Monarch Reign on Rain: Latest on the ERT Botanical Tours

Join the Norfolk Master Gardeners every 4th Saturday, in the months of April to October, for the Botanical Tour Series! Explore our community, get expert information on plants and plant care, and learn something new! This tour is FREE and open to everyone, no registration required.

On our most recent tour of the ERT Botanical Tour series, we explored the campus of Old Dominion University where we talked about green infrastructure, stormwater management, and best management practices. Given the significant amount of rain that occurred in the days leading up to the weekend tour, our group was able to witness storm water management practices and the results of careful planting in action!

Participants learned about local maritime history connected to the ODU campus, they explored LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified building designs on campus and the incorporation of plants into the structures, and they identified noteworthy storm water management examples & practices. Sprinkled among the identified permeable pavers, dry wells, retention ponds, and storm drains were native plants, pollinators, and even a significant Japanese garden situated above a dry well! This was a wonderful opportunity to learn how the utilization of plants and intentional architectural planning can serve as long-term benefits to the community. 

The ERT Botanical Tour series exists thanks to donors like you! Visit https://elizabethrivertrail.org/wayfinders/ to become a sustaining trail Wayfinder today.