For immediate release: March 6, 2017

Media Contact:  Ingrid Melle, Avondale AZ PIO imelle@avondale.org 623-333-1614  -  www.avondale.org/news

Volunteers Needed To Help Create a Rain Garden at Avondale City Hall

The city of Avondale is seeking volunteers to help build a Rain Garden for the Civic Center Complex landscape outside Avondale City Hall on Saturday, March 25, from 8 a.m. to noon.

A rain garden is a form of “green infrastructure” that uses rainwater to naturally irrigate native and desert-adapted plants. Rain Gardens have the added benefit of creating wildlife habitat, providing shade cover, and preventing flooding and water pollution.

The City of Avondale is creating a rain garden at City Hall to demonstrate how rainwater from a roof can be used to water native and desert-adapted vegetation. Once established, desert plants require little to no supplemental irrigation. Avondale’s rain garden will include educational signage demonstrating how city residents can apply water harvesting practices at their home.

While you create the rain garden you’ll learn how to shape berms and basins to passively harvest rainwater; use rip-rap for rock armoring to prevent erosion in downspout spillways; and properly plant trees and shrubs to create a shady and water-efficient desert landscape. Join us to connect with your community and learn valuable skills.

Twenty volunteers are needed for the workshop. To register as a volunteer, please email Drew Bryck, of the Development and Engineering Services Department;  dbryck@avondaleaz.gov.  City Hall is located at 11465 Civic Center Dr., Avondale, AZ 85323.

###