The North Andover Garden Club presents "Rain Gardens to the Rescue!" with Donna Williams on January 14th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at St. Michael's Parish Hall, Main St., North Andover. This program will be shared with the Methuen Garden Club. Come learn about the Massachusetts Rain Garden Campaign to help reduce polluted runoff flowing into our water resources. Gardeners, homeowners, and business owners are invited to learn what they can do on their own property to reduce the impact of stormwaters on North Andover's waterways. Learn how to enhance your landscaping, harvest rainfall, reduce runoff, and save money on your water and sewer bills. These tips include how to redirect roof runoff, install a rain barrel, and create a rain garden which is a vegetated area designed and built to accept stormwater runoff from surfaces of rooftops, roads, and compacted soils. Using slope, vegetation, and well-drained soils, rain gardens are increasingly being used by homeowners and municipalities to reduce the impact of stormwater on local waterways and stormdrain systems. They are beautiful and can attract butterflies and birds, especially hummingbirds. Donna Williams is President of the Blackstone Headwaters Coalition. Recently retired, Donna has worked for the Mass Audubon in Worcester for 22 years, advocating for water resource protection in the Blackstone River watershed, the establishment of the Blackstone River Coalition, and the launching of the Campaign for a Fishable/Swimmable Blackstone River by the year 2015.
The North Andover Garden Club, a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, whose mission is to further the civic beautification of North Andover, horticulture, flower arranging, and conservation, was founded in 1920. With an excellent array of programs and activities from September to June, the garden club offers hands-on workshops and monthly programs, which are free and open to all. For more information, email northandovergardenclub@yahoo.com, or call Lisa at 978/689-9318.
