'Make & take' rain barrel workshop - Just $35! [SOLD OUT]

This workshop has sold out and registrations are no longer being accepted. You are welcome to add your name to the waiting list and we will contact you if a barrel becomes available. Or contact Volunteer Coordinator Amy Kilgore receive notice of upcoming workshops or other events in this area.

What's one of the simplest, high-impact ways to save water and help protect our local watersheds? 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 and area watersheds.

Thanks to Coca-Cola Refreshments of Eagan, FMR has 30 used 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 Minnesota. The barrels are white (but paintable) and connect to your existing downspout.

Taking place at St. Paul's Wellstone Center, 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 staff, participants will then build a rain barrel to take home. 

Can't make it?

This workshop has sold out and registrations are no longer being accepted. You are welcome to add your name to the waiting list and we will contact you if a barrel becomes available. Or contact Volunteer Coordinator Amy Kilgore receive notice of upcoming workshops or other events in this area.