October 28, 2017 | Volunteer Event and Conservation Project at Metz Elementary
7 River Watchers teamed up with Keep Austin Beautiful and volunteers from the Austin Chapter of EWRI (Environment and Water Resources Institute) to install rain gardens at Metz Elementary. A rain garden is a planted depression or a hole that allows rainwater runoff from impervious urban areas, like roofs, driveways, walkways, parking lots, and compacted lawn areas, the opportunity to be absorbed. This reduces rain runoff by allowing stormwater to soak into the ground (as opposed to flowing into storm drains and surface waters which causes erosion, water pollution, flooding, and diminished groundwater).
River Watchers regularly perform conservation or restoration projects to actively improve the health of our watersheds, improve water quality, and increase water quantity. These activities often take place in collaboration with various local groups and they enable River Watchers to learn about the process of community problem-solving by working on real-world environmental issues and projects with local partners, and gain insights into various types of environmental careers through their work.
