by C. Eliana Brown, RORG Director
Did you know the Red Oak Rain Garden isn’t just a beautiful community space—it’s also beneficial to our majestic red oak? Before the rain garden existed, the oak had “wet feet” during storms, preventing it from thriving. People passing through also used to experience wet feet as rainwater flooded the sidewalk. At one point, floodwaters even seeped into the windows of Allen Hall, damaging valuable equipment.
You helped us go from this…
…to this!
Today, the rain garden safely channels excess water, supports the oak’s health, prevents flooding, and offers a peaceful sanctuary for wildlife, students, and visitors alike. This fall, more than 700 people experienced this space during Illuminating Art in Nature, discovering the rain garden’s benefits, and feeling inspired to bring nature-based solutions to their own landscapes.
How RORG Is Shaping Resilient Communities
As one of Illinois Extension’s signature demonstration landscapes, the Red Oak Rain Garden is driving real change across the region. Research and lessons learned here are informing three major initiatives:
- Illinois-Indiana Rainscaping Education Program, helping communities design and care for effective rain gardens.
- Green Stormwater Infrastructure Maintenance Course, an online curriculum in development, equipping municipalities and professionals with practical skills.
- Lumpkin Family Foundation–funded community education and native plant initiative, which provides kits and supports the Watershed Stewards program in Mattoon.
Together, these efforts empower homeowners, students, and municipalities to build landscapes that manage stormwater, support biodiversity, and create healthier, safer communities.
Why Your Support Matters
RORG is a grant- and donation-funded project. Your contribution fuels:
- High-quality stormwater management
- Hands-on service-learning opportunities
- Educational programs that reach communities across Illinois
- A living, learning laboratory for the next generation of environmental leaders
But none of this can continue without long-term, reliable stewardship.
“Stewardship makes or breaks a rain garden.”
Ongoing maintenance is essential. We’re fortunate to have support from our volunteers, the Red Oak Rain Guardians, as well as a strong partnership with the university’s Facilities & Services Grounds department. However, some maintenance tasks extend beyond the scope of their regular responsibilities and require additional funding. That’s why Extension established the RORG Maintenance Endowment, ensuring sustainable care for decades to come. We’re proud to report that we’re nearly halfway to our funding goal of $75,000! We also have an operating fund that supports plant replacement and student interns.
Your tax-deductible gift helps secure the rain garden’s future.
Join Us This GivingTuesday
On December 2, we join millions celebrating the GivingTuesday global generosity movement and invite you to be a part of it.
Your donation ensures that the Red Oak Rain Garden continues protecting our red oak and our campus, serves as a vibrant outdoor classroom, inspires environmental leadership, and welcomes thousands of visitors each year.
Please consider a gift that keeps this special place thriving for the next generations.
Thank you for helping us grow beauty, resilience, and community.
Here is how you can give:
- Donate. Visit Extension’s Opportunity for Investment page and select “Red Oak Rain Garden” as the specific program. If you have any questions, contact me or Scott Burnsmier.
- Spread the word. Encourage your friends and family to join you in creating a real impact by sharing why you support the rain garden. Make sure to use the hashtag #GivingTuesday and tag us so we can share!
For more details about the GivingTuesday movement, visit the GivingTuesday website, Facebook page, or X account. Join the Red Oak Rain Garden’s initiative this GivingTuesday by visiting extension.illinois.edu/giftpage.
Botanical drawings of rough blazing star, marginal wood fern, and gray-headed coneflower by RORG team’s Erin Schimenti.
About the Red Oak Rain Garden
The Red Oak Rain Garden soaks up rainwater, enhances the campus and community aesthetic and educational experience, and promotes well-being for everyone who visits.
As part of Illinois Extension and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the Red Oak Rain Garden Team believes in providing excellence in educational programming and providing accessible programs that help people solve problems. The rain garden does both! The Team creates service-learning opportunities for students and community volunteers and inspires visitors to find out how they can create healthier landscapes where they live.
About GivingTuesday
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past ten years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give. GivingTuesday strives to build a world in which the catalytic power of generosity is at the heart of the society we build together, unlocking dignity, opportunity, and equity around the globe.
Red Oak Rain Garden 