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October 10 — November 11, 2024 • Gi-GrandNews.com
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GIEF grant promotes environmental education
High School dedicates new rain garden GROSSE ILE’S LARGEST CRAFT BEER SELECTION Check out our new updated website gihardware.com free ship to store
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By BILL STEVENSON Cue the music: Let it rain, let it rain ... Grosse Ile High School students and community members can sing the refrain of the popular song after a ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicating a rain garden near the main entrance on Gray’s Drive. The student designed and constructed garden is the culmination of a grant, written by science teacher, Dr. Julia Roscoe, and funded by the Grosse Ile Educational Foundation. In submitting the grant, Dr. Roscoe explains, “The rain garden encompasses the learning components of STEM and provides real world learning and application for our students. The rain garden acts as a natural filtration system to purify water, and captures storm water runoff which contains many pollutants.” “The GIHS science department created a partnership, not only with the GIEF, but with the Friends of the Detroit River Stewardship Director, McKenzi Waliczek. This will be an ongoing three year project for our students. In year one, students will learn the impact of a rain garden, the problems the filtration system can solve, and literally build the rain garden. In year two, the garden will be selfsustaining and we would discuss how to extend our work
with green infrastructure into other spaces in our community and increase citizen involvement. Our vision for year three is to institutionalize and grow our rain garden project. We could create partnerships with Grosse Ile Township to find off-campus locations within the community for additional green stormwater infrastructure to ultimately improve water quality in our area rivers, creeks, streams, and ponds.” At the ribbon cutting ceremony, Dr. Roscoe’s biology students all took turns explaining the design and natural elements of their rain garden, “We chose a mix of greenery and flowers and made an equal amount of both.” One by one, students explained the various plants and why they were suitable for a Grosse Ile rain garden. Among those planted were purple coneflowers, goldfinger potentilla, sensitive ferns, redbud, rose mallow, fox sledge, and ninebark. Students also selected an Indian Currant, a strong and resilient tree, and dedicated it to the Grosse Ile High School staff for all that they do for education. GIEF grant coordinator, Andrea O’Donnell remarked, “We are so pleased to see the seeds of our partnerships with the schools and community come to fruition. This rain garden is a great example of putting knowledge into action. We look forward to watching it grow in the future.” Let it rain, Let it rain ...
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