A rain garden is a depressed area in the landscape that collects rain water from a roof, driveway or street and allows it to soak into the ground. Planted with grasses and flowering perennials, rain gardens can be a cost effective and beautiful way to reduce runoff from your property. Rain gardens can also help filter out pollutants in runoff and provide food and shelter for butterflies, song birds and other wildlife.

Adding trees in and around parking lots and pavement improves appearance, prevents soil erosion, and adds oxygen to the environment. Planted areas also reduce storm water drainage problems, buffer wind and noise, and make passers-by and parking customers happy by providing cool shade.

Stream buffers, also known as riparian buffers, are vegetated areas on either side of a stream. or river. When functioning properly, buffers protect the waterbody from the impacts of human activity.