Volunteers finish work on Luna Lake in Ypsilanti

Luna Lake fills a bit more of Ypsilanti’s Prospects Park now that volunteers have finished improving the emerging rain garden.These volunteers began removing and replanting the stagnant swampy area in the park near Adams Elementary School. It had become such a miserable bog that local residents called it Luna Lake.This summer they battled with heavier than expected rain fall that killed some of the original native plantings, which they replaced with shrubs like swamp rose and about 30 yards of mulch. They focused much of the work around local festivals and plan to also recruit students from the nearby school to help with plantings.”We’re trying to build more activities around the lake,” says Rachel Blistein, Ypsilanti resident and organizer of the Luna Lake project.A rain garden uses perennial plants, shrubs, and trees to soak up the rainwater that pools there. It also filters water and helps reduce storm runoff problems. For information on the project, contact Blistein at rachel@veris-design.com or (734) 485-3990.Source: Rachel Blistein, Ypsilanti resident and organizer of the Luna Lake projectWriter: Jon Zemke