Last week, our Friday’s Friends worked directly with members of Woodbridge Township and Rutgers University to plant a rain garden in our new sustainable courtyard here at CMS.

What is a rain garden, you ask?  

A rain garden is a shallow area where a garden is planted.that helps capture the runoff water from storms. When the water drains into the soil, it filters through the dirt and removes toxins before it eventually gets to the rivers and reservoirs.

Rain gardens also gather excess water to prevent flooding. Flood waters often pick up pollutants like pesticides, pet waste and litter. The rain garden helps remove these things before it gets into the state’s water supply.

As CMS works to become more sustainable, the rain garden makes a great addition to the courtyard. Ms. Miller’s class along with Ms. Skiba’ Friday’s Friends helped plant all of the special trees, flowers and shrubs donated by the township and Rutgers.

The area chosen loops around a drain and allows for easy drainage through the soil.

I can’t wait to see what it looks like in Spring or to see what else we can add in our new sustainable garden courtyard!