WOOLWICH TWP. — The SJLWT is looking forward to blooms and butterflies at the General Charles G. Harker School.
This past Fall, the South Jersey Land and Water Trust (SJLWT) with Rutgers Water Resources Program planted a rain garden at the Harker School in Woolwich.
Rain gardens are created by digging a slight depression in the ground and filling it with soil and native shrubs and wildflowers. The downspouts are directed to the garden which collects rainwater. The garden filters and cleans the stormwater and provides new habitat for the school grounds.
Students and teachers at Harker School learned about the habitat that rain gardens provide and the wildlife that benefits, while also helping to plant. At the end of the busy day, the children planted over 200 native flowers, grasses, and shrubs.
This planting serves as an educational outdoor classroom while also providing critical habitat for birds, butterflies and other pollinators.
Christine Nolan, Executive Director of the SJLWT said, “When we bring rain gardens to schools, we work to enhance our natural environment while also providing children with a space for hands-on learning. What kids learn about in their classrooms — photosynthesis, butterflies, the water cycle, and more — comes to life when they see it in the garden.”
The SJLWT has partnered with many schools and installed over 20 rain gardens in Salem and Gloucester Counties since 2018. These new habitats provide food and nectar for our local species of birds and butterflies.
For more information about rain gardens and their mission to protect the land and water resources of South Jersey visit: www.sjlandwater.org. For Rutgers Water Resources Program visit: Water Resources Program at Rutgers NJAES
