The Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society (VHAS) of South Jersey installed a rain garden named the “Mary Treat Memorial Garden” in November of 2023. The project was led by Randi Rothmel of the Association for New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) who called ecstatic and grateful members at the VHAS. Randi also partnered with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension to use a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant that would allow the project to take place for the VHAS–a 501 c(3) non-profit organization that does not receive any funding or monetary support from the city of Vineland and relies on the generosity of their members and local community, grants, fundraising and membership dues. This collaboration made installing such beautiful public works a great feat for all involved. The American Littoral Society also works alongside ANJEC and Rutgers often to deliver similar environmental projects that deliver sentimental value, nourishment, sustainability, beauty, and general interest in the environment to the community.
For the VHAS specifically, the rain garden is a tribute to Mary Treat—a nineteenth century Vineland naturalist who made significant contributions to entomology and botany. Mary made observations on plants native to America on behalf of Charles Darwin. Mary wrote many scientific works on plants and insects. Naomi Ingraldi, of VHAS who coordinated the installation, textually exclaimed, “We KNOW she would approve!”.
This rain garden was also followed by the construction of a community garden and bog garden in May of 2024 led by Jen Hainley, that grows fresh veggies and herbs that visitors can take home. Their community garden helped bring together the theme for their first book club meeting discussing Deborah Ein’s book “Mary Treat: A Biography”, a book that would later inspire the official name for the rain garden.
Together, these gardens created a synergistic public works project that restores the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, prevents land sinking, decreases flooding, provides habitats for native plant and animal life, gains community interest, and contributes to the systemic benefits of having increased biodiversity. Rain gardens, particularly, catch storm runoff and water that would typically cause flooding. Ingraldi stated that the rain garden eliminated the need for a “bucket” covering their drain spout runoff area. Placing the rain garden in this location ensured that the garden would have a steady supply of water, while also clearing water that may have posed flooding threats under big rainstorms. On the more technical side, this rain garden is one of several green infrastructure projects in Vineland helping to prevent flooding and reduce nonpoint source pollution to local waterways. This garden collects stormwater runoff from 2,905 square feet of the roof to capture 49,117 gallons stormwater per year; and prevents 0.17 lbs TN, 0.02 lbs TP and 82.7 lbs TSS per year from entering local waterways.
Besides the environmental function, the rain garden installation has also brought forth other benefits. Naomi shared, “We love our rain garden! It has beautified our grounds and the neighborhood. The rain garden has brought volunteers who tend to the garden and engage with the surrounding community. There is a lot of foot traffic in the neighborhood, and people stop and chat or simply observe the activity. We feel it has become a focal point of the block. We also have a bunny rabbit who frequents the yard, birds, butterflies, and bees,”. From volunteer activities to bunny rabbit visitors, the garden has no bounds of the community it brings together.
The rain garden built for the Historical Society is also unique in that it was designed with native plants that give the garden a “Victorian” aesthetic, seeing as the museum was built in 1910. Meredith Koenig, their beloved native gardener, helps upkeep the plants and made the signs for them pictured below.
The previous 675 ft space used for the rain garden had been an unused, empty lot with grass and several trees. Today, the gardens are thriving and are surrounded by bird feeders, a garden bench, and chairs for the community to enjoy a shared space and experience. Look for a new educational signage coming to the garden soon!
This project was made possible through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with support from the William Penn Foundation. Project partners included the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Davis Lawn and Landscaping (who has helped build numerous rain gardens in the South Jersey area), and the American Littoral Society.
This article was written by Naomi Ingraldi, Randi Rothmel, and Stefaniya Zozulya.