May 22, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 9 Wyckoff Rain garden work survived a spring shower by John Koster A splash of rain on May 11 did not dampen the construction of an environmentally friendly rain garden at the Wyckoff Library. Julio Diaz, a Wyckoff Green Team work leader, explained that a rain garden absorbs most of the rain that falls on it. The garden consists of native plant species that are well adapted to local soil and the amount of rainfall in the area. “The idea of a rain garden is to use plantings for a garden where you take the rain out of the ground water and the drainage system,” said Diaz, a construction foreman in New York City. “The most important part of the concept to not to use foreign plants, but to use native plants.” That was part of Michael Hartmann’s mission. Hartmann, who works with Kindegan Landscaping in Wyckoff, turned out the afternoon before the work to make sure the selected plants were suited to the soil, and returned the next day to supervise the planting. The volunteer gardeners included Venturing Crew 1204, a detachment of volunteers chartered by Wyckoff-Midland Park Rotary Club and deployed for outdoor and adventure construction projects in Northwest Bergen County. Led by Chairman Harriet Shugarman of the Wyckoff Environmental Commission and Library Director Mary Witherrell, and not especially threatened by the rain, students from Ramapo High School started about 9 a.m. and finished little more than an hour later. “You guys are awesome,” Diaz said as the work ended. “It went very quickly. Spread the word. Every little bit helps.” Olivia Oramas, Kristen Foley, and Emily Shlapak join Environmental Commission Member Cathy Runge and Green Team Member Julio Diaz in planting the Wyckoff Library Rain Garden.