This project will create a rain garden on the grounds of Woodworth Middle School in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The Junior Optimists, led by Mr. Brad Billman, has created and maintained several green initiatives throughout the school. Mr. Billman used service learning with his EBD students and the Junior Optimists to teach his students about addressing the needs of the community. Mr. Billman’s students constructed and maintain several gardens and wildlife habitats located on the school’s grounds. Through the leadership and work of Mr. Billman’s students, the school has implemented a school wide recycling program to teach the entire school the importance of conservation and environmental education. The Rain Garden Project will be a part of the service learning intuitive to teach the students the importance of improving and preserving the ecology of Fond du Lac.

By establishing a rain garden on school grounds, we hope to teach students the importance of preserving the environment through service learning. Creating a rain garden on school grounds will teach the students that they can make a difference to improve the environment

Mr. Billman’s EBD class and Junior Optimists will be learning about the importance of preserving the environment while learning about the environment and the water cycle. Mr. Billman’s class has toured the rain gardens and the Gottfried Arboretum, a 40 acre reconstructed prairie featuring native Wisconsin plant species, located on the University of Wisconsin Fond du Lac campus. Through the class’s tour, the students learned about native plants and through service learning, helped to control evasive species at the arboretum. Since the rain garden will be constructed and maintained by the students, the students will learn about preserving the environment through service learning. Service learning will be used to teach the students about the environment because rain gardens address a community need and the students will learn about protecting the environment. The rain garden will serve as a testament that even kids, through the simplest of efforts, can protect and clean the environment. With funding, the construction of the rain garden is set for the Fall of 2008.

Students and community members can help with construction and maintaince of the rain garden.