Fertility Follows Water. When stormwater (rain that doesn’t infiltrate where it falls) moves quickly through a field, forest, or landscape, it picks up sediment and organic matter, pulling fertility away from the site. When water slows down, it deposits sediment and organic matter, creating pockets of fertility along the way. As we work to create resilient native landscaping and restoration projects, let’s do our best to catch, store, and utilize that water and fertility close to where it falls. We’ll discuss water harvesting principles — and how harnessing the power of stormwater can help us accomplish our habitat creation goals. We’ll see examples of small and large water harvesting projects for homeowners, woodlot owners, and farmers alike.

A native landscape in Reynoldsburg, Ohio that takes advantage of stormwater flow, 14 months after planting