Project Partners
2023 Adopters
About
Why are rain gardens important?
A rain garden may look like a typical planting bed, but it’s actually designed to absorb “stormwater runoff,” or the water that runs off sidewalks and road surfaces while it’s raining. In a traditional streetscape, stormwater runoff picks up many pollutants from impervious surfaces and is funneled into a storm drain that flows to the river. In a rain garden, stormwater flows in via an inlet before entering a drain, allowing deep-rooted native plants to filter pollutants from the water before it gets to the river. The native plants provide enhanced green space throughout downtown as well as habitat for pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, and birds.
What's the difference between a rain garden and a boulevard garden?
We also have boulevard gardens available for adoption; these gardens are what we often think of as the traditional planting bed, without the enhanced water flow and underdrain system. The boulevard gardens are still essential for our downtown, providing space for plants and trees to grow.
Why do rain and boulevard gardens need to be adopted?
While the DID ambassadors work hard to remove litter from the streets in the DID boundaries, rain and boulevard gardens collect more litter which may be less visible under plants. The gardens also need some extra love, whether that be watering plants, adding mulch, or even adding new plants. In addition to providing better maintenance for downtown’s greening, we hope that making gardens available for adoption at no cost will expand access to green space and increase community knowledge of pollinators and native plant species.
How to Adopt
Locate the rain or boulevard garden you would like to adopt on the map below.
Note the ID number and fill out this adoption form.
Once you've filled out the form, we will follow up with you to lend supplies and get you oriented.
Already taking care of a rain garden or planting bed downtown?
We'd love to recognize you by including you on the map and installing signs! Email Ella at [email protected] to learn more.
What to Expect
Visit your garden once a month throughout the summer
Tasks vary by location, but may include removing litter from the planting bed area and rain garden inlet, pulling weeds, trimming plants, watering plants and trees, monitoring plant health, and reporting damage.
Supplies
To make it easy, we will lend you supplies for the growing season! Supplies include trash pickers, hand trowels, buckets for litter removal or watering, safety vests, and gardening gloves.
Prizes
All volunteers receive t-shirts, signage, and garden naming privileges.
In addition, participants have the opportunity to be recognized at our yearly Greening Awards event where we will announce awards for Best Garden Name, Super Volunteer, and Above and Beyond Care.
Congratulations to Stantec for winning the 2023 Super Volunteer Award, to Quinn for winning the Most Improved Garden, and to Paul C. for the Best Garden Name!
Thank you to our 2023 adopters!
240 Park Avenue, Ben and Ella, City Hall/Municipal Building Commission, Cordia, Hassan B., Kraus Anderson, Millwright Building, Paul C., Perkins & Will, Quinn C., Radisson, Shea, Sherman Associates, SPS Tower, St. Olaf, Stantec, The Normandy Inn, Thrivent, and Wells Fargo.
