Over the last year, the Rotary Club of Marble Falls and District 5870 have partnered with the Rotary Club of Corpus Christi and District 5930 in South Texas to participate in the building of a Rain Garden at Sarita Elementary School, close to Baffin Bay. This is a Global Grant project under the Rotary Foundation’s Environmental Area of Focus. Other partners include District 4130 from Mexico and District 5580 in Minnesota and Canada.
The project is being watched by the Foundation as a model of how to plan and execute an environmental project. On March 22nd, Marble Falls member and District 5870 Grants Chair PDG Ellison Crider traveled to Sarita to assist in planting the final plants and helping to prepare the Rain Garden for a dedication on May 9. Foundation Vice-Chair Elect Greg Podd and other dignitaries will be in attendance. Any Rotarian from District 5870 is welcome to attend this dedication. There will also be a ticketed dinner that evening in Corpus Christi. If you are interested in attending contact PDG Ellison Crider, ellisoncrider@gmail.com for more information.
More about Rain Gardens:
Rain gardens are listed as a green infrastructure best management practice to address storm-water in the Water Protection Plan because they are designed to collect rainwater from a roof, driveway, parking lot, or street and allow it time to soak into the ground. When planted with grasses and flowering perennials, rain gardens are a cost-effective and beautiful way to reduce flooding; provide habitat for butterflies, songbirds, and other wildlife; store excess carbon; and filter out pollutants.