On December 10, volunteers from Coca-Cola, along with the St. Johns Riverkeeper, San Marco Preservation Society, Greenscape, and Jacksonville Zoo completed installation of the new rain garden or bio-swale on LaSalle Street in front of the San Marco Branch Library. The low impact stormwater feature is designed to be a model or pilot for similar installations across the City. It will be maintained by Riverkeeper for the next year allowing the City to evaluate the cost and time involved with maintenance and the feasibility of wide-scale use. We also hope to have water quality sampling done to evaluate the impact on stormwater water quality.
The project was a true collaboration with many partners. Coca-Cola provided funding for the construction and plant material through a $10,000.00 grant to the St. Johns Riverkeeper. Doug Skiles, President of San Marco Preservation and owner of EnVision Design provided in-kind assistance with engineering design along with Kevin Songer of Metroverde. Bob Chabot, President of Greenscape and horticulturist for the Jacksonville Zoo provided professional assistance on plant selection and design. Volunteers from Coca-Cola provided the manpower for planting, and the Riverkeeper guided the entire process. (read more at LoriBoyer.org & see video below…)