking lot between 10 am and 2 pm
Volunteers Needed for Trail Construction
March 16th – Meet at the Josephine Building parking lot between 10 am and 2 pm
Volunteer opportunities are scheduled for anyone to get involved. Students are welcome and encouraged to experience this project firsthand.
For more info or directions contact the Project Manager, Chas Rogers, at crogers@roguecc.edu.
Rogue Community College and Sustainable Rogue Valley are working together to complete the demonstration Raingarden and Bioswale on the Redwood Campus. This project has been funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board to construct the initial work of digging the drainage basin and filling with mulch and was completed during the summer of 2017 by the local Williams Creek Watershed Council.
Volunteers are needed to help complete the project. Sustainable Rogue Valley is a local concerned group working to find solutions to making our world a more livable place for all. We offer community service projects and education about bioswales, raingardens, and other sustainable ideas. Individuals and local groups interested in getting involved in planting, shaping, and maintaining this active demonstration project can visit our website, sustainableroguevalley.org, for more information. If you would like to help with completing the Raingarden contact the Project Manager, Chas Rogers, at crogers@roguecc.edu.
Volunteer opportunities are scheduled for anyone to get involved. Students are welcome and encouraged to experience this project firsthand. This winter we will be completing our wetland and flower planting on February 16th. On March 16th we will construct our trail designed to encourage people to walk and discover the project. On Earth Day at Redwood Campus, April 19th we will have tours of the site and plan to install more signs describing the project. Please feel free to show up at the Josephine Building parking lot between 10 am and 2 pm on Feb 16th or March 16th.
Raingardens collect rainwater runoff in basins and ponds encouraging water to slow down and filter through plant roots and seep into the ground. With a healthy and varied plant community, it can produce a pleasing environment while providing a vital function in the watershed. The RCC Raingarden collects runoff from the campus and filters it through a bioswale.
Bioswales are made to collect rainwater runoff and filter through wetlands where unique wetland plants are growing. These plants can help break down pollutants such as oil from parking lots and roadways as they filter into the ground during runoff. Bioswales contain organic matter that acts as a sponge along with plants that hold and break down contaminants from impervious landscapes such as parking lots and roads.
The wetlands on RCC campus collect runoff, filter and clean contaminants from several parking lots, letting water seep into the ground or enter the natural drainage systems. Signs posted onsite help explain the project and its goals, showing the pattern of runoff, types of wetland plants growing, and how this could help clean water and improve watershed health. We hope this demonstration site will inspire others to build Raingardens and Bioswales to improve water quality and beautify the landscape.
sustainableroguevalley.org 