Resources
Washtenaw County Water Resources Commission
Washtenaw County Rain Gardens Program
Native Plant Expo & Marketplace
Transcription
David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU, and today, we're going to talk about how we can make a difference in the health of our environment without having to leave our properties. The Office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner has scaled a decentralized green infrastructure network--more than 2,000 rain gardens now. I'm David Fair, and welcome to this week's edition of Issues of the Environment. These rain gardens capture and filter stormwater and do so in great capacity on an annual basis. Now, there are programs this year that will expand the effort and the results. And here to talk us through it is Susan Bryan. She serves as Rain Garden Coordinator at the Water Resources Commissioner's Office. Thank you so much for the time, Susan! Nice to talk with you again!
Susan Bryan: Nice to talk with you! Thanks for having me!
David Fair: Well, what exactly, to kind of reset the base, differentiates a rain garden from any standard garden we may plant in our yards?
Susan Bryan: It's just like a normal garden bed, except it does double duty by soaking in not only the rain that falls on it naturally, but it also soaks in the water from the roof or the driveway, what we call runoff. And so, it collects all of that water and filters it into the ground before it gets to our stormwater infrastructure, the pipes underground, which can be over capacity. So, not only does it help our infrastructure, but it also helps keep our rivers and lakes clean.
David Fair: I mentioned that rain gardens for personal properties there, but there are publicly designed and planted rain gardens as well. How do you go about deciding where to install those for best effect and protection of the waterways?
Susan Bryan: It's wonderful when we can install public rain gardens where they capture the water from the road. It's really dirty. It has heavy metals and pollutants and salts on it. And so, when we get that water into a rain garden, that's the best! That's a best! But we often don't have space. That's where the homeowner really comes in.
David Fair: Where might we find some of these rain gardens that are visible and we can take a look at what that looks like and get a better sense of how it's making an impact?
Susan Bryan: Well, when people are taking walks around their neighborhood, they might have noticed some people have rain garden signs in their yards. And it's like kind of a green sign with a little drawing of a rain garden, and those are signs that we give to people when they have built their rain garden. And it's a wave. You know, without the signs, no one would know that it's a rain garden because it just looks like a garden bed, but it's doing double duty and doing good for the environment.
David Fair: When we first started talking rain gardens years ago, we were talking about hundreds in the community. And as I mentioned in the open and as you pointed out to me, it's about 2,000 rain gardens in Washtenaw County. Now, that has to be particularly satisfying.
Susan Bryan: Oh, it's so great! And I'm so proud of all the residents in Washtenaw County! People have really stepped up, and it's about 90 gardens a year that residents put in because they took the master rain gardener class, or maybe they got a visit from one of our staff people to give them some advice on how to build a rain garden or maybe they just thought of it the idea on their own. And they build a rain garden, and there it is every year cleaning the water for our community. But also, landscapers that we've trained who've taken the master rain gardener class. Every year, they put in rain gardens and almost about equal to the number of residents who do it themselves. So, that partnership--landscapers plus do-it-yourselfers--are really making a difference.
David Fair: We're talking with Washtenaw County Rain Garden Coordinator Susan Bryan on 89.1 WEMU's Issues of the Environment. Now, in order for this kind of decentralized network of natural filtration systems to work, there needs to be, what you're referring to, the marriage of municipal planning and community stewardship. How do you go about fostering the relationships that allow for that?
Susan Bryan: You know, I think building a rain garden should be free. All gardening should be free. It's nature. And there are a lot of resources that make that possible. So like, the cities within the county offer free compost, free mulch. If you go pick it up, you know, little sweat equity there.
David Fair: Oh, right.
Susan Bryan: And then, also, I host free plant swaps where I feel like there's two kinds of gardeners. There are gardeners with a full garden, and there's gardeners with an empty garden. So, to alleviate the gardeners who have full gardens of their guilt at composting their plants, they can bring them to a plant swap and give them to new gardener and have them plant. So, having free plants, also seeds. The community runs a series of workshops where you can sprout up native plant seeds into plants and have free plants. All these sorts of events and communities to make it really easy and fun, I think that's what sort of makes a community and makes the partnership work.
David Fair: Well, coming up in just a few days, June 6 to be exact, the annual Native Plant Expo and Marketplace is going to be held. What can I learn about creating and maintaining a rain garden if I'm there?
