Rain gardens and more

Beth Hippert, district technician at the Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District, spoke at the Earth Day Fair on the Brainerd campus of Central Lakes College Wednesday. Her presentation cited the benefits of rain gardens as one way to create a cohesive landscape that soaks up runoff and reduces pollutants using natural plant communities. CLC Natural Resources and Horticulture students hosted the free, public event that included talks about on-farm biofuels production and backyard birdscapes, plus a showing of the land ethic video about Aldo Leopold, games, prizes, and a cookout fund-raiser for the Natural Resources Club.