Students Create “Rain Garden” to Slow Storm Runoff 35 General Ecology students have completed a restoration planting of native species aimed at helping absorb run-off between campus and the Poultney River. The new “rain garden,” which is located in the corner of the soccer field behind the scoreboard, is strategically positioned for the restoration effort because the college’s drainage system empties into the area. Rain gardens are ecological adaptations of industrial catchment systems (for water run-off). Traditional industrial catchment systems remove water as quickly as possible from a specific area (e.g., a parking lot) and drain it into a basin, where it will slowly dissipate into surrounding soils and waterways. The addition of wetland plants to or around a water catchment area increases water absorption and acts as a purifier. Students worked in five different groups to execute the project. The design group planned the layout of native shrubs and trees to be used in the rain garden. They considered: slope, different species’ preference for sunlight or shade, water tolerance, and plant size. While the design group planned, the rest of the class removed invasive species, such as reed canary grass, burdock, purple loosestrife, and wild parsnip. Undergraduate research assistant Pearl Wetherall selected plants native to Vermont that are also commonly found in Alder Swamps and Floodplain Forest. The planting included: Speckled Alder, Silky Dogwood, Red-Osier Dogwood, Winterberry Holly, Arrowwood, High-Bush Cranberry, Shagbark Hickory, White Oak, Bur Oak, Black Willow, and American Elm. Back to Front Page		GMC student Christina-Alexa Liakos, left, is interning with Greenpeace, San Francisco office, this semester. She and fellow intern (Bard College student Ali Stahl) are working to get politicians in Colorado to take a public stance on global warming. Men's Soccer Mon., 10/26 At Word of Life, 3:30 p.m. Sat., 10/28 Vs. Lyndon State, 3 p.m. Women's Soccer Sat., 10/28 Vs. Lyndon State, 1 p.m. Women's Volleyball Tues., 10/24 At Lyndon State, 7 p.m. Sat., 10/28 At Mitchell College, 1 p.m. WEEK AT A GLANCE MONDAY, OCT. 23 Philosophy Club Meeting 6:30 p.m., YES! Coffee House TUESDAY, OCT. 24 Sophmore Symposium 5 - 7 p.m., The Gorge WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25 Sophmore Symposium 4:30 - 7:30 p.m., The Gorge Workshop: Effective Research Skills 4 p.m., Graphics Lab FRIDAY, OCT. 27 Backpacking the High Peaks All Day, See GreenMAP SATURDAY, OCT. 28 Admissions Open House All Day, Poultney Campus Backpacking the High Peaks All Day, See GreenMAP Live Music: Laurel Brauns 9 - 11 p.m., The Gorge Health & Wellness Each week the Bozen Wellness Center offers a wide range of activities for all interests. Most are free or at minimal costs. Click here for this week’s offerings. Calhoun Learning Center Click here for a full weekly update on the events and activities taking place at the Calhoun Learning Center. If you have news, announcements, or events to publicize in the GMC Journal, please e-mail materials to gmcjournal@greenmtn.edu or send through campus mail to the Communications Office, Richardson House. All materials subject to editorial approval by the College Communications Office.