HCC horticulture students and HCC staff members as well as members of the Haywood County Rotary Clubs recently completed a new Rain Garden on the college campus.

HCC Campus Arboretum Team Leader Gene Stano and HCC Horticulture instructor George Thomas worked with students in Horticulture Practices class to install shade trees and moisture loving plants, as well as plants that don’t require much moisture near the new Center for the Advancement of Children. The Rotary Clubs of Haywood County also spent a Saturday morning working on the garden.

The Rain Garden collects water that runs off the playground area of the center and filters it before it enters back into the soil.

HCC received a $5,000 grant from the Pigeon River Fund of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to build the garden. The rain garden was also made possible through donations from Haywood, Sunrise, and Waynesville Rotaries because of their interest in sustainable technologies.

The rain garden is one of many projects the college is initiating in a measure to become a leader in sustainable development practices through outreach and education, as well as becoming more environmentally sound. The goal is to become a guiding force in the community and region.

The Pigeon River Fund of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina was created by the State of North Carolina and Progress Energy to improve water quality in the streams and rivers of Haywood, Buncombe, and Madison counties. The fund provides grants to nonprofit and public agencies that improve surface water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, expand public access, and increase awareness about protecting these resources.