After researching ways to make a lasting environmental impact as an individual, Olivia discovered the “Rain Garden,” a system of native plants created on a slope or depression collecting and absorbing excess rainwater. The plants grow to prevent flooding, an aesthetic and low-maintenance way to increase sustainability in the backyard, front yard, or garden space.

From there, Olivia came up with her Take Action Project: Teaching her community how to make their own rain gardens in personal or community spaces. With these efforts, Olivia hopes to decrease problems with Ohio’s high-risk for severe storms and severe weather-related events. The increase in native plants can help decrease the impact of runoff and absorb excess precipitation. 

Olivia began her project researching climate change in Ohio and talking to experts. By connecting with Michael Behrens, meteorologist at 10TV, she discovered the impact of extreme precipitation on Ohio agriculture and infrastructure and the relief rain gardens can provide by subsiding these effects.

She later heard from Shannon Barnette, Horticultural Manager at the Dawes Arboretum, and Peter Lowe, Garden Manager at Dawes Arboretum, who later reviewed Olivia’s Rain Garden Guide for accuracy and efficacy. 

Olivia’s guide was made specific to her community, including plants easy to grow in Ohio and with approachable instructions for easy planting. By distributing the printed guide in multiple community locations, Olivia also hopes to increase daily visitors and customers for her partners including the library and local gardening stores. 

“My guide focuses on making the process as simple and easy to understand as possible in order to allow for a maximum number of people to feel comfortable participating,” says Olivia. “It includes plant species specific to central Ohio that homeowners can use, making it more personally impactful than something found on the internet.”

Olivia’s Rain Garden Guide was made to be as accessible as possible, and is distributed both as a physical copy and in a digital edition. The guide was distributed by 5 local locations, Wilson’s Garden Center’s spring open house, Granville Public Library, Bryn Du Mansion’s Spring Daffodil Show, Timbuk Farms and Garden Center, and Granville’s Village Office. Through her efforts, over 400 printed guides have been distributed since March 2026. 

“Those who I showed the rain garden guide to personally seemed excited by the idea and how simple it made the process of making a rain garden sound.”

Along with using her Take Action Project to learn and share more about climate change, Olivia learned about the role of community outreach and involvement this year, as well. 

“I don’t think that I was totally aware before starting this project of the number of opportunities for collaboration and change in my community,” says Olivia. “Despite having a somewhat specific focus for my project, I still had numerous options as to businesses to work with and professionals willing to help me. I wasn’t really expecting to have so many different paths available to me in that way.” 

Olivia is currently in contact with other organizations and hopes to distribute her work to an even larger audience. Currently, her Rain Garden Guide can be found at the Granville Public Library or digitally here: Rain Garden Guide.