'Make & Take' Rain Barrel Workshop - Just $45!

Sunday, September 17 OR October 8, 2023 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Wellstone Center, St. Paul
Two people put together a rain barrel

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 and its tributaries. Thanks to Great Lakes Coca-Cola of Eagan, FMR has used syrup containers (55 gallons, about 4 ft tall and 2 ft across) for participants to turn into rain barrels.

Register below to reserve your rain barrel and kit. During the course of this workshop, participants will be provided with the necessary parts ($45 per kit) and guided through the process of converting these containers into allies for a cleaner Mississippi River.

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 their very own rain barrel to take home following the workshop.

Please note: rain barrels and kits not picked up on the day of the event will automatically be refunded as FMR does not have the capacity to store and transport them. 

Claim your barrel + kit now!

September 17th Rain Barrel Workshop

October 8th Rain Barrel Workshop

Thank you to our partners and funders: 

Thanks to our partners and funders: the City of St. Paul Public Works, Great Lakes Coca-Cola of Eagan and the Wellstone Center.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, April 20, 2024 - 9:30am to 12:00pm
West River Parkway and 36th Street/44th Street, Minneapolis
Applications due Friday, May 3 by 5 p.m.
Virtual and in-person
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Hampton Woods Wildlife Management Area