When it rains, it stores

Girl Scout rain garden serves dual purpose

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff writer

When the idea of creating a rain garden was first raised to the City of Burlington Common Council, it seemed to have little attention paid to it, beyond the question of where to put it.

Now, though, more people seem to be asking: just what is a rain garden – and what is that freshly planted area in Echo Park?

Local Girl Scout Leader Stacy Stewart helped plan the project, which was done recently to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts. The rain gardens are a project across the state with the centennial celebration, and southeast Wisconsin got behind rain gardens.

The Girl Scouts of Southeast Wisconsin then issued a challenge throughout the state to create 100 rain gardens for the 100th anniversary. The idea has also caught fire around the country.

Just what is a rain garden?

“People that have lived or know people who live in the Milwaukee or Madison areas kind of knew what rain gardens were already,” said Stewart. “They actually get extra money as a city for residents having rain gardens.

“Other people, they didn’t have any idea what a rain garden was. And I was one of them,” she added. “I have a masters in horticulture, but I didn’t know what a rain garden was.”

The 400-square-foot rain garden will collect rainwater as it comes off the roof of one of the picnic shelters at Echo Park. The garden will temporarily flood, and then the water will soak back into the ground – and eventually the lake.

The process will help eliminate pollutants such as lawn fertilizers, pesticides, oil and substances that rinse off roofs.

After getting approval from the Common Council earlier in the month, Stewart worked with 12 troops from five different area schools to create the garden. Several different varieties of prairie plants – with deep roots – were included.

The work was completed Monday, and now even more troops are signing on to take care of the garden.

“It’s amazing,” Stewart said. “That’s actually why Girls Scouts U.S.A. is so excited, according to Girl Scouts of Wisconsin.”

The project is funded by grants, including one for 300 plants from the Burlington Area Garden Club, and one from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (through the Graham-Martin Foundation) that allowed the groups to purchase the plants at cost.

In addition, 100 plants were donated by the Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network.

Stewart said the Scouts will have to weed and mulch the garden for at least two years. From there, the prairie plants will be strong enough to survive and flourish on their own, though perimeter work will still need to be done.

The long-term plan is to assign two troops – a younger and older troop whenever possible – to care for the garden per month during the growing season, as well as fall and spring cleanups.

That portion of Echo Lake Park will look a little like a prairie.

“We have girls doing their bronze and silver projects with it,” said Stewart. “They’ll be working together with each other on their separate projects.

“(The Girl Scouts) actually planted 99 percent of the plants themselves,” she added. “When they were done, they asked where the next rain garden is going to be.”