Winter 2019
We are having a clean-up and mulch work day on March 1, 2019 – 10am to 2pm… Bring your shovels, rakes, buckets… See you there!
Summer of 2018
Mike Nelson installed birdhouses in the trees within the Rain Garden and local birds took up residence right away! Most of the plants grew and spread through the summer along with a few “volunteer” plants.
We had a work party in the fall to deal with some of the more aggressive volunteers, and all in all things are going well.
February 2018 Update
The February Planting Day was sunny and successful. The RCC maintenance crew worked with Chas to move a big batch of huge boulders into the garden and a happy crew of folks worked on getting the last batch of plants in the ground!
We planted a big patch of native Thimbleberry that was dug from our project at the Fairgrounds, where it had begun to take over the Native Edibles bed! It will have lots of space to grow at RCC and the growing conditions will not be so lush, which should slow it down a bit. We also moved a couple overgrown Kinnickinnick plants from that garden to this one, as well as many small yellow-eyed grass, and yellow monkey flower starts that had been merrily self-sown in the Fairgrounds Rain Garden bed.
The rest of the plants included several native plant varieties – Redtwig dogwood, Douglas Spirea, Creeping Oregon Grape, a large vine maple, several more kinnickinnick, wild ginger and Douglas Iris.
Pictures will be posted soon…
*Volunteers Needed for Trail Construction
March 16th – Meet at the Josephine Building parking lot between 10 am and 2 pm
Volunteers will be needed to help maintain the site later this spring and summer, too!
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.
For more info or directions contact the Project Manager, Chas Rogers, at crogers@roguecc.edu.
See a December 2017 update below – with lots of pictures of the projects progression!
Sustainable Rogue Valley, in conjunction with other funders, is planning to construct Raingardens and Bioswales on the Rogue Community College property in Grants Pass, Oregon. Raingardens are made to collect rainwater in ponds and maintain a healthy plant community while encouraging water to slow down and filter into the ground. They produce a pleasing environment while providing a vital function in the watershed. Plant communities can be focused on butterfly migration, bees and insects, as well as fire resistant plants.
Bioswales are made to collect rainwater runoff and filter through wetlands where unique wetland plants are growing. These plants will 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 will collect runoff, filter and clean contaminants, and send the water downstream or into the ground to enter the natural drainage systems. There are several wetland sites planned in this project that will receive runoff in a series of bioswales designed around the existing culverts and drainage patterns. Signs posted onsite will 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.
Sustainable Rogue Valley is an affinity group to the Grants Pass Universal Universalists, and is associated with Rogue Community College Faculty and Facilities Department. SRV has received funding from The Ashland Food Coop and is also applying for restoration grants from Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board through the Rogue Valley Small Grant Team. Support is sought from Rogue River Watershed Council as well as Rogue Basin Partnership, and the Rogue Community College Green Team. This will be a collaborative effort to bring communities together to show how sustainable practices can benefit everyone.
DECEMBER 2017 UPDATE ON THE RCC RAINGARDEN/BIOSWALE PROJECT – NEARLY FINISHED!
Here are pictures taken this summer and fall of the progress on the Project. Chas Rogers has done an amazing job – not only writing the grants, but coordinating the work and DOING a huge amount himself! We just had a big planting day before Thanksgiving and LOTS of folks showed up – RCC students as well as SRV members!
There is more to come as well (big boulders and more plants in early 2018), so check back from time to time to watch the progress!
sustainableroguevalley.org 