ELA’s President, Trevor Smith of Land Escapes Design, recently collaborated with the Massachusetts Workforce Alliance, Groundwork Somerville, New England Wild Flower Society, and the City of Somerville to install two raingardens on the campus of Somerville’s Mystic River Housing Development. This project demonstrated the job, business, and industry creation potential in green infrastructure stormwater management techniques. Volunteers were trained in installation techniques, received hands-on experience, and learned about jobs in the industry. Click to view the video.
Rain Gardens are a popular, sustainable approach to handling rainwater in both urban and non-urban landscapes. Rain Gardens catch rainwater and filter it as it soaks into the ground, watering plants and cleaning local rivers and streams. Rain gardens are just one of the green infrastructure practices used by communities to help reduce flooding and improve resiliency to climate change.
This project was funded by a Healthy Communities grant from the EPA to develop job skills and promote awareness of Somerville storm water management initiatives.
