RAIN GARDEN E-LEARNING MODULE EDITS TO THE CURRENT MODULE TO INCLUDE MAINTENANCE, MONITORING, AND BIODIVERSITY A. ANDERSON, J. BUTLER, K. CAREW

INFILTRATION RATE (KRISTY CAREW) LETS ADD A COMPONENT TO THE FILTRATION RATE PORTAL. OUR IDEA WOULD BE TO ADD COMMON ISSUES THAT WILL OCCUR IN THE RAIN GARDEN. PHOTOS WILL BE TAKEN FROM K. CAREW’S RESEARCH EX: GUM, LITTER, CHIP BAGS, PENCILS COVERING THE SURFACE OF THE RAIN GARDEN. ROOF SEDIMENT RUNOFF FROM GUTTERS LEAVE/PLANT DEBRIS FOOT TRAFFIC (COMPACTION OF SEDIMENT)

POSSIBLE PHOTOS Weeds in rain garden after 3 months. Anthropogenic impacts to a rain garden Environmental impacts to a rain garden Pictures of models tested with impacts Model set up, 3 inches of gravel, 3 inches of sand, 3 inches of top soil, 2 inches of mulch.

SETTING UP AN E-MODEL THE NEXT PORTION WILL INCLUDE ACTUAL INFILTRATION RATES. SHOW THE WATER RUNNING THROUGH A RAIN GARDEN MODEL, MAYBE A CROSS-SECTION OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO MY PREVIOUS PICTURES. I POURED 1000 ML OF WATER IN, STARTED MY TIMER, AND STOPPED IT WHEN 500 ML CAME OUT INTO A FLASK BELOW MY MODEL. IN MY MODEL, WE HAD AN INFILTRATION RATE ON AVERAGE OF 3.96 ML/SEC. THEN I ADDED THE IMPACTS TO A RAIN GARDEN THAT COULD SLOW THE INFILTRATION RATES DOWN. HERE IS MY DATA:

PROBLEM-SOLVING STUDENTS WILL THEN BE ASKED TO DEVELOP METHODS FOR MAINTAINING THE RAINGARDEN. MAYBE WE COULD MAKE THIS A MATCHING SECTION: EX-TOO MUCH MULCH RUNNING OFF INTO THE NEARBY STORMWATER DRAIN-ADD GRASSES AROUND THE DRAIN. EX-TOO MUCH LITTER IN THE RAIN GARDEN  DEVELOP A MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE WHERE THE KIDS CAN MAINTAIN IT THEMSELVES. EX-TOO MUCH FOOT TRAFFIC CAUSING COMPACTION-USE A SOIL AERATOR.

PLANT SELECTION (JEN BUTLER) ADD A COMPONENT TO PLANT SELECTION WHERE STUDENTS PLACE SPECIFIC PLANTS IN A RAIN GARDEN IMAGE THEY WILL HAVE PLANTS AND DESCRIPTIONS INCLUDING SUNLIGHT AND WATER NEEDS AFTER PLACING THE PLANTS, STUDENTS WILL CREATE A CIRCLE GRAPH DISPLAYING THE PERCENTAGES OF EACH TYPE OF PLANT IN THE RAIN GARDEN THEY CREATED IDEAS FOR FURTHER DATA COLLECTION INVESTIGATIONS WILL BE LISTED FOCUSED ON SOIL PH, PLANT HEIGHT, PLANT SURVIVAL

BIODIVERSITY (ASHLEY ANDERSON) 1. SELECT PLANTS FOR PROPER WATER INFILTRATION INTO THE GROUND. GIVE STUDENTS BARREN LAND THAT NEEDS A RAIN GARDEN GIVE THEM A SELECTION OF LIFE TO PLANT IN A GARDEN SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WATER, HEALTH AFTER THEY ESTABLISH THEIR VIRTUAL GARDEN 2. DISTINGUISH BETWEEN NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE PLANTS. WHY SOME PLANTS HINDER OR HELP THE ENVIRONMENT. 3. CALCULATING BIODIVERSITY IN A GIVEN VIRTUAL GARDEN USING SIMPSON’S INDEX (GOING STEP BY STEP IN HOW TO COLLECT DATA, USE DATA, AND CALCULATE) ANIMALS PLANTS FUNGUS INSECTS