Millbrook High Students Bring Sustainability to Their Teachers

This September, we were thrilled to once again team up with our longtime partners—teachers and students from Millbrook High School—for another training through our program Growing More Than Rain Gardens. New and veteran students to our program came together to design and install a rain garden and cistern system right on the property of two Millbrook teachers, Nick and Sara Scanlon.

The Scanlons wanted to manage stormwater runoff from their home while also creating a living, learning space for students to see sustainable practices in action. Their vision became a reality thanks to the hard work of two student teams.

One group tackled the rain garden, carefully spreading mulch, and spacing and planting native vegetation to slow and absorb stormwater. Meanwhile, the second group got to work on the cistern system on the other side of the house. They re-routed the downspout to collect rainwater from the roof, positioned the cistern, installed a pump, built an overflow pipe, and added a passive drawdown system to gradually release excess water.

This project was not only a lesson in sustainable infrastructure but also in teamwork, problem-solving, and community impact. We’re proud of the students’ dedication and thankful for our continued partnership with Millbrook High School.

Nick and Sara Scanlon

Millbrook High Students