Round 1 ResultsRound 2 ResultsRound 3 ResultsFinal Results To mark the sixth year of our competitive native plant tournament, we invite you to get ready for… RAIN…GARDEN…RUMMBBLLLEEEEEEE!!!! Our Rain Garden Rumble tournament takes an educational spin on a sports classic, teaching people about native plants, their benefits, and how to include them in home gardens. Including rainContinueContinue reading “Rain Garden Rumble 2025”
Author Archives: raingardenuiuc
Orange & Blue Week
From March 3-9, the University of Illinois celebrates Orange & Blue Week, a chance for Illini and friends to unite and make a difference. The Red Oak Rain Garden is honored to be a part of the inaugural effort to highlight crowdfunding projects that directly impact our students and campus. The University of Illinois atContinueContinue reading “Orange & Blue Week”
A Wheel Bug’s Life at RORG
Traipsing through the jungle of sedges, climbing among wildflowers, or buzzing loudly by, the North American Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus) is a prehistoric-looking insect you might spot in our rain garden during warmer months, aptly named for the wheel-like armor on its back. Approaching four years of my regular visiting of RORG, I can safelyContinueContinue reading “A Wheel Bug’s Life at RORG”
RORG’s 2024 Year-in-Review
By the RORG Team Welcome to RORG’s Year in Review — our fifth one! Before we start, we’d like to express our gratitude to all of the volunteers who gave us their time and talent. We also thank the University of Illinois Extension, Extension’s Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment program, and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant for their leadership and University of IllinoisContinueContinue reading “RORG’s 2024 Year-in-Review”
RORG’s Fall Leaf Approach: Finding the Balance
By Maddy Craft Our American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) that we have the pleasure of having at the Red Oak Rain Garden is an absolute beauty. Standing at over 80 feet tall, this tree is estimated to be over 100 years old. Its canopy is expansive and grows hundreds of thousands of leaves during each growingContinueContinue reading “RORG’s Fall Leaf Approach: Finding the Balance”
Giving Tuesday 2024
by C. Eliana Brown, RORG Director Did you know that RORG is beneficial for its red oak tree? Before the rain garden was installed, the oak had “wet feet” during storms, preventing this magnificent tree from thriving. People passing through also used to experience wet feet when rainwater flooded the sidewalk. In fact, there wasContinueContinue reading “Giving Tuesday 2024”
The Intersection of Engineering and Nature at the Red Oak Rain Garden
By Joe Hinsberger, RORG Sustainability Intern Throughout my life, I’ve sought to connect with nature and have often thought about how to center my life around it after college. As I got older, I discovered a passion for designing things, and I realized I actually didn’t mind math, which led me to pursue Civil andContinueContinue reading “The Intersection of Engineering and Nature at the Red Oak Rain Garden”
Illuminating Art in Nature
The Red Oak Rain Garden (RORG) Extension Team presents Illuminating Art in Nature! During the last week in October, the rain garden is nature-themed art venue thanks to a partnership among several campus and community departments and organizations. Illuminating Art in Nature celebrates art, sustainability, and natural cycles. Centering student talent and creativity, this eventContinueContinue reading “Illuminating Art in Nature”
Summer 2024 Extension Intern: Maddy Craft
By Maddy Craft, Extension Intern Another successful summer at the Red Oak Rain Garden has come to an end, and I’m thrilled to have been part of it once again. This summer started with significant changes for me, most notably graduating with high honors in May with a BS in Sustainable Design and minors inContinueContinue reading “Summer 2024 Extension Intern: Maddy Craft “
Summer 2024 IISG Stormwater Intern: Erin Schimenti
By Erin Schimenti, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Stormwater Intern Spring of 2024 marked a year since I began working with the amazing RORG team. This was a year full of great opportunities and new experiences, and I learned so much about rain gardens, native plants, and green stormwater infrastructure. I was very happy to learn thatContinueContinue reading “Summer 2024 IISG Stormwater Intern: Erin Schimenti”
Red Oak Rain Garden 