A neighborhood initiative called “The North Camden Stormwater Project” is bringing decorative planter boxes to the front of residents’ homes with a grant from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection 319(h) program, in partnership with the Camden County Soil Conservation District, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program, and CLHI. The boxes, made by hand in North Camden, are modeled after those created by the Philadelphia Water Department to absorb storm-water and reduce flooding in Philly. North Camden’s pilot project is gauging the community’s interest in green infrastructure as well as the boxes’ effectiveness managing rainwater during storms.
In the summer and fall of 2018, CLHI installed 27 downspout planter boxes throughout North Camden. Check them out along the 400 block of State Street, the 800 block of Elm Street, the 900 block of Cedar Street, and the 600 block of N. 8th Street – just to name a few! All of the boxes were built by North Camden resident Raymond Figueroa (pictured below) and installed with help from local residents Jose Colon, Anilmarie Guzman-Ortiz, Amado Maldonado, and Raul Santiago employed through CLHI.
To learn more about green infrastructure in Camden, please visit camdensmart.com to explore projects and programs offered by the City of Camden, the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, NJDEP, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, the NJ Tree Foundation, and more!
Thank you to the Camden County Soil Conservation Foundation, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and the NJDEP for making this project possible.
