Motivations and Incentives for Installation of Rain Gardens: An Ethnographic Assessment in the Perrinville Creek Watershed

31 Pages Posted: 30 Jan 2021

See all articles by Thomas W Murphy

Thomas W Murphy

Edmonds College

Linda C. Hall

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Sahayra Barojas

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Grace Coale

Edmonds Community College - Learn and Serve Environmental Anthropology Field (LEAF) School

Laura Goff

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Kate Riley

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: 2016

Abstract

Community-based participation is a vital component of municipal efforts to address water quality, reduce pollution, and enhance habitat in the Salish Sea basin. At the request of Nature Conservancy and Snohomish Conservation District, a team of researchers from Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Washington have conducted a rapid ethnographic study of residents of the Perrinville watershed with the goal of helping the Cities of Edmonds and Lynnwood with their efforts to better manage stormwater and improve the ecology of these urban communities north of Seattle. The results of an ethnographic analysis that included participant observation, informal interviews, and a door-to-door and online survey reveal a community eager to contribute to the efforts of their municipalities to address urgent environmental and stormwater management issues in the Perrinville basin. While most residents currently have lawns of grass, nine out of ten of them prefer the aesthetics and environmental benefits of diverse plants and flowers and are willing to contribute financially and via their own time and effort to the installation of rain gardens in public right of ways and their own yards. The residents do have some concerns about maintenance and would like a voice in placement, size, and selection of appropriate plants for rain gardens on their property. Most would need some financial incentives and technical assistance to be able to retrofit their properties or care for rain gardens in public right of ways but are willing to put some of their own money and labor into the effort. The community is clearly ready and willing to contribute to the efforts of their municipal governments to improve water quality, reduce flooding and pollution, and enhance environmental sustainability.

Keywords: Community-Based, Ethnography, Rain Gardens, Social Marketing, Conservation, Stormwater, Salish Sea

JEL Classification: D03, E03, H31, H76

Suggested Citation

Murphy, Thomas and Hall, Linda C. and Barojas, Sahayra and Coale, Grace and Goff, Laura and Riley, Kate, Motivations and Incentives for Installation of Rain Gardens: An Ethnographic Assessment in the Perrinville Creek Watershed (2016). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3733998 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3733998

Thomas Murphy (Contact Author)

Edmonds College ( email )

20000 68th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA 98036
United States
425-640-1076 (Phone)
425-771-3366 (Fax)

Linda C. Hall

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Sahayra Barojas

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Grace Coale

Edmonds Community College - Learn and Serve Environmental Anthropology Field (LEAF) School ( email )

20000 68th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA 98036
United States

Laura Goff

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Kate Riley

affiliation not provided to SSRN

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