Rainscaping Education Program

Program Objectives

Rainscaping is a combination of sustainable landscape design and management practices that prevents polluted runoff from reaching water bodies — directing stormwater to be absorbed by plants and soils.

The Purdue Rainscaping Education Program provides training and resources on rainscaping practices that can be installed in residential settings or small-scale public spaces projects.

Target Audiences

The program provides advanced training in rain garden planning, installation, and maintenance for:

  • Purdue Extension Master Gardeners
  • Conservation agencies and organizations
  • Stormwater professionals
  • Landscape companies and consultants

Participants are encouraged to attend as a community team to support implementation of public education programs and provide technical assistance to homeowners upon completion of the training.

Format

Our program consists of five modules (three hours each) in a workshop setting. Program modules include:

  • Flipped classroom instruction
  • Online learning opportunities
  • Experiential training activities
  • Field techniques
  • Field trips to community examples of rainscaping projects

Participants also gain hands-on experience by creating a demonstration rain garden project with community members in a public space.

Resources

To learn more, please contact a member of the program team below.

John Orick, Co-leader, Purdue Master Gardener State Coordinator
orick@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension, Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture

Kara Salazar, Co-leader, AICP, PCED, LEED AP ND, Assistant Program Leader and Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist
salazark@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Brooke Alford, Extension Education - Urban Agriculture
bmalford@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension, Marion County

C. Eliana Brown, Extension Water Quality Specialist, MSEE LEED AP NGICP
brown12@illinois.edu
University of Illinois Extension, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
Contact for University of Illinois Extension Rainscaping Education program

Laura Esman, Managing Director, Indiana Water Resources Research Center and Research Associate & Lab Manager, Natural Resources Social Science Lab
lesman@purdue.edu
Purdue University, Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

Karen Mitchell, Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist
mitcheka@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension, Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture

Amanda Mosiman, Extension Education, ANR
bailey1@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension, Warrick County

Hans Schmitz, Extension Educator, ANR, CED
hschmitz@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension, Posey County

Nikky Witkowski, Extension Educator, ANR
nikky@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension, Porter County

Phillip Woolery, Extension Educator, ANR
pwoolery@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension, Pulaski, and Starke Counties