Sacred Grounds St Suzanne Rain Gardens

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Detroit (FUA)

Region

Northern America

Short description of the intervention

In 2018, the City of Detroit implemented a drainage charge to help cover the costs of capturing, conveying, pumping, treating, and safely returning combined sewage to the Detroit and Rouge Rivers (1). The charge is calculated based on each parcel’s impact on the sewer system, particularly by measuring impervious acreage (1). Since then, this fee has posed significant challenges for one group in particular: Detroit’s houses of worship (2). Churches, with their large roofs and parking lots, face higher monthly drainage charges, creating financial strain for many faith leaders (2).
To support these institutions, Sacred Grounds has been providing grants, labor, and design assistance to install projects that reduce water bills and drainage fees (2). Sacred Grounds collaborates with the National Wildlife Federation, Friends of the Rouge, and Sierra Club of Michigan to implement these projects through the city’s green credit program (2). A recent initiative involved installing four rain gardens located on the perimeter of St. Suzanne Our Lady Gate of Heaven Church (3). These bioretention gardens, funded by several private and public actors and led by Detroit Future City, diverts water from 20 large downspouts, redirecting an estimated 500,000 gallons of runoff annually away from the municipal sewer system (3, 4).
In addition to managing water, the gardens foster a thriving habitat for pollinators and adds beauty to the area (3). St. Suzanne’s commitment to environmental education includes engaging over 130 youth and adults in training programs that build pathways to STEAM careers and opportunities where local residents are often underrepresented (4). The church also features an innovative, eco-friendly outdoor classroom developed by students, further supporting their sustainability mission (4).

Website of the intervention

https://detroitstormwater.org/projects/st-suzanne-cody-rouge-community-ctr-rain…

Principal problems

Climate-Related Hazards

Urban flooding (stormwater)

Environmental Degradation

Physical water retention and availability

Implementation area characterization

Climate

Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter)

Ecosystem

Urban or built environment

Address

9357 Westwood St
Detroit , 48228
United States

Location

The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).

Area boundary (map-based)

NBS area image

Source of NBS area image

Source: https://www.google.com/maps/place/9357+Westwood+St/@42.3643826,-83.2313061,169m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m7!3m6!1s0x8824cab8edbe4d5b:0xc54c139116a5d706!4b1!8m2!3d42.3642851!4d-83.2307758!16s%2Fg%2F11bw3z9y6g?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTEwNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Total area

202.00m²

NBS area

202.00m²

Area description

Urban (main city)

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Other

Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS

Surface owned by the church.

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

unknown

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2023

End date of the intervention

2023

Present stage of the intervention

Completed

2. Objectives of the intervention

Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

To provide financial relief to places of worship impacted by Detroit's drainage charge through grants and rainwater diversion projects.
To support climate change adaptation by creating gardens that reduce stormwater runoff into Detroit's sewer system.
To partner with the church’s summer youth program, fostering environmental education and hands-on experience in implementing the rain garden.
To raise awareness of environmental impacts through extended community dialogue.
To integrate environmental education into the core programs at St. Suzanne Church.
To install gardens that enhance the campus’s beauty and attract a diverse range of pollinators. (2,3)

Key Priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)

Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)

Social Justice and community

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)

Climate change adaptation

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Green space creation and/or management

Habitat and biodiversity restoration

Water management (SDG 6)

Stormwater and rainfall management and storage

Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)

Inclusive governance

Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)

Environmental education

Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?

Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater

What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?

Species-focused

Ecosystem-focused

What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?

Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)

Public engagement

Implementation activities and NBS focus

Implementation activities

To address the existing challenges of higher drainage fees, stormwater management and environmental awareness the project engaged in a variety of activities such as:

1. Establishing a Scared Grounds project at St. Suzanne with the support of Friends of the Rouge, National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, Detroit Future City and the Erb Family Foundation (2-3).
2. Installed four rain gardens on the St. Suzanne to divert 20 large building downspouts and an estimated 500,000 gallons of water annually from municipal combined sewer overflow systems (4).
3. Incorporated the summer youth program at the church to install the gardens (2).
4. Included more than 130 youth and adults in education and training programs to develop both educational pipelines into STEAM careers and employment/opportunities in these growing fields where our residents are underrepresented (4).
5. provided an innovative and environmentally friendly outdoor classroom developed by students (4).

Type of NBS project

Creation of new green areas

Creation of any other green urban spaces

Creation of semi-natural blue areas

Implementation of green areas for water management (e.g. rain gardens)

Knowledge creation and awareness raising

Educational and awareness raising programs

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Green areas for water management

Rain gardens

Amenities offered by the NBS

Unknown

Design elements for well-being

Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation)

Auditory elements (e.g., birdsong, water features, quiet areas, rustling leaves)

Olfactory elements (e.g., floral scents, earthy smells)

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Provisioning services

Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes)

Regulating services

Pollination

Habitat and supporting services

Habitats for species

Cultural services

Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)

Scale

Spatial scale

Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)

Beneficiaries

Demographics in implementation area

In the nearby area 41 percent of households are registered as female-run single households (6). The median household income is $33,229 (6). 37.6 percent of the population is below the poverty line (6).

Socio-economic profile of the area

Unknown

Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts

Yes

Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities

Communities near industrial areas

Non-government actors

Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches

Private sector/Corporate/Business

Citizens or community groups

Primary Beneficiaries

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Citizens or community groups

Young people and children

Marginalized groups

Specify primary beneficiaries

The intention of the project is to help support the church with the financial burden of the drainage charge while also creating awareness for environmental education and employment/opportunities for youth and underrepresented communities (2-5).

