Industry professionals, researchers and the public will soon have access to the latest in sustainable infrastructure technology with the construction of a green stormwater demonstration site at the University of Georgia Research and Education Garden on the UGA Griffin campus. The groundbreaking ceremony was held Nov. 22 with plans to complete several demonstration areas by the end of 2024.

Federally funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the project is led by Rolando Orellana, UGA Cooperative Extension urban water management agent with the Center for Urban Agriculture, and Martin Wunderly, area water agent for UGA Extension’s Northeast District.

“This is a green infrastructure project that will be used as a demonstration site to show what can be done in not only the green industry but also in personal homes,” said Orellana.

Stormwater best practices on display

Bethany Harris, director of the Center for Urban Agriculture, said having the site located on the Griffin campus will yield benefits for both UGA faculty and the community.

“When it comes to green infrastructure, there are so many benefits. With this being a teaching site, we will be able to share these techniques with Extension personnel as well as homeowners,” Harris said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The demonstration site will present nine stormwater best practices, including a green roof display, rain barrels, pervious paver blocks, grass and gravel grids, French drains, bioswale, a rain garden, a cistern with prefilter, and a dry well. Each site will feature a QR code leading to an informational site about the practice on display.

“We want this to be a permanent education tool that will be available for Extension agents to develop programs and highlight the bigger goals that the Center for Urban Agriculture and UGA have with environmental education,” said Orellana. “It will allow us to educate Georgia citizens on how to incorporate green infrastructure practices into their homes.”

Growing environmental research and education

Jeffrey Dean, assistant provost and campus director for UGA-Griffin, said the project, one of the first new projects proposed when he joined the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in January 2023, fits perfectly with UGA’s strategic plan to promote excellence in teaching and learning while strengthening partnerships with communities to grow research and innovation.

“I marvel at how everything has come together,” Dean said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “This is right in line with the mission of this campus and what it is all about. I couldn’t be happier to add this to the mix in the garden, and I invite everyone to come back as frequently as possible to see everything going on here.”

The UGA Research and Education Garden is a 65-acre facility where visitors can tour themed gardens and active research areas, view turfgrass research plots, and stroll through a growing urban arboretum brimming with native plants. It is free to visit the garden, located at 129 W. Ellis Road in Griffin, which is open to the public on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.