SSMN is Adopting Rain Gardens – You Can Too!

Rain gardens do so much more than add beauty to our neighborhoods; they help protect our lakes and rivers by capturing stormwater runoff before it carries pollutants into local waterways. They also provide valuable habitat for pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects by featuring native plants.

At SSMN, we're excited to continue adopting and caring for local rain gardens, helping these important community spaces thrive. Whether you're volunteering with us or simply taking a closer look during your next walk, there's always something new to discover.

One of the most fun ways to explore a rain garden is by identifying the native plants growing there. With today's smartphone technology, anyone can become a citizen scientist!

Here are three excellent apps to help you learn more:

• Pl@ntNet – Completely free and backed by scientific organizations. Simply snap a photo, and the app compares it to a massive global database. It's an excellent choice for identifying wildflowers, native plants, trees, and other biodiversity.
  

• iNaturalist – Completely free and community-powered. Your observations can be reviewed by naturalists and scientists, making identifications highly accurate while contributing to real biodiversity research.
  

• PictureThis – Known for its fast, highly accurate AI plant identification. It also provides plant care tips, toxicity warnings, and disease diagnosis. While the app frequently promotes its premium version, the free features remain very useful.

Next time you pass a rain garden, pause for a moment. Snap a photo, identify a few native plants, and appreciate the important role these gardens play in keeping our water clean and supporting local wildlife.

Rain gardens are an important tool for environmental stewardship and community education. Rain gardens help capture and filter stormwater runoff before it reaches local lakes, rivers, and groundwater, reducing pollution and protecting water quality. They also help prevent erosion, support native plants and pollinators, and create healthier ecosystems throughout our community.

By caring for raingardens, volunteers gain hands-on experience with sustainable land and water stewardship while learning how these living systems help manage stormwater and protect natural resources. If you're interested in volunteering in one of the Sustainable Stillwater MN rain gardens and learning more about how they work, please fill out a volunteer interest form.

As part of our Adopt-a-Rain Garden Project, Sustainable Stillwater MN has officially adopted four rain gardens in Stillwater: 90 (111 Orleans St. E.), 94 (904 3rd St. S.), 95 (901 3rd St. S.), and 31 (628 3rd St. S.). These highly visible gardens are all within a short walk of one another, making them perfect places to volunteer, explore native plants, and see stormwater management in action. We hope you'll stop by, learn something new, or even join us at an upcoming stewardship event!

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REGIONAL RAIN GARDENS

Who Does What?

Sustainable Stillwater MN works with the Washington Conservation District (WCD) to:

• Recruit and support volunteers.

• Organize community clean-up and weeding events.

• Promote the Adopt-A-Raingarden program.

• Help care for several rain gardens throughout the area.

• Focus on community engagement and volunteer stewardship.

Washington Conservation District (WCD)

• Primary organization responsible for rain garden inspection and maintenance.

• Employs 20 permanent staff members and 5–10 seasonal staff members, depending on the year.

• Includes professional expertise in:

  • Native plants.

  • Habitat restoration.

  • Landscape design.

• Employs a six-member team that cares for rain gardens and other planted projects throughout Washington County.

• Contracts with the City of Stillwater to inspect and maintain many city-owned rain gardens.

• Determines when rain gardens need revitalization or, in rare cases, removal if they cannot be repaired.

• Provides education programs across multiple counties.

Middle St. Croix Watershed Management Organization (WMO)

• Government entity serving ten St. Croix River communities from Stillwater to Afton.

• Role: Protect and improve lakes and rivers while helping mitigate flooding.

• Has funded many large-scale rain gardens on the east side of Stillwater and around Lily Lake and McKusick Lake.

• Co-located with and works alongside WCD staff for project implementation and maintenance support.

Brown's Creek Watershed District (WD)

• Provides education, technical support, water quality protection, and flood mitigation programs.

• Has funded many rain gardens and stream restoration projects on the west side of Stillwater.

• Also relies on WCD staff to help support implementation and maintenance efforts.

Funding

There is no federal funding involved in rain garden inspections or maintenance. These activities are funded locally through city contracts and watershed organizations.