Volunteer with the Rain Gardens Team!
Volunteer with ActiveSGV and help transform lawns into beneficial rain gardens! Check out the upcoming calendar here.
Apply for a Rain Garden
NOTE: Selected participants should note that the renovation process will span several months and will include a preparation phase of several weeks for turf removal. This may involve visible changes to your yard during the sheet mulching process.
In 2025, ActiveSGV will begin installing rain gardens featuring California native plants in residential homes in the San Gabriel Valley.
What’s a Rain Garden?
A rain garden is designed to collect rainwater from roofs, driveways, patios, or walkways. Rocks, logs, and native plants can be incorporated to resemble a natural dry pond or stream.
What Are California Native Plants?
California native plants have grown in the region for thousands of years. They are adapted to the local climate, soil, and other native wildlife and are the foundation of healthy ecosystems.
Benefits of Rain Gardens
What is Sheet Mulching?
Sheet mulching is a simple, non-toxic way to turn a lawn into a water-saving garden. By layering cardboard and mulch, you block sunlight from reaching the grass. Over time, the lawn dies, and the layers break down, creating healthy, nutrient-rich soil ready for planting.
How to Sheet Mulch at Home
- Gather cardboard
Collect enough cardboard to cover the area in two layers. Remove all plastic tape. Tip: Bike shops, food banks, and appliance stores often have large pieces. - Prepare the lawn
Mow the grass and leave the clippings in place. Water thoroughly. - Dig edge trenches
Dig a trench about 6 inches wide and 3 inches deep along paths and driveway edges. This prevents grass from creeping under the cardboard and keeps mulch off the concrete. Leave the removed soil on the lawn. - Dig the rain garden (optional)
If installing a rain garden, dig it now. Use the excavated soil to create mounds that help hold water. - Lay the cardboard
Place cardboard over the lawn, rain garden, and soil mounds. Overlap edges by at least 6 inches to prevent light from passing through. - Add mulch
Spread 4 to 6 inches of wood chip mulch over the cardboard.
Tip: ChipDrop.com and local tree-trimming companies are good sources for free mulch.
- Water deeply
Soak the cardboard and mulch thoroughly to initiate decomposition. - Wait before planting
Leave the sheet mulch in place for at least 2 months. It’s ready when the grass is completely brown, and the cardboard is easy to dig through.
Important note: Sheet mulching does not work on Bermuda grass due to its vigorous rhizomes. Bermuda lawns must be fully removed before sheet mulching.
Check out this fantastic video from the Theodore Payne Foundation that dives deeper into the details of sheet mulching!
Rain Garden Participation Requirements
- Due to the termination of EPA funding, ActiveSGV is only currently able to provide this program to a select number of households in the cities of El Monte, South El Monte, and Baldwin Park.
- The property owner must commit to supporting plant/tree establishment via watering and general site care. If renting, permission must be obtained from the property owner.
- The property must have a front yard with sufficient space for a rain garden installation, ideally between 500 and 1,500 sq ft. Front yards as small as 250 sq ft and as large as 3000 sq ft will be considered.
- The property owner must grant permission for organization volunteers to support the implementation of rain gardens and help educate, inform, and train SGV residents on how to construct them.
- Property owners must permit ActiveSGV staff to photograph the implementation process. This will increase public awareness of this nature-based strategy for reducing pollution, mitigating extreme weather risks, conserving water, saving money, and supporting biodiversity.
- While there will be no cost for homeowners to participate, we anticipate there will be more interest in this program than available supply, and priority will be granted to the following:
- Households composed of older adults, low-income residents, and/or persons on fixed incomes
- Participants with one or more neighbors who also wish to participate and meet the guidelines ('neighbor' is loosely defined as within a three-block radius).
If you like to save water, support wildlife, experience seasonal change, and cultivate a sense of place, apply here to transform your landscape, lawn, or yard into a California Native Rain Garden.
For more information about the Rain Garden program, please contact us at raingardens@activesgv.org
The ActiveSGV Rain Garden program is made possible with support from the California Community Foundation, Southern California Edison, the Rose Foundation, and LA Waterkeeper.
