it’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring, but what happens to the rain when it goes down the storm drain?

Normally rain going down the drain is a positive thing but in an urban environment the rain that goes down the drain isn’t just rain, but carries other material or liquids such as dirt, oil or gas. So, how do we make a dent in this problem? The Rain Garden Team is busy working out a way and they were more than happy to tell us all about it. Youth in the Mayor’s program are using their time and energy to create and maintain rain gardens all around the City of Cleveland to benefit the area. Rain Gardens are attractive landscaped areas planted with different varieties of perennial plants. The plants within the gardens are mainly sustained via rainwater.

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Rain Gardens are designed in deep depressions to capture and filter stormwater runoff; they hold the rain so that it doesn’t flow into storm drains which could bring unwanted materials in the water. The rain gardens absorb much of the water that  would otherwise flow into catch basins and they help to naturally purify the water by removing pollutants before the water flows into the groundwater. These gardens are beneficial for the City of Cleveland because they not only offer beautiful green spaces around the communities but they also help with stormwater management.

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Kyra Alexander and Mitchell Timmons, both members of the Rain Garden Team, have learned how to properly build the gardens. Kyra is currently a Junior at John Adams High School and is 16 years old. Having this job has helped her learn new things while also earning a paycheck. “I have learned how to be sustainable in my own community and that building a rain garden can benefit our earth by decreasing the percentage of severe floods”. Mitchell Timmons is a Senior at New Tech East High School and is 17 years old.

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Being a part of this program has helped him stay out of trouble and gain more knowledge. During this program he has gained new friendships and made memories. “I don’t look at this as a job,I think of it as a task for our community. I also believe everyone should play a part in it.” The youth that work with the Rain Garden Team spent their summers planting and maintaining various gardens across the City of Cleveland. The first thing they do to plant a rain garden is make sure the ground is safe and healthy. This process includes pulling out weeds so that the plants can flourish, free from anything that could inhibit their growth.

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Next they lay down mulch which holds moisture that the plants absorb. The mulch also works to stop weeds from growing as fast as they would without it. The team then removes the weeds they pulled and finally they add plants to make the garden lookmore attractive and presentable. The Rain Gardens wouldn’t be gardens without an array of aesthetically pleasing plants. The gardens in the City of Cleveland are often outfitted with similar plants.The first plant that is grown in rain gardens is a Milkweed. Milkweed is a species of flowering plant growing from a rhizome which grows up to 2.6 meters tall. It also has the ability to withstand wet soil conditions and are very appealing. Milkweed is a host tomany butterfly species, and is particularly important in the development of Monarch butterflies. Along with planting and maintaining the rain gardens, the youth were also able to go to Kentucky Gardens at Fairview Park where they learned about composting the zebra mussels. Compost is a mixture of decayed organic material used for fertilizing soil. The youth from the Rain Garden Team learned how to create their own soil by composting zebra mussels.

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Zebra mussels are often seen as undesirable because they are an invasive species in Lake Erie. Zebra mussels have become an enormous problem for our ecosystem. These shellfish create colonies and attach themselves to docks and pipes which create major problems in the Lake Erie area. When attached to pipes the zebra mussels block the water inlets and outlets in Lake Erie which prevents clean water from running through them.

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But while they are a nuisance, they are a great source for composting due to their high levels of calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is good for soil because it can raise the pH and make it less acidic. The team learned how to turn an ecological nuisance, like zebra mussels, into a beneficial product. This summer the youth maintained rain gardens at six parks including Zone, Kerruish, Worthington, Gilmore and Gunning parks. They even added a new rain garden at Zone Park near the dog park! Rain gardens are a beautiful way to help Cleveland become more sustainable. There are many more ways you can be sustainable starting in your own home or backyard. So next time you’re walking or riding through the neighborhood, stop by and take a look at what the Rain Garden Team has worked on over the summer. Catch a glimpse at what is possible when youth come together.