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Raingarden Design Syllabus
Materials required: Notebooks, sketchbooks, drawing implements and drawing tools are suggested. If applicable, students may come prepared with a specific site in mind to design and implement a raingarden. If so, please bring pictures, plan drawings with elevations, aerial photos, or as much information about the specific sight that you can obtain. Since we will be spending some time outside and the weather in Vermont is unpredictable, please come prepared with rain gear, warm or cool clothes, boots/shoes that you can get muddy, and protection from bugs and sun. Above all, bring your questions, curiosity, and willingness to learn! Tentative schedule:
DAY 1 Morning session: -Urban watersheds 101 – natural vs. urban water cycle, stormwater impacts; stormwater issues in urban, suburban, exurban, and rural settings -Traditional vs. decentralized stormwater treatment; manufactured solutions vs. natural solutions; maintenance needs and long-term effectiveness -Raingardens: history, use, effectiveness, maintenance, case study examples -Water, soil, plants – how to assess site-specific constraints and opportunities
Afternoon session: -Soils: On-site infiltration test(s) and evaluating soil conditions -Plants: sources, types, identification -Water: example stormwater calculations -Q&A time, recap of the day’s topics
Evening session: -Optional activity
DAY 2 Morning session: -Discussion of sample projects and selection of design teams (Note: sample projects will either be a student’s own site or a hypothetical site provided by the instructors) -Individual exercise: Determining raingarden dimensions -Team exercise: Review required dimensions, identify site constraints, outline assumptions -Team exercise: Prepare design drawings including multiple views, plant lists, and instructions for implementation -Instructors advise and aid each team, as needed -Team exercise: Present and explain raingarden designs to all -Wrap-up: funding opportunities, Q&A, evaluations, etc.
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