09 April 2009Ellis County Master Gardener
Passion for nature and close collaboration helped to transform a small courtyard at Waxahachie Global High School into the Ellis County Master Gardeners’ demonstration rainwater harvesting system site. The system features a 1000 gallon WATERHARVEST SLIMLINE™ water storage tank.
The project brought together 2008 Ellis County Master Gardener Interns, pursuing a class project involving rainwater harvesting, and the school’s biology students who wanted to convert the often swampy area behind the school into a courtyard garden with lunch seating. The students raised some money to transform the space and with the assistance of the Master Gardener Interns, their vision became reality. Teachers, parents, Master Gardeners and other volunteers also helped with the transformation.
The project involved installing drainage for the site, selecting and planting plants that were native and/or adaptive and appropriate for the shady garden area, installing the rainwater collection system and associated irrigation. The WATERHARVEST SLIMLINE™ water storage tank will provide water via drip irrigation simply by opening one valve on the tank and using gravity to water the plants.
Aesthetics were an important factor when selecting a water storage tank because of the school’s historic designation. “We needed a water storage tank that didn’t take up a lot of space and blended in with the historic surroundings,” said Rick Daniel, Ellis County Master Gardener (2008 Intern). “The WATERHARVEST SLIMLINE™ tank was the best fit in terms of size, shape and appearance for the rainwater harvesting demonstration system at Waxahachie Global High School.” he added.
Waxahachie Global High is a “TSTEM” Academy. The Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Math initiative aims to produce 3,500 Texas high school graduates each year from diverse backgrounds with the preparation to pursue study and careers in science, technology, engineering and math related fields.
Thanks to the Ellis County Master Gardeners, students now have a beautiful place to enjoy lunch while appreciating a little bit of nature and the Ellis County Master Gardeners have a site where they can take people to learn about rainwater harvesting.
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