Christie Vilsack, wife of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, helps students plant in Brent's new rain garden. Photo by Kyra Deblaker-Gebhard
Brent Elementary (301 North Carolina Ave., SE) dedicated its new rain garden, the result of an enormous effort among parents, educators and the community, on Monday, November 2.
“This rain garden is an attractive way to reduce the amount of storm water entering the sewer system while providing a fun learning laboratory for Brent’s students and neighbors,” said Christie Vilsack, wife of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Secretary Vilsack could not attend. Christine Vilsack, whose family kept gardens in Iowa, was once an elementary educator, and spoke very highly of using gardens as educational tools.
“Teaching our kids about how water moves through the landscape is invaluable. This is an effective way to manage our precious water resources,” she said.
The rain garden was installed through a collaborative effort between the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the District of Columbia’s Department of the Environment. Besides its environmental function, the Brent Elementary School rain garden will provide a living, outdoor classroom for the students.
By all accounts, Brent parents were instrumental in making the project happen.
“[Brent’s] Type A Prime parents taught me what a rain garden is,” said Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells.
Why Install a Rain Garden?
When it rains, storm water runoff flows over landscapes and into the sewer system, eventually entering the nearest body of water, instead of percolating into the soil. Up to 70% percent of pollution in lakes, rivers and streams is what is known as non-point source pollution, or pollution that doesn’t come from specific sources, such as urban runoff.
Rain gardens reduce the storm water runoff into drainage systems and help clean water by filtering pollution before it enters watersheds. The Brent Elementary School rain garden will help clean water that eventually ends up in the Chesapeake Bay.