Twenty-five volunteers showed up to the Peconic riverfront Saturday morning to help put more than 100 plants in the ground in an effort to reduce stormwater runoff into the river.
With the help of the newly planted rain garden, rainwater will be filtered through sand, gravel, and the plants’ roots, making it much cleaner as it flows into waterways and groundwater supply. Storm water runoff prevention improves water quality, reduces nutrient pollution and helps restore natural resources.
Peconic Estuary Program, in partnership with the Town of Riverhead, sponsored the creation of the garden. They asked for volunteers to come to the riverfront at 10 a.m.
What began as around a dozen people at the beginning of the morning soon became more than 20 hardworking volunteers, including two troops of Girl Scouts.
“This was a much bigger turnout than usual,” said Sherryl Jones, the estuary’s outreach coordinator. “We got it done in about half the time we were expecting.”
Coneflower, bee balm, milkweed, wool grass and red maple trees were just a few of the 125 plants planted by volunteers yesterday.
They are all native to the area, attracting native pollinators and acting as habitats for wildlife, such as bees and birds. Since they are native plants, they are adapted to the climate of the east end, and require little maintenance. The plants are also salt-tolerant and flood resistant, making them ideal for the conditions of the Peconic River.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Courtney Blasl.
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