The Washtenaw County Rain Garden program has been building and planting successful rain gardens for six years. County staff would like to pass along these skills to others who want to design and plant rain gardens aims to spread the word in the tradition of the MSU Extension’s Master Gardener program.

A master rain gardener series of five classes will be provided this spring.

Rain gardens clean and cool stormwater so that our streams and rivers run clean. It is a nonpoint solution for nonpoint source pollution. Anyone can plant one in his or her own yard.

Master rain gardener training class

When: Wednesday mornings 9 a.m-12:30, April 13-May 11. Attendees must attend all five classes and plant a rain garden to receive their Master Rain Gardener “Blue Thumb” certificate.
Location: 705 N. Zeeb, room 2010
Cost: $30 per person or $40 per couple
Instructors: Harry Sheehan, Shannan Gibb-Randall, RLA, Susan Bryan

Questions? Email Bryans@ewashtenaw.org or call 734-730-9025

To register for the class, send a check made out to Washtenaw County to the address below:
Rain Gardens
c/o Susan Bryan
Office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner
705 N. Zeeb, PO Box 8645, Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8645

Nancy Stone is the Communications Liaison for Public Services at the City of Ann Arbor. She can be reached at nstone@a2gov.org. Visit www.a2gov.org for more information on local environmental topics including recycling, composting, water conservation, and choices for green living.

Your World provides local environmental information to our community. Contributing partners include: Washtenaw County’s Environmental Health Division; the nonprofit Recycle Ann Arbor; the City of Ann Arbor’s Public Services Area, Natural Area Preservation, Systems Planning programs for Energy, Environmental Coordination, Solid Waste, Transportation, and Water Resources.