RainWise gardening presentation Thursday in north Seattle

Join the Broadview Garden Club on Thursday, April 14, 2016 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm for an interesting and timely talk on RainWise gardening. Our speakers are: Susan Harper and James Bristow. This presentation is free and open to the public.

Remember last summer’s drought? Don’t let our rainy winter lull you into thinking there is no water shortage. As our region grows, the pressure increases on our precious water supply. Working to keep our water clean is something we each can do in our own backyards.

Susan Harper is a Planning and Public Engagement Specialist for Seattle Public Utilities. Her talk will center around the RainWise program which works to take rain water out of our sewer systems, using rain gardens and above-ground cisterns to protect water quality and make our neighborhoods greener. She will share other ideas of what you can do around home, work and your community to reduce polluted runoff and make Seattle a great place to live.

James Bristow is a contractor who often partners with SPU, installing above-ground cisterns as a certified RainWise installer. In his neighborhood of Ballard, he has created a system for his own home that demonstrates changes both large and small that can save water and protect our streams and lakes.

He will discuss SPU's RainWise program that encourages residents to build their own rain gardens and install cisterns, diverting the amount of overflow that otherwise goes directly into sewers and Puget Sound.

The meeting will be at the Luther Memorial Lutheran Church at 13047 Greenwood Ave N.

Benefits of the Rain Wise program:

• Slow the flow of storm water and let the rain soak in.
• Learn what you can do to help slow the flow.
• Keep it clean and prevent pollution at its source.
• Find out what you can do to be part of the solution.
• Replant and restore native trees, plants and in-water habitat. Learn how to help replant our urban creeks and forests.