Ever heard of a rain garden? LU now has one

Members of the the Ramsey Lake Stewardship Committee joined faculty, staff and students at Laurentian University to plant a rain garden near the main entrance of the Sudbury campus Sept. 18.

A rain garden is a shallow depression, planted with deep-rooted native species that thrive in damp or wet soil. Rain gardens can help to reduce flooding as they soak up runoff from downspouts, driveways and parking lots, while acting as a filter to keep pollutants from draining into waterways.

“This garden will clean stormwater before it reaches Ramsey Lake, while also providing habitat and food for birds, bees and butterflies,” said Lilly Noble, Co-Chair, Ramsey Lake Stewardship Committee.

“Planting more native species helps to heal the landscape, improves biodiversity,
and protects lakes and rivers from erosion and pollution. We hope people will come to the rain garden and find out what they can do in their yard or on their shoreline, to protect our lakes.”

Among the plants to be included in the rain garden are wild bergamot, bayberry, highbush cranberry, cardinal flower and blue flag iris.

The Ojibwe name for Ramsey Lake is Bimitimagamasing, “water that lies on the side of the hill.”

“We are pleased to partner with the Stewardship Committee to create this garden on campus,” said Laurentian University’s Manager of Energy and Sustainability, Kati McCartney.

“It is a sustainable, natural way to treat storm-water, and it can serve as a teaching opportunity for our School of the Environment.”

The project was supported by: TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, City of Greater Sudbury, Southview Greenhouse, Futurescape Landscaping, landscape architect Jennifer Harvey, master gardener Linda Hachez and the Department of Facility Services, Laurentian University.