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Sound Rivers Executive Director Heather Deck, Water Quality Specialist Taylor Register and Business Manager Lauren Rowe met up with Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant employees for a return trip to Northern and Southern Nash high schools last week.

The goal: to complete weeding, replanting and mulching of the schools’ rain gardens.

“We went to finish planting and mulching the rain garden at the bottom of the hill at Northern Nash, as well as part of the one at the top of the hill,” Lauren said. “We probably planted at least 200 plants.”

In September, Cummins and Sound Rivers embarked on the sprucing up of these stormwater infrastructure projects constructed through Sound Rivers’ Campus Stormwater Program. With brutal temperatures and more work than expected on that day, they returned to finish the job last Friday.

“It was a great day — the weather was beautiful, and nobody had heat exhaustion this time,” Lauren laughed.

Once Northern Nash was completed, Heather, Lauren and Taylor headed over to Southern Nash.

“We were there for about 2 1/2 hours, removing the old mulch and replacing it with the new, better mulch,” she said.

This Sound Rivers and Cummins partnership is in its third year, and came about through Cummins’ Water Works, a program developed to strengthen communities through sustainable water access, conservation and improved water quality, as well as provide opportunities for employees to participate in both caring for and enjoying their environment. Previously, Sound Rivers staff and Cummins employees have collaborated on six land and river cleanups on the Tar River and its tributaries, removing more than a ton of trash from waterways and banks.

In addition to Cummins employees, also pitching in at Northern Nash were Stephanie Collins, the City of Rocky Mount’s Keep America Beautiful coordinator, and a student from the environmental class.

“We met the environmental class teacher, and it seems like we’re going to have some great help with the Northern Nash rain gardens moving forward,” Lauren said. “They’ve agreed to help with maintenance, watering and weeding.”

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