Raingardens being planted to protect sensitive species of the Brunette River

New Westminster – The City of New Westminster is pleased to announce that in partnership with Evergreen, raingardens will be planted in lower Hume Park adjacent to the Brunette River. Two raingardens are currently being installed, and on Sunday April 10, the public will be invited to complete the raingardens by planting native species.

Raingardens are a self-watering, low maintenance garden designed to protect rivers by capturing stormwater which runs off hard surfaces after it rains. Stormwater contains harmful pollutants such as oil, litter, animal waste, and heavy metals. Raingardens are also known as bio-retention systems as they provide biological treatment to stormwater using soil, plans, roots, and microbes.

“The salmon and turtles that are returning to the Burnette River, and the urban ecosystem as a whole, will benefit from these raingardens,” said Claude Ledoux, Parks Horticulture Manager. “The soil and plant roots in the raingardens work together to naturally filter and remove pollutants that would otherwise be flowing into the waterway.”

The native species that will be planted by volunteers include: grooved rush, hardstem belrush, and Oregon grape.

The public are invited to participate in the installation of native plants in the rain garden and the restoration of other parts of lower Hume Park on Sunday, April 10 from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Evergreen is pleased to offer the public opportunities to help restore Lower Hume Park on a monthly basis through their Uncover Your Creeks events. Registration is recommended and can be done online at www.evergreen.ca.

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For further information please contact:

Jennifer Lukianchuk, Environmental Coordinator
604-515-3780 or