2011 Rooftop to River Rain Garden Contest
"Gardening to Absorb the Storm"

During the summer of 2011 the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District and UVM Extension Lake Champlain Sea Grant held the 4th Annual Rooftop to River Rain Garden Contest.  A rain garden is an attractive, landscaped garden that is used to treat stormwater runoff (water generated from rain fall or snowmelt), usually from a roof, parking lot, or other impervious surface.  The goal of the Rain Garden Contest is to encourage the installation of rain gardens to reduce the volume of stormwater entering local water bodies and improve water quality in the Lake Champlain Basin, and in particular, in stormwater-impaired streams in Chittenden County.

Three winners will be chosen based on predetermined categories (creativity, native plants, and stormwater reduction)

Participants of the contest will receive:

1. An invitation to FREE rain garden workshops
2. FREE on-site technical guidance from a local expert
3. Financial support (if eligible)

Winners of the 2011 Vermont Rain Garden Contest

Comgratulations to the winners of our 2011 Rain Garden Contest.  We selected the following three gardens, which stood out in various categories:

• Most Original: Arcana Gardens and Greenhouses (Jericho)
• Best Stormwater Reduction: Town of Essex (Essex)
• Best Use of Native Plants: Chamberlin School (South Burlington)

Vermont Rain Garden Manual and Plant List Insert.

The manual and plant list can be downloaded for free by clicking on The Manual and The Plant List Insert in the following table. Printed manuals, in full color, are available for $6 each. Please make checks payable to “WNRCD” and mail them to: Justin Kenney, Winooski NRCD, 1193 South Brownell Rd, Suite 35, Williston, VT 05495.

Contact Information

For information about rain garden workshops and technical assistance, contact Laura Killian at lkillian@uvm.edu or 802-859-3086 x340.

For further details about registration and the Contest, contact Justin Kenney at justin.kenney@vt.nacdnet.net or 802-865-7895 x104.

The 2011 Rain Garden Contest is put on by the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District and UVM Extension Lake Champlain Sea Grant.  This project is funded in part by a Vermont Watershed Grant.  Thanks to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources!

           
   

Rain Garden at the Library in Williston

A rain garden is a bowl-shaped garden designed to capture and absorb rainfall and snowmelt (collectively referred to as “stormwater”). When stormwater runs off impervious surfaces such as parking lots, roofs, compacted soils, and roads, it accumulates pollutants and delivers them to a nearby lake or river either directly or via a storm drain. Stormwater pollutants typically include sediment; nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus); bacteria from animal waste; and oil, grease, and heavy metals from cars. Stormwater also causes increased flooding, which erodes stream banks resulting in additional problems. However, if captured by a rain garden, stormwater soaks into the ground and recharges the groundwater at a rate 30% greater than that of a typical lawn. Ultimately, if we all work together to create landscape features that absorb the stormwater, we can restore and help preserve the waterways that make Vermont so beautiful.

Pictures of Winning Rain Gardens


"Best in Chittenden County"
(Large View)


"Best Stormwater Reduction"
(Large View)



"Most Original"
(Large View)