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On May 4 morning Wilkins Street W. was buzzing with activity--more than usual. It was raingarden maintenance day, and there were 10 rough-looking raingardens that winter weather had slammed with snow, ice, salt and sand. They begged for attention.
Sandy Gast and Maren Rosas are veterans of the May 2018 Raingarden Maintenance event, and we were fortunate that they returned this year. Other volunteers were the Zeruhn family, SSMN Board member, Kelsey Depew, and her husband, Justin, with two ambitious girls, Morgan and Cameron. A Wilkins Street homeowner, Vicky Walsh, greeted us and with a wagon full of garden tools and a broom, and joined in to help with various raingardens as well as the one she adopted last year.
Cheerfulness and comradery filled the brisk morning air along the street as volunteers raked out leaves to allow sunlight and fresh air, cut down dead-standing plants to make room to encourage new growth, and shoveled out dirt blocking the inlets to the raingardens. It was a very fun morning! Thank you to all the volunteers!
The morning began with the Middle St. Croix Watershed Management Organization (MSCWMO) Administrator Mike Isensee and his daughter, Sylvia, delivering rakes, brooms yard waste bags and safety vests for us.
Promotional and educational materials were provided by Washington Conservation District’s Educator Angie Hong.
