Past Projects Jean Birch MOT Senior Center Rain Garden Creating a rain garden from a dry stormwater pond was the first large scale demonstration project that the Appoquinimink River Association (ARA) created. Housed at the Jean Birch MOT Senior Center in Middletown, this vegetated area provided water quality benefits by planting vegetation that helped filter nearly 5 million gallons of water a year. The ARA’s rain garden was recognized by the Region 3 EPA and LID Center as a winner of the 2007 Leadership in Low Impact Development Recognition Program Award for outstanding achievement in Educational Programs. Although the creation of the rain garden is complete, the ARA has continued to assist the Town of Middletown and the Senior Center in making sure the plants in the rain garden are healthy and free of invasive weeds. The ARA is also looking to install controls that will help prevent soil erosion from the rain garden in the near future as well as continue to plant native grasses in the upland portion of the project to create a meadow. For more information on what a rain garden is and why you should put one in your backyard, check out our informational brochure.