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A grant from the South Florida Water Management District provided the Green Living and Energy Education (GLEE) organization 100 FREE 55-gallon plastic drums to make rain barrels. GLEE, UF/IFAS/Monroe County Extension and the Nature Conservancy joined together to provide workshops for residents to make rainbarrels to collect rain water from downspouts in roofs and provide non-potable water for residents wishing to conserve water, and protect our environment. The rainbarrels can be used to water landscape plants, rinse off gardening tools, or wash your hands. Also, the rain barrels can be attached to each other to collect more water for use during the dry season.
As part of the rollout for the new “Green Thumb Certified” nursery program, rainbarrel workshops were held throughout the Florida Keys to encourage Keys friendly gardening principles. During the 1-hour workshop, participants constructed their own rain barrel from scratch and learned tips about water conservation. To learn more about local nurseries that meet Green Thumb Certified standards, go to www.keysgreenthumb.net.
Rainbarrel workshops are being held at Sea Cloud Orchids in Big Coppitt, The Nature Conservancy give-away in Marathon, The Beach House Garden Center in Key Largo, the Banyan Tree Nursery in Upper Matecumbe and the Monroe County Gato Building in Key West.
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