Rain Garden Installations
In June, PWA installed a new rain garden at Abbey-Landry School in Memramcook as part of our ongoing work to promote green infrastructure throughout our watershed. Before the installation, our team visited the school to prepare for the project and connect with students about the importance of rain gardens and how they can help manage stormwater. With the help and enthusiasm of the students, the rain garden was brought to life using native plants and design features that help absorb runoff and support a healthier local environment. This installation provided a valuable hands-on learning experience and an opportunity for community involvement. We are grateful to the students and staff who participated and helped make the installation a success.
Photo 1: Abbey-Landry school rain garden on the day of the installation.
In August, we installed a rain garden at Highland Park in Salisbury along the wetland trail. This park is home to a large variety of bird and insect species, so we made sure to select a diverse range of plant species that could benefit local wildlife. For example, we planted cardinal flower, a native species whose seeds provide food for birds in the fall. The garden was installed in approximately four hours with the help of many volunteers. Special thanks to the Town of Salisbury staff and Organigram for volunteering in large numbers and helping make this installation possible!
Photo 2: Salisbury rain garden on the day of the installation.
Our rain garden installations would not be possible without the help of John and Marie-Josée, co-owners of Loriella Farm. Their extensive native plant nursery allows us to bring native plants into more spaces throughout our watershed, and we are incredibly grateful for the relationship we have built with them. If you are ever in Elgin, New Brunswick, we encourage you to visit their nursery!
Photo 3: John and Marie-Josée from Loriella Farm delivering native plant species for the Salisbury rain garden.
Rain garden maintenance committee
This summer, we hosted two Rain Garden Maintenance Committee training workshops. Our first workshop took place at St. Anselme Rotary Park in Dieppe, and our second was held at Centennial Park in Moncton. Both parks have relatively large rain gardens that were in need of some weeding. We tackled the weeds while local community members learned more about what it takes to properly maintain a rain garden.
Many of our Rain Garden Maintenance Committee members have now been assigned gardens throughout the watershed, and they have been doing an excellent job keeping them maintained. Thank you to everyone who participated in the training and has been helping us maintain our rain gardens this summer!
Photo 4: Rain garden maintenance committee training late June at the St-Anselme rotary park rain garden in Dieppe.
Mini Forest Site preparation
We are gearing up to install a Mini Forest in Dieppe this fall. To prepare the site for planting, we rototilled the area and added a layer of fresh compost, followed by a layer of cardboard and, lastly, a layer of natural cedar mulch. These amendments will remain on site until the fall, when we are ready to begin planting. This preparation will add nutrients and organic matter to the soil and help improve the long-term viability of our Mini Forest.
Stay tuned for more information about volunteer opportunities for this green infrastructure project!
Photo 5: Dieppe Mini Forest site with a layer of compost provided by TransAqua.
Photo 6: PWA employee, Jérémie lying on the mini forest site after we completed adding the cardboard.
Acknowledgements
The Water Guardian project would not be possible without the support of our many partners and funders. We would like to thank the Canadian Water Agency, TD Friends of the Environment Program, Green Communities Canada – Demonstrate Stream, the Town of Salisbury, and the City of Dieppe for their support.