A rain garden is a specially designed planting with a bowl shape to capture and filter rainwater from surrounding surfaces. This 600-foot rain garden is part of a larger outdoor classroom effort known as the "Bear's Backyard," named in school spirit for the White Bear Lake Bears.
This rain garden helps support the health, function, and performance of the Lambert Creek ditch drainage system, as well as nearby East Vadnais Lake.
Native plants in the rain garden include: butterfly milkweed, compass plant, Joe Pye Weed, prairie dock, purple coneflower, spiderwort, prairie smoke, and common wood sedge.
Minnesota Clean Water Fund and VLAWMO’s Community Blue grant program.
Staff and parent leaders at the Vadnais Heights Elementary pioneered the rain garden to support the school’s science curriculum and serve as an educational tool to the broader school community. The location receives a large amount of rooftop and stormwater runoff with a a steep slope that amplifies runoff speed and erosion.
Annual estimates for stormwater reductions:
- 15,395 gallons of stormwater runoff
- 40.1 pounds of sediment
- .2 pounds of phosphorus (1 pound of phosphorus can create up to 500 pounds of algae)
Vadnais Heights Elementary received VLAWMO's annual Watershed Partner Award in 2022 for their dedication to maintaining the rain garden and educating students about their local watershed. The garden has been maintained for over 10 years by a partnerships from school families, scouts, School District 624 grounds staff, and volunteers from nearby Christ the Servant Lutheran Church.
