Rain gardens retain and reuse rainwater from rooftops, driveways, or parking lots to prevent adverse stormwater impacts. In this class, students will learn the principles and design techniques for planning, building, and maintaining a small-scale rain garden. Using the spirit of do-it yourself, students will become empowered with the tools to make a positive impact on their personal water-use and water-waste footprint. Learn how rain gardens are at once beautiful, effective, and fun! The course will cover background science, site investigation, permitting, design basics, plant and material selection, and inspiring case studies. 

Note: This class begins at 7pm on Friday.

  • Competency Level: All Levels
  • AIA credits: 16

Saturday
9:00 AM Introductions & Opening Exercise
10:00 AM Morning Lecture 1: Intro to Rain Gardens
What are raingardens and what they're not
Basic elements & how they function
10:30 AM Morning Lecture Intro to Raingarden Design/Build
Site assessment
Basic Sizing Procedure
Other Design Elements/Considerations
12:00 PM Leave for Tour (Eat lunch in the van)
1:00 PM UVM Advanced Raingarden Tour
Tour system and highlight design elements
Soils Analysis Demonstration
1:45 PM Simple Homescale Raingarden Tour
2:15 PM South Burlington Raingarden Construction Exercise
Get hands on experience excavating, soil amending, and planting
Reassemble to discuss each project
4:45 PM Leave for Yestermorrow
6:00 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Evening Lecture 1 - Stormwater Context & Case Studies (Optional)
8:30 PM Evening Lecture 2 - Advanced Design Approaches (Optional)
10:00 PM Drink a beer, discuss the metaphysics of stormwater, or go to bed…

Sunday
9:00 AM Recap of Day 1, discuss sample projects, establish teams
Questions from day 1
Discussion of sample proj
Est. Teams
10:00 AM Individual exercise: stormwater calculations and raingarden sizing
Students can choose simple method or advanced
10:30 AM Team: Preliminary design steps:
Setting Expectations / Deliverables
Site Analysis
11:30 AM Teams: Present site analysis
12:00 AM Lunch
1:00 AM Team: Design time & instructor assistance 1:1
Calcs & Drawings
Planting Plan & Materials
3:30 AM Design "critique" & evaluations
4:30 AM Class wrap-up & evaluations & CDs
5:00 AM Class complete

Start Date: October 24, 2009
Closed
Start Date: May 7, 2010
Closed