HARVESTING RAINWATER FOR SCHOOLYARD GARDENS.
ONGOING
As part of our mission, the Cumberland River Compact seeks to educate the next generation about the water cycle and the value of conserving water. To this end, the Compact is partnering with Metro Nashville Public Schools for Water for Schools, an education and conservation project.
As schools throughout Nashville install vegetable and flower gardens, the Cumberland River Compact provides participating schools with 275-gallon rainwater-collection cisterns. The cisterns divert rainwater from the roof to the new gardens. Rainwater capture has several benefits.
- Conservation: by capturing rainwater, tap water use can be reduced.
- Education: the presence of the cisterns will encourage children to ask questions about where their water comes from, and can serve as an educational tool to help children learn about the water cycle and water conservation.
Currently, The Cumberland River Compact has installed over 20 cisterns at a dozen schools.
The Compact firmly believes in conservationist Baba Dioum’s words: “In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” Water for Schools program aims to instill a love and understanding of Tennessee’s environment in Nashville’s urban youth.
PROJECT SPONSORS: The Cumberland River Compact