Grand Rapids, Michigan
“Saving the Great Lakes One Rain Garden at a Time”

Rain Gardens of West Michigan has installed forty public rain garden sites in the West Michigan area, providing public sites that anyone can visit at any time and that will help promote the use of rain gardens in West Michigan. (People travel from outside the state to see them!)

"Every rain garden is unique and site specific, so the more public gardens we have for people to see, the more people will understand how lovely they are and what a great benefit they can be."

Many of these demonstration rain gardens are in the greater Grand Rapids area but the project has also helped to create gardens in other regions.

History
"Rain Gardens of West Michigan is one of the
many water quality Programs of WMEAC (West Michigan Environmental Action Council). WMEAC is a non-profit, citizen-based environmental advocacy and education organization. "

"The ideas behind Rain Gardens of West Michigan began in the year 2000. Patricia Pennell, director of the project, had learned of the rain garden movement that started in 1990 in Prince George's County, Maryland. Patricia began collecting information about creating rain gardens while working as an environmental educator in the WMEAC Adopt-A-Stream program and while serving on the Kent County, Michigan Stormwater Task Force. "

Go to the Rain Gardens of West Michigan website