Project Background:
In 2021, Be the Change Earth Alliance started a project, called Water is Life. The project aims to empower youth aged 14-18 across Metro Vancouver to take individual and collective action to address threats facing Canadian freshwater ecosystems during the 2021-2023 school years. A key component of Water is Life is having youth design and create a rain garden.
What is a Rain Garden?
- A rain garden is a garden with plants planted in a small depression or plot of land, which is normally formed on a natural slope, designed to hold and absorb rainwater runoff that flows from streets, driveways, roofs, or lawns. This helps reduce the amount of harmful pollutants and substances that enter freshwater ecosystems through stormwater and sewer drains.
- In Metro Vancouver, flash flooding carries tailpipe toxins, brake and tire dust, road salt, excess fertilizers and pesticides, cigarette butts, plastic and paper litter into the Fraser River, harming fish health. Rain gardens help address this problem and create a healthier ecosystem for freshwater species.
Project Overview:
Throughout the last few years, Be the Change Earth Alliance has guided youth in creating 3 Rain Gardens. Through rain gardens, youth gained knowledge and education on why it’s important to protect freshwater ecosystems, threats to freshwater ecosystems, and how they can participate in a local solution. By creating rain gardens, which are self-sustaining once created, BTCEA and youth participants directly and tangibly benefited local freshwater ecosystem health and quality over the course of several years. BTCEA sought collaborators who were interested in partnering and providing the plot of land., With the support and guidance from BTCEA and Cougar Creek Streamkeeper, the youth groups/school clubs created three wonderful rain gardens! BTCEA and Cougar Creek Streamkeeper provided all the training, resources, tools, plants, and excavation, as needed, to create the rain garden.
