Additional Programming
Rebecca Goslow, Audrey Whitaker, Macey Mikesell, Hailey Birchmeier, Kaytlin Poynter
Photo: WMEAC
Photo: Eartheasy
WMEAC
"WMEAC'S Mission is to work collaboratively alongside our diverse community to educate, engage, and advocate for environmental values, environmental and climate justice, and a healthy and resilient community for all."
The WMEAC rain barrel program is directed by Carlos Calderon, the Water Programs Manager. The rain barrel program is run from Spring through the Fall each year, and has been around for 15 years. The rain barrel workshops rely on organizations to host the events, require a minimum of 10 participants, and cost $50 per person for materials.
Rain barrel program director Carlos Calderon said that one goal for the rain barrel program is to become more accessible in the community- including reaching people who speak different languages, people in different neighborhoods, and so on. This is aligned with WMEAC’s mission statement, vision and goals.
Through the rain barrel and other workshops and events, WMEAC is committed to engaging with, educating and providing solutions to environmentally concerned community members in West Michigan. Understanding this is key to developing any additional programming for the organization.
Photo: WMEAC
Photo: Lincoln Stormwater
Importance of Rain Barrels
Rain barrels serve as a great way to conserve and store rainwater or roof runoff. Rather than letting this source go to waste, the water can be used for one’s own property for lawn care, gardens, or other plants. Not only will someone personally benefit from preserving rainwater, they will also aid in reducing stormwater runoff. In turn, this helps prevent flooding and erosion in the surrounding land. Storing rainwater helps save individuals money and supports the environment. Considering that fresh water is a limited resource, humans must collectively come up with solutions to conserve this precious resource. Rain barrels are one way to get started.
The Project
Our class is working with WMEAC to increase participation and accessibility of their rain barrel workshop program. Our group is tasked with achieving these goals through additional programming– steps WMEAC can take in addition to the workshops they currently hold to introduce more rain barrels to the Grand Rapids community.
Additional Programming
Our team sees an opportunity to meet these goals through partnerships both with other community organizations and within WMEAC. In partnerships with other community organizations, we feel that focusing on water cycle education for youth and families should be a priority, as it has the greatest potential to inspire long-term interest in sustainability and stewardship in the community (NEEF), which aligns with WMEAC’s mission, values and vision.
Photo: WMEAC
Photo: Lisa Hubbard, Cinncinati Zoo
Photo: Hillsborough County
Our Prototype: Partnerships
WMEAC would work with educators to develop age-appropriate lessons for partners to use with students. These lessons would cover the initial introduction to rain barrels/making them, as well as the water cycle, how water collected can be used and why water collection/conservation is important. Partners would be asked to fill out a weekly report on how much water is collected and how it has been used. This simple Google Form would collect the data in a google sheet that could be reviewed by both the organizations and WMEAC at the end of the season.
WMEAC currently has programs and solutions that would benefit from the inclusion of a rain barrel workshop- including Teach for the Watershed and Sustainable Schools and Living resources. Incorporating information about rain barrels in these existing programs, and even hosting a workshop as part of them, could introduce those who are not familiar with rainwater collection, but are interested in learning more, to rain barrels.
A rain garden program could be incorporated with the rain barrel program as an aesthetically pleasing alternative to the plain blue plastic barrels that still touches on many of the same water cycle/water conservation elements. Additionally, native plant species that support pollinators could be planted in rain gardens to allow the gardens to serve a broader purpose.
Partnerships with Grand Rapids Schools and other organizations focused on: hosting events where participants work together to make one or two rain barrels, learn about water conservation, and how they are used. Students participate in long-term engagement with rain barrels, tracking water collected and how it is used.
Possible Partnerships:
Works Cited
“Benefits of Environmental Education.” NEEF, https://www.neefusa.org/education/benefits.
Calendar, The Events. “Rain Barrel Workshops.” WMEAC, wmeac.org/water/rainbarrels/.
Hillsborough County. (2022, August 16). 5 steps for creating a rain garden. Hillsborough County. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/newsroom/2018/04/10/a-rain-garden-is-an-attractive-way-to-improve-water-quality
Murat Genc (2015) The project-based learning approach in environmental education, International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 24:2, 105-117, DOI: 10.1080/10382046.2014.993169
Sulpizio, Jodi. “Why Use a Rain Barrel?” PennState Extension, https://extension.psu.edu/why-use-a-rain-barrel.
Seamon, G. (n.d.). Great American rain barrel - 60 gallon. Eartheasy. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://eartheasy.com/great-american-rain-barrel-60-gallon/
Senna, Suzi. “Rain Barrels - Lincoln, ca - Stormwater Program.” Lincoln, ca - Stormwater Program, 3 Feb. 2021, lincolnstormwater.org/residents/rain-barrels/.
Staff, W. L. W. T. D. (2021, June 24). Beautifully painted rain barrels being auctioned off, on display at the Cincinnati Zoo. WLWT. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.wlwt.com/article/beautifully-painted-rain-barrels-being-auctioned-off-on-display-at-the-cincinnati-zoo/36190750#
"Stormwater Solutions." WMEAC, https://wmeac.org/education/stormwater-solutions/.
