Students for Stormwater

Building Rain Gardens

Credit Valley Conservation has been designing, building and maintaining school rain gardens through the Students for Stormwater program since 2015. With help from students, teachers and our funders, we have completed unique gardens at the following schools:

Allan A. Martin Sr. Public School – Mississauga
Belfountain Public School – Belfountain
Credit Valley Public School – Mississauga
George Kennedy Public School – Georgetown
Glendale Public School – Brampton
Janet I. McDougald Public School – Mississauga
Kenollie Public School – Mississauga
Mineola Public School – Mississauga
Our Lady of Fatima – Brampton
St. Joseph Elementary School – Brampton
Whitehorn Public School – Mississauga

The Benefits of Rain Gardens

Rain gardens are a type of low impact development and help us adapt to climate change. These gardens slow down, soak up and filter rainwater flowing off nearby hard surfaces like rooftops, driveways, and parking lots. As water flows into these gardens, the plants and soil clean the water as it soaks into the ground. Rain gardens help to keep our streams, rivers and lakes clean while reducing localized flooding. They also reduce pressure on municipal stormwater systems.

Not only do rain gardens provide habitat for pollinators and small mammals, they also beautify school grounds and provides a safe space for outdoor and hands-on learning. Rain gardens provide a great learning tool and outdoor classroom for teachers and students. Each school receives a package of curriculum-connected activities to use in the garden. These activities teach students about stormwater, native plants and environmental stewardship.

Building the Rain Gardens

Since 2015, we’ve built eleven school rain gardens. For each rain garden project, we complete five steps: site investigation, design, construction, planting and maintenance.

The first step to building a rain garden is to complete a site investigation. Staff visit the school and walk the property to find the best location for the rain garden. Our team of experts work to understand the existing drainage systems using detailed drainage mapping and modelling. With this information, we determine the size of the rain garden based on the soil and site conditions. This ensures the gardens are both beautiful and functional for stormwater quantity and quality control.

Step 2: Design

Students at each school are involved in the design process. CVC’s Education team visits the school and educates staff and students on the benefits of rain gardens. After learning about rain gardens, students participate in the design process by voting on plants and other features to include in their school’s rain garden.

Construction usually takes place in the fall. A contractor removes the sod and completes minor excavation and grading. We add compost and mulch and any other materials included in the design. Additional amenities and features may be added to the site, such as log benches, bridges and bird houses.

Planting day always excites the students, teachers and volunteers. Everyone gets their hands dirty and helps to plant the rain garden. We plant the rain gardens with native plants to improve the biodiversity at the school.

Once the rain garden is complete, we work with staff and students to remove weeds from and provide guidance to help them recognize different species of weeds. In three years, the school will gain the capacity to conduct future maintenance.

Project Partners and Sponsors

Thank you to our program partners and sponsors.

We are grateful for financial support for the Students for Stormwater program. Over the years, we have received funding from the EcoAction Community Funding Program, the Toronto Zoo and Canon Canada.