Free rain garden workshop at Leominster Public Library

The Worcester County Conservation District invites you a free program at the Leominster Library on March 17 at 3 pm.  Ed Himlan of the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition will present a slideshow about the design and benefits of rain gardens.

Rain gardens attract birds and butterflies, while protecting local streams and ponds. These gardens are planted with flowers, shrubs and grasses that are easy to maintain and thrive without fertilizers and pesticides.   The slideshow will explain where to place a rain garden, how to select plants and how to keep the garden flourishing as a beautiful accent for your home or business.

Runoff from rain and snow melt is a big problem as forests and fields are replaced by buildings, streets and parking lots. Rain garden plants and soils filter storm water and recycle nutrients that can harm water quality. The bowl-shape design also allows rain to recharge the groundwater that keeps streams healthy during drought conditions.

Spring is the ideal time to create a rain garden. Rain gardens can be placed in sunny or shady locations, and there are many plants that supply food and habitat for wildlife.   Participants will receive a free Pocket Guide with helpful tips about rain gardens and other runoff remedies.  To register for the rain garden workshop, phone Lisa Trotto (508) 829-4477 ext. 5.

This workshop is sponsored by the Worcester County Conservation District seedling program, which has many types of trees, flowers and shrubs for sale.  The plant selections can be viewed at http://worcesterconservation.org/buy-seedlings/

 

How to Use LID Best Practices

Learn how to work with nature to enhance your community while protecting streams and lakes. Low Impact Development (LID) offers effective solutions for stormwater management and green design.

A practical four-page guide shows how to permit LID Best Practices in your local bylaws. This analysis helps communities consider existing land use regulations and encourage LID practices for residential development.

LID best practices include: minimizing the alteration of natural areas; minimizing creation of impervious surfaces; retaining natural vegetated buffers along wetlands and waterways; and minimizing changes to natural flow patterns.

By following this chart, communities can see how they’re supporting the use of LID techniques as the preferred, most easily permitted methods for managing stormwater and where they can improve.

Please visit MassAudubon’s Shaping the Future Program to download this free guide for improving local bylaws.

 

“Stormwater for Towns” Meeting

Please join us at Mount Wachusett Community College on November 18 (9 – 11:30 am) to consider cost-effective stormwater solutions for cities and towns.

Polluted runoff is the leading cause of damages to local waters.  Fortunately, there are efficient ways to fix stormwater problems that impact property, harm aquatic life and spoil uses of streams, lakes and water supplies.

The 11/18 meeting will have expert speakers on runoff remedies, costs of Best Management Practices, EPA municipal (MS4) permits and stormwater assistance programs.  Municipal officials, stormwater committees, highway departments, lake associations, watershed groups and concerned citizens will gain practical guidance to help improve the health of streams and lakes.

This free meeting will include a roundtable discussion of participants views on local stormwater needs.  You can view meeting details and register online at Eventbrite.

For more information, phone (978) 534-0379 or email: mwc@commonwaters.org.  Please forward this invitation to anyone who may be interested – all are welcome.

Tools to Keep Water Healthy

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) announces the launch of a new Massachusetts Clean Water Tool Kit website, which serves as the state’s primary public education resource related to nonpoint source pollution.

The Toolkit, developed for MassDEP by Geosyntec Consultants, includes sections focused on the major categories of nonpoint source pollution, 127 fact sheets on best management practices to reduce pollution, and a collection of “Interactive Scenarios” based on Massachusetts landscapes.

The Interactive Scenarios allow users to explore ways to reduce pollution and improve water quality in a variety of highly detailed landscapes that are typical in Massachusetts, including residential, agricultural, urban, roads, construction, and shoreline restoration.

To view the Clean Water Toolkit, go to http://prj.geosyntec.com/npsmanual.

Soak Up the Rain Webinars

Learn about innovative stormwater solutions. EPA New England is hosting webinars to help communities Soak Up the Rain.

Webinar participants will:

• Hear about public outreach resources and programs.
• See who’s soaking up the rain with green infrastructure.
• Learn about the latest tools and resources from EPA and others.
• Share successes, barriers, and lessons learned in New England communities.

The next webinar is “Back to School: Soaking up the Rain at K-12 Schools – Making Connections with Teachers and Students on Green Infrastructure”. This free webinar on October 6^th, 3:00 – 4:30 EST, will feature expert speakers that include:

• Peter Hinrichs, Learning Prep School in Newton, Massachusetts
• Peter Coffin, the Blackstone River Coalition and Blackstone Headwaters Coalition
• Molly Allard, Northern Rhode Island Conservation District

You can view the webinar flyer and register online at the EPA Soak Up the Rain website: https://www.epa.gov/soakuptherain

Good time at Earth Day celebration

Families had fun at recent Earth Day event. The hands-on Enviroscape display in photo showed why stormwater harms lakes and streams, as well as how to prevent polluted runoff.  Children and parents also liked seeing how water easily flowed thru a porous concrete demo into a pail below.  And children enjoyed planting seeds and brought the pots home to watch their rain garden plants grow.