Susan Bryan: Oh my gosh! This is the most fun day of the year! I think there will be 20 native plant nurseries there. This warms the cockles of my heart. I'm so amazed because when I first started 15 years ago, there was one. There was one native plant nursery in the county. And now, there's 20, and you can go there and shop. I love it because you don't have to look at the label, figure out if it's native. So simple! You can buy anything, the entire farm council grounds, and it's going to attract birds. It's can attract butterflies. It can really make your garden a wonderful place. You can walk around. There's going to be so many information tables, like Beekeepers and The Wild Ones and Pheasants Forever. Oh, it's going to be a good time!
David Fair: I think there's some misconception. Sometimes, people hear native plants or rain gardens, and they get a picture in their mind of something that is not aesthetically pleasing. These can be quite beautiful!
Susan Bryan: They really can! It's only limited by your creativity because the plants are really quite beautiful.
David Fair: Oh, I'm in trouble.
Susan Bryan: I have so many ideas for it. I mean, people build beautiful rain gardens just to begin with, but also you could have themes like maize and blue or dinosaurs. This is hilarious, but there's many of native plants that you could do, like a dinosaur theme that has huge leaves or ferns. I actually just visited a rain garden in Chelsea where he has big sculptural dinosaurs in his garden, and the dinosaurs had babies. Now, there's baby dinosaurs in it.
David Fair: That's hilarious! I'd love to see a picture of that! Well, you may have heard, Susan, but the cost of living has been going up and, in many sectors of our lives, rather significantly. A lot of folks are concerned about money. So, if I hit the expo on the 6th, what kind of costs are associated with buying these plants and creating a rain garden?
Susan Bryan: You can buy plants, but there will also be a milkweed giveaway--milkweed plants, so little plants and pots. And actually, this year, they've expanded it to other species besides milkweed. And milkweed is special because it supports our monarch butterflies. So, that's a wonderful thing! So, you can come and get your free plants. I think Seeds to Community will also be giving away plants, so you can definitely get some free things. And then, for other native plants, usually, the little plugs are about five or six dollars, so you can start creating your budget. You don't have to plant your whole garden all at the same time. You could get some plants for free, buy a few, and then come to the plant swap. We'll have another one in the fall and all that sort of thing. Do it according to how much money you have.
David Fair: You know, I believe some businesses and non-profits can also apply for mini-grants offered through the Community Partners for Clean Streams. Would that help in the effort to expand this network?
Susan Bryan: That's a good point. There's our grant for our Community Partners for Clean Streams. And then also the Washtenaw County Conservation District has a habitat grant for schools and small organizations, HOAs, that sort of thing. So, you can apply for both of those and get a $1,000 or less to pay for all the plants in your whole garden. So, those are two ways that you can also fund a bigger rain garden.
David Fair: Well, what are the capital projects that are being planned for the rest of 2026 and in the more near future?
Susan Bryan: Well, we have quite a few public rain gardens that are planned for in Ypsilanti at Sugarbrook Park and working on one at the Ypsi River Park. And I think there are a few more, actually. Those are going to be big parks that people can come and enjoy, but there's also some things that they can do on their own in their own yard. Take that nature home.
David Fair: And as we speak more about taking this to our own properties, you hit the 2,000 mark, in terms of rain gardens in Washtenaw County. What is the longer-term goal of expanding the network?
Susan Bryan: You know, people often want me to put a number on it. And really, my goal is for is community building, is for people to make new friends and enjoy their lives and really get pleasure and joy out of gardening. And I've seen the butterflies and birds that come to their garden. I feel like this really is what fuels this program.
David Fair: I have been known to kill cactus. Is there any hope for me?
Susan Bryan: There's hope for you! Actually, outdoor plants are so much easier than indoor plants. And native plants, they're supposed to be here. I think there's hope for you.
David Fair: Well, I can only hope so! Thank you so much for spending time with me today, providing the information! It was a truly pleasurable conversation, Susan!
Susan Bryan: Thanks so much for having me, David!
David Fair: That is Susan Bryan from the Office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner where she serves as Rain Garden Coordinator. Catch on to her passion! It'll take you places! For more on all we've talked about today, stop by our website at WEMU.org. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU Ypsilanti.
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