Make & Take Rain Barrel Workshop (Just $35) [FULL]

What's one of the simplest, high-impact ways to save water and help protect our watershed? Using a rain barrel.

Lawn and garden watering typically makes up 40% of total summer household water usage, according to the EPA. Plus, the biggest threat to our waters today is polluted runoff — water that runs off our roofs and into our streets and alleys, carrying all the oil, sediment and other contaminants that it picks up along the way into our lakes, rivers and streams. For conservation and for pollution prevention, installing a rain barrel to collect and store rainwater for use on your lawn and gardens is a simple but powerful way to make a difference for the Mississippi River.

Thanks to Coca-Cola Refreshments of Eagan, FMR has 30 used 55-gallon syrup containers for participants to turn into rain barrels. During the course of this workshop, participants will be provided with the necessary parts ($35 per kit) and guided through the process of converting these containers into allies for a cleaner Mississippi River. The barrels are 55-gallon, white (but paintable) and connect to your existing downspout.

The workshop will begin with a presentation on how home lawn and garden practices impact our waters and how we can make a difference. Next we’ll discuss the watershed-friendly benefits of rain barrels in more detail, then review how to build, incorporate, install and maintain them. With guidance from FMR and Coca-Cola staff, participants will then build a rain barrel to take home. 

Sorry this event has reached capacity and registration is no longer being taken. To receive notices of similar events in this part of the watershed, email Amy Kilgore, akilgore@fmr.org, to sign up for the Vermillion Watershed Stewards email list.