County Extension

Rainwater harvesting is the idea of capturing stormwater runoff, often from rooftops, and storing the water for later use. When we have heavy rains such as with Hurricane Irene, most of that water is diverted into stormwater drains or ditches and is carried away before it penetrates the ground. Rain barrels or more complex cisterns can be installed to capture runoff and provide water for plants during drier periods. Increasing development along with the drought has increased the demand on municipal water supplies.

Cheryle Jones Syracuse
Family and Consumer Science Staff N.C. Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center
I like quizzes. I think most people do. I’m not talking about the “pop quizzes” given by Jr. High teachers when you weren’t prepared, but self-evaluation quizzes that can be used to help you decide how you score on a specific topic.

The southern pine beetle is consistently the most serious pest in the South. It attacks all species of pine native to North Carolina and prefers trees that are damaged or under stress. Trees damaged by lightning, hail, wind, construction or harvesting equipment, heavy pruning or other stresses cause them to omit odors that attract beetles.

Plant selection and bed preparation enables rain gardens to tolerate periods when the soil is saturated as well as periods of dryness. A rain garden differs from other gardens in the amount of time it can remain flooded and still thrive.