Missed the Webinar? Watch Rain Gardens with Josh Serpe

This winter, Franklin County Stormwater brought together local voices to spotlight powerful tools homeowners can use to support water quality and climate resilience. In a recent webinar, Josh Serpe, Water Quality Project Manager at Friends of Northern Lake Champlain, took attendees on an inspiring journey into the world of rain gardens and sustainable landscaping with warmth, wisdom, and plenty of practical tips.

Rain gardens aren’t just beautiful. They’re smart. Designed to capture and soak up runoff from roofs, driveways, and other hard surfaces, these vibrant, plant-filled depressions help reduce flooding, filter pollutants, and bring biodiversity right to your backyard. With Vermont experiencing more intense and frequent rain events, these solutions are more important than ever.

Josh breaks it all down in the webinar from how to find the perfect spot in your yard (tip: watch where the water flows during a rainstorm!) to the importance of testing your soil and choosing resilient native plants. He also touches on a critical point: rain gardens aren’t "plant and forget." Like any living system, they thrive with ongoing care. Think seasonal weeding, watering, and watching.

🌧️ Learn how to assess your site

🌱 Get tips on choosing the right plants

🔄 Discover maintenance tricks to keep your garden thriving

💧 Understand how your backyard can make a difference

🎥 Watch the Full Webinar Below:

Whether you’re just curious or ready to start digging, this video is a great place to begin. You’ll leave with knowledge, encouragement, and a reminder that small efforts in our own spaces can ripple out into meaningful environmental change.

Let this be your nudge to take a step toward a greener, cleaner, and more connected community—one rain garden at a time. 🌼💦

If you have any questions regarding the video or rain gardens, reach out to Gracie at ggrimes@friendsofnorthernlakechamplain.org