Ottawa Hills High School
2055 Rosewood S.E., Grand Rapids
(one block west of Burton and Plymouth intersection)
The largest rain garden in Grand Rapids
The School of Business, Leadership and Entrepreneurship created the largest rain garden in Grand Rapids to date. The garden, planted in the fall of 2004, is 85 feet long and 25 feet wide!
Environmental Education
This project has been particularly fulfilling because the team of teachers that we worked with decided to go with our whole Environmental Education vision. They incorporated the rain garden activities into every class.
Students counted the stormdrains on their campus, then contacted city staff to find out where the drains went (Plaster Creek). The math classes calculated the volume of stormwater generated by the school roof. Students studied how stormwater affects Plaster Creek. Teams of students researched information on native plants. Students did math, research, writing, public speaking, team-building, and hands-on gardening.
Students were on the TV news
By the time the garden was planted, the inner city students were very knowledgeable about stormwater issues created by their campus. Students were interviewed by regional television stations and appeared on news broadcasts.
The students made several public speaking presentations, to the school board, to other students, to KidSpeak Grand Rapids on April 29, 2005, to teachers and administrators at another school, and to Leadership Grand Rapids.
The students worked with the Leadership Grand Rapids Community Trustee project team to develop their presentation skills and create a marketing plan for 
The Rain Garden Project Team received the Loretta Ortt Award for Service Learning at the Board of Education Meeting 6:30 June 6, 2004. The students and teachers are justifiably very proud of their accomplishments.
And the rain garden they created is beautiful!
Lessons learned:
When working with a school system, invite all concerned parties to join in the rain garden planning process.
Even if the principal, teachers and grounds people at the school are enthusiastic about the project, the school administrators and board need to be included. Those who care for the school grounds want to know how this will affect their work. Administrators want a five year plan for the garden's care. Everyone appreciates knowing how the rain garden project will benefit the students, teachers, campus and community, and especially how the rain garden will help in meeting educational goals and improving student skills.
School gardens need summer caregivers.
Have a plan in place for caring for the garden over the summer months, so it looks beautiful when students and staff return in the fall.
High school kids don't like to get dirty!
Don't expect to engage all students in a high school classroom in digging up a site for a rain garden. The part of the project that involves physical labor is best left to those who really want to do it. Most students were enthusiastic about planting, but not about the sweat and dirt involved in preparing the site. They come to school looking good, ready for after-school jobs, and don't want to muss up their stylish clothes. We got the best buy-in from students who chose to dig, and not much enthusiasm from those who were told they had to.
"Ghost bags" help keep dirt out of the halls.
Lightweight plastic shopping bags, tied over the shoes, can be worn to protect both shoes and schools from tracked-in dirt. Just discard them before you go into the school. Clean shoes, clean halls!
This rain garden, designed by RiverMaid designs, includes both native species and traditional landscaping plants, donated by Rooks Landscaping, individuals, and local garden clubs. We thank the grounds staff for removing the turf for us. Compost Soils Technology donated the Black Gold planting and mulching material. Master gardeners babysat the garden over the summer. The butterflies came on their own.