Rainscaping includes the use of sustainable landscape design and management practices at both the household and community scales to prevent pollution from reaching water bodies by directing stormwater to be absorbed by plants and soils. The Rainscaping Education Program, in collaboration with Purdue Extension, the University of Illinois Extension, and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, provides training and resources on practices that can be installed in a residential setting or a small-scale public spaces project.

The program focus includes community awareness and education for bioretention area and rain garden planning, installation, and maintenance using an advanced training model for Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, conservation agencies and organizations, stormwater professionals, and landscape companies and consultants. Participants are encouraged to attend as a community team to support implementation of public education programs and provide technical assistance to homeowners upon completion of the training.

The model consists of four 3-hour training modules in a workshop setting as well as educational service opportunities for Extension volunteers. The workshops include flipped classroom instruction, online learning opportunities, field techniques, experiential training activities, and field trips to community rainscaping projects. Participants also receive hands-on experience through creating a demonstration bioretention area and rain garden project with community partners in a public space such as a county Extension office. Increased bioretention area and rain garden implementation in communities is also an important outcome for this program. A customized website and associated database tracks state-wide rain garden installation projects and calculates related ecological benefits, such as reduction in stormwater runoff. ​

Click here to learn more about the program in Illinois (coming soon!)

Click here to learn more about the program in Indiana.