Have you ever wondered how to stop stormwater runoff in your yard?
There will be some easy answers to this homeowner problem during a fun event and tour scheduled Sunday afternoon. Those interested will meet at Village Square Coworking Studio, 4436 State Line Road, from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, where they will pick up a map for the tour.
At a free program from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, residents may learn about stormwater prevention techniques that homeowners can use in their own yards by taking a little tour of some residential yards that have solved the stormwater runoff problem, according to Shari Wilson, who is helping to coordinate the event. The event is open to the public.
“It’s been raining so much, water is running off the yards, it takes a lot of soil and fertilizer and goes right into our creeks and rivers,” Wilson said.
A couple of easy things to do to slow stormwater runoff, she said, are to put rain barrels at the end of downspouts to collect rainwater, and to plant grasses or plants that like water in low spots in the yard.
In all, there will be four stops at residences in the Spring Valley Neighborhood to demonstrate different techniques residents may use.
Wilson is making the topic a little more fun by adding kids’ activities, the StoneLion Puppet Theatre characters for entertainment, a scavenger hunt for kids and refreshments.
This educational program is funded by a Unified Government grant with some funding from the Mid-America Regional Council. Sponsors of the tour and scavenger hunt include the UG, Rosedale Development Association and Spring Valley Neighborhood Association.
Wilson has been working with conservation for more than 20 years, helping to educate people about the environment.
She said another free educational event is planned on Saturday, July 18, a festival at Whitmore Park, 1444 Southwest Blvd. There will be free puppet shows by the StoneLion Puppet Theatre, games and entertainment. It is a festival in conjunction with a Freedom School at Rainbow Mennonite Church, where homemade Mexican food will be for sale and there will be a fundraiser for the school. Admission to the event is free, including activities for children.