Marginalized groups

Children, young people or youth groups

Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups

The project included the summer youth program during implementation and has an innovative and environmentally friendly outdoor classroom developed by students (4). The underrepresented groups are included in education and training programs to develop both educational pipelines into STEAM careers nd employment/opportunities (4).

Specify measures taken for vulnerable or marginalized communities

Implementation of specific programs to address the needs of these communities

Other beneficiaries

Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators)

Native plant vegetation

City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality)

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Led by non-government actors

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

The St. Suzanne Campus provided the land for the rain garden installations and plays a key role in managing the related environmental and educational programs (3). The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) established the Sacred Grounds program and partnered with Friends of the Rouge and the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter to create these rain gardens, which help manage stormwater on large properties and provide financial support through green credits (2). Funding for the project came from the Erb Family Foundation (3).
Detroit Future City, a local think tank, led the Land + Water Works initiative, which supported the garden installations (3). Community involvement also played a vital role, with local youth participating through the church’s summer camp program to help implement the project (2).

Key actors - initiating organization

Non-government organisation/civil society

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

National government

Non-government organisation/civil society

Citizens or community group

Private sector/corporate actor/company

Private foundation/trust

Other

Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved

Church (1)

Stages of citizen and community engagement

On-the-ground implementation

Level of citizen and community engagement

Moderate

Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives

Implementation of educational programs, workshops or trainings

Formation of community-led groups responsible for the the implementation, maintenace or monitoring of the project

Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders)

Dissemination of information and education

Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Uncommon actors ("Missing actors")

Community & Social Groups

Churches and other religious organisations or faith communities

Land owners

Church

Policy drivers

NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan

Yes

Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"

The project is part of the Land + Water WORKS Coalition which was formed in 2017 to provide Detroit residents with the resources needed to become better stewards of our environment, as well as operate as a liaison that engages residents around green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) opportunities and stewardship (7).

Relevant strategy or plan

Water regulation strategy

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Voluntary (spontaneous)

Enablers & Barriers

Type of enablers

NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation

Governace and decison-making instruments

Legislative and regulatory instruments (e.g. laws, strategies, regulations or restrictions)

Educational and knowledge sharing instruments (e.g. science/ living labs, awareness raising campaigns, specific educational programs, green hubs)

Arrangements for governance cooperation

Unknown

Barriers

Unknown.

Financing

Total cost

Less than €10,000

Please specify total cost (EUR)

1368.92 (3)

What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?

1368.92 (3)

Source(s) of funding

Public national budget

Corporate investment

Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)

Private Foundation/Trust

Type of fund(s) used

Earmarked public budget

Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Yes

Who provided the non-financial contribution?

Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)

Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Type of non-financial contribution

Provision of land

Provision of labour

Co-finance for NBS

Yes

Co-governance arrangement

An NGO

Entrepreneurship opportunities

Business models

Risk reduction model

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)

5. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Water management and blue areas

Improved stormwater management

Achieved improved stormwater management

Green space and habitat

Increased green space area

Achieved increased green space area

Enhanced support of pollination

Expected enhanced support of pollination

Description of environmental benefits

1. Increased green space area: "This beautiful garden is one of three that St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center has installed on their inviting campus." (3)
2. Enhanced support of pollination: "The garden's provide beauty and attract a variety of pollinators." (3)
3. Improved stormwater management: "The parish campus holds four large rain gardens, diverting 20 large building downspouts and an estimated 500,000 gallons of water annually from municipal combined sewer overflow systems." (3)

Environmental impact indicators

Green space area created (in ha)

0.0202

Economic impacts

Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)

Expected increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)

Description of economic benefits

-Expected increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions): "We are including more than 130 youth and adults in education and training programs to develop both educational pipelines into STEAM careers and employment/opportunities in these growing fields where our residents are underrepresented." (4)

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Yes

Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts

Non-government organisation/civil society

Citizens or community group

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

unknown.

Use of GIS in mapping impacts

No evidence in public records

Cost-benefit analysis

Unknown

Transparency

Inclusion of diverse stakeholders in project governance processes (e.g. planning, implementation, monitoring, etc.)

Public disclosure of project funding sources and/or budgets

Justice

Community satisfaction

Positive: The majority of feedback and reports indicate high levels of satisfaction and appreciation for the NBS project within the community.

Description of locals satisfaction with the project

- "One of my favorite stories is one of the gardens that we installed at St. Suzanne where we had the partner with their summer youth program as part of the rain garden installation but by the end of it they were really impressed with themselves and what they had been able to contribute." (2)

Trade-offs & Negative impacts

Unknown

Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement

No initiatives or policies were implemented

High-quality & Transformative NBS

Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community)

Goal setting and impacts delivery

In the planning phase, the project aimed to address issues in all 3 key priority areas, but impacts were not delivered in all three key areas.

Reaching original project goals

Most of the project goals were achieved

Please specify the achievements of the project goals

Climate action/Biodiversity:
1. Increased green space area: "This beautiful garden is one of three that St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center has installed on their inviting campus." (3)
2. Enhanced support of pollination: "The garden's provide beauty and attract a variety of pollinators." (3)
3. Improved stormwater management: "The parish campus holds four large rain gardens, diverting 20 large building downspouts and an estimated 500,000 gallons of water annually from municipal combined sewer overflow systems." (3)
Social justice and community:
1. Increased support for education and scientific research: "St. Suzanne has an innovative and environmentally friendly outdoor classroom developed by students." (4)
2. Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples: 'We are including more than 130 youth and adults in education and training programs to develop both educational pipelines into STEAM careers and employment/opportunities in these growing fields where our residents are underrepresented." (4)

Long-term perspective

Yes

Cost-effective solutions

Unknown

Equitable impacts

A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project

Transformative capacity

Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them)

Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution)

Magnitude of change

Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation

Application of lessons learned