Raingarden Planters, also known as stormwater planters, are a type of bioretention infrastructure. They are not a new concept, and have existed globally for quite some time now. Due to their compact nature, and simple design, they serve as a tangible SUDS solution to runoff, water pollution and decreasing biodiversity levels, especially within urban environments.

The rainwater runoff which is gathered from impermeable surfaces like our roofs and city streets contain a lot of pollutants, including oils, chemicals, dirt & garbage. Raingarden Planters harvest this rainwater from our downpipes and divert it in to mini ecosystems. When diverted into Raingardens, these chemicals and pollutants are filtered by the plants & chemical processes via the food network in the soil. Previous research has shown that they are successful at removing 90% of nutrients and chemicals and up to 80% of sediments from the rainwater runoff.

Once planted, they also act as a carbon sink, as the plants contained within filter CO2 levels and act as a carbon sink for surrounding air pollutants. Our intent is to also help participants curate a low-maintenance planter including native & perennial plants that benefit local pollinating insects, which has a knock-on effect to other local biodiversity.

In our urban environments we face a problem. Where once there was a natural landscape that played a crucial part in the circular nature of water, we have now built areas of hard, impermeable surfaces that lead to heavy pollution of our water courses and degradation of our landscapes.

We are lacking the vital natural processes that help filter and guide water in a beneficial way for our local environment, and instead are working with outdated sewerage & underground piping which cannot handle the volume of water during storm events, which we will be seeing more of as the impact of climate change grows in the years to come.

Our goal with this project is to install 100 planters, and use the research and citizen science gathered to create the groundwork for other communities to roll-out the same project and be empowered build on it with their own findings, and help their own local health & biodiversity.

We hope to communicate throughout the project how accessible this is, and how great of an impact it will have if it is taken on by other communities on a national level.

This project also provides interactive learning, especially in schools, as it includes the opportunity to study sustainable urban drainage solutions, botany, ecology and pedology (the study of soil), as well as linking in with local citizen science and a community-lead project.