The public is invited to participate in a free workshop on Rain Water Harvesting and Rain Gardens to be WebCast from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, on UVI's St. Croix and St. Thomas campuses. The WebCast will be available via videoconference in room 133 of the Research & Extension Center on St. Croix and in room 114 of the Teacher's Education building on St. Thomas. The workshop is sponsored by UVI's Cooperative Extension Service in partnership with the V.I. Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. (VI RC&D).
The workshop will be led by storm water management experts from North Carolina State University and the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Topics to be covered include: watersheds and water quality, rain water harvesting systems and rain gardens.
Individuals who participate will ...
- will be taught by extension agents with experience in installing, maintaining and educating others about storm water, cisterns and rain gardens.
- improve their knowledge of water conservation, urban pollution causes and solutions.
- learn the benefits and costs associated with residential water harvesting and rain gardens.
- learn how to site, size, install and maintain residential sized rain barrels, cisterns and rain gardens.
- get answers to questions about water conservation.
Non-point source pollution is the leading cause of stream
impairment in the United States. Urban and suburban areas are
frequently cited as sources of excess sediment, nutrients and
pesticides due in part to denser populations and the intensive
management of landscapes. This workshop is designed to increase
knowledge and accelerate the adoption of simple, on-the-ground
practices that may be implemented in urban and suburban landscapes
to improve the quality of storm water runoff and promote water
conservation.
Space in the videoconferencing rooms is limited. Individuals are
asked to pre-register by calling the V.I. RC&D office at
692-9607 or UVI's Cooperative Extension Service at 692-4066.