Other unique activities included boat cruises on Quinebaug River pond, a horse drawn trolley and stagecoach rides. The sunny warm weather was perfect until late afternoon and all were glad the rain held off.  A great Earth Day at Old Sturbridge Village!

Runoff Remedies Presentation

Please join us at 7 pm on May 10 to learn about Runoff Remedies for Lakes & Ponds.  This free program at the Groton Town Hall will show how to reduce stormwater run-off from your property.

Rain that runs off from homes, lawns, driveways and parking areas carries a lot of pollution. This dirty stormwater flows onto streets and then into streams, ponds and lakes.  Sand, silt and other pollutants spoil uses of local waters – stream life vanishes, lakes fill with weeds, and high bacteria counts can pose risks for people.

Ed Himlan of the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition will share a slideshow on how to keep lakes and ponds healthy. This program will feature low-cost, easy ways to prevent and fix polluted run-off:

• See where the rain goes
• Build rain gardens and bio-swales
• Create rock-filled soakage trenches
• Plant filter strips and groundcover buffers
• Reduce erosion of dirt roads
• Make simple basins to capture sediment
• And more

Putting stormwater in the ground will help to lower costs for weed treatments and drainage systems.   The program will explain how to make a difference for your lake and pond.  This guidance can also help prevent run-off problems that harm streams and brooks.

The May 10 talk is sponsored by the Groton Lakes Association, Great Ponds Advisory Committee and Lost Lake Advisory Committee. The program is free and open to the general public.  For more information, please contact Alex Woodle (978) 448-6860.

Livable Lakes Meeting

North American Lake Management Society & MA Congress of Lake and Pond Associations are offering a two day seminar about lake management in today’s world. On May 20 – 21, learn about lake issues, network with others and move toward solving your lake’s problems.  Topics to be covered include:

• Algae identification and control – Friday Workshop
• Aquatic plant identification – Friday workshop
• LID techniques for homeowners – Friday Workshop
• Rooted plant control options
• Establishing a tax district
• Building an effective lake association
• Cost of specific plant control options
• Available funding for lake management
• Cyanobacterial monitoring and health threats
• Shoreline erosion assessment and control

The meeting in Marlboro MA will provide information of immediate use to participants. Expert speakers will go beyond simple case histories and available techniques, delving into proven track records, costs and funding, permitting, and organizational structures that work in lake management. This conference is about empowering people to make a difference for their lakes.

For tickets and more details, visit the Eventbrite listing

Old Sturbridge Village Earth Day Event and Exhibits

Gristmill & Millpond

Celebrate Earth Day on Friday April 22 at Old Sturbridge Village. Bring your family and friends to enjoy interesting fun activities from 11am-3pm:

 

• Rain Garden heritage seeds planting
• Enviroscape interactive stormwater display
• Sawmill and Gristmill demonstrations
• Quinebaug River Boat Ride
• Videos about the benefits of Low Impact Development
• Fact sheets on how you can help keep water clean
• And much more…

This Earth Day event is also the kick-off for the Sturbridge Stormwater Pollution Reduction Project that will help sustain healthy streams and lakes. Project partners include the Town of Sturbridge, Central MA Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC), Old Sturbridge Village and the MA Watershed Coalition.

The Sturbridge Pollution Reduction Project is funded by a grant from MassDEP and the EPA . The project will increase awareness of Low Impact Development (LID); prepare a LID bylaw; and plan stormwater improvements for the Old Sturbridge Village parking lot.

Low Impact Development prevents polluted runoff that harms streams, rivers and lakes. Examples of these LID techniques can include:

• Better land use planning and design
• “Green” development and redevelopment projects
• Pollution prevention practices
• Tree planting, rain gardens, green roofs, bioswales

More info about LID is available on the websites of MA Watershed Coalition and Central MA Regional Planning Commission.

Need help starting a rain garden? Head to the Boston Flower and Garden Show

With spring weather coming early this year, get a head start on your garden by going to the Boston Flower and Garden Show. Learn about the perennials and annuals available for your garden, as well as new landscaping techniques and trends. While you’re there, stop by the EPA’s booth and talk to the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition about starting a rain garden to reduce your home’s stormwater impact on local environments!

Stormwater is responsible for damaging as many as 75% of lakes and streams in the New England region due to runoff carried from fertilizers, sediments, and more. With a brand new rain garden, you can not only add visual appeal to your house, but you reduce the amount of harmful pollutants entering your local watershed and destroying local wildlife. The people of the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition can help you both beautify your yard and clean the environment.

The show runs March 16-20 at the Seaport World Trade Center, Boston with tickets available both online and at the door.