BE NEIGHBORLY - - AND PROTECT WATER

After procrastinating about it for a few months, my husband and I have signed up as adoptive parents of Vicky Woods - - and two of her sisters!

Vicky I, and her sisters Vicky 2 and Vicky 3 are storm drains on the street which runs along the senior cooperative in which we live. And, yes, we got to name them ourselves when we adopted them.

The process could not have been easier and our only obligation is to keep them clean, removing leaves, trash and other debris off the drain surface year round. We can track our impact by recording the amount of debris collected in our account and even be reminded that it’s time to check the drain again. It’s a small and simple task but one which helps keep our neighborhood looking good while helping prevent local flooding AND protect our shared waterways. Adopt-a-drain.org is the place to begin. You will note that this project is not only in Minnesota, but is a national clean water program. Here in Minnesota, it is a project of Hamline University (bless them.) For those of us in the metro, it is easy to pinpoint a neighborhood and street to see which drains had already been adopted and which are still waiting. The project can be customized to your city so explore the website and find out how you could help.

It was rewarding to have someone come by on their bike and thank us when we did our first cleanout. How fun to be able to tell her about the project and why we, who live at the intersection of Victoria and Woodhill, had chosen the names Vicky Woods 1, Vicky Woods 2, and Vicky Woods 3 for the drains on our corner.

We’re off to clean our “Vickys” this week as the leaves accumulate, keeping the leaves out of the drains and the local waterways with a smile.