We’re going let you in on a little secret: Fall and winter Rain Check workshops bring spring Rain Check projects!

While many think of spring and summer as the logical time to do the green improvements we encourage with our Rain Check program—things like replacing a broken concrete pad with new permeable pavers or putting a flower-filled downspout planter by the stoop—there are some big advantages for those who sign up during the colder months.

That's why we are spicing up our cold-season workshops with a little swag giveaway and calling on our Rain Check family to help spread the word:

Monthly PWD Swag bag Raffle:

Each month between November and February, we’ll be giving a randomly selected participant a sturdy PWD tote bag full of great PWD swag. All you have to do is attend one of our monthly workshops and your name will be in the raffle.

Refer a Friend for Flower Show Tickets:

Already participated in Rain Check? Get someone who cares about Philly waterways as much as you do to come to a fall/winter Rain Check workshop (November through February) and you’ll have a chance to win two tickets to the 2019 Philadelphia Flower Show!

Flower Show tickets are normally $35, but you and a guest could get in for free: just spread the word about Rain Check and tell people to check the “Referred by a friend” box when they register for their workshop here. You’ll be in the raffle for free tickets after your friend attends a workshop.

Head over to our website to learn more about Rain Check and pick a workshop that will get you started on a green project that will add to your home, save you money, and protect our rivers and streams from stormwater runoff and sewer overflows.

Pick a workshop now!

Why now = the smart time for Rain Check

Understandably, more people start thinking about building that rain garden they’ve been dreaming of once spring fever kicks in. Likewise, a rain barrel is much more likely to come to mind as your flowers struggle through the July heat than it is while you’re snuggled up on the couch for a Netflix binge in January.

That means the Rain Check contractors we work with through the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Sustainable Business Network are usually busier in the spring and summer, and less so once the weather turns cool.

So, if you’ve been thinking about getting rid of some ugly asphalt that seems to become a searing stovetop each summer and replacing it with something green, play it smart: get started now and beat that spring rush!

Some projects, like free rain barrel installations and discounted permeable pavement renovations, can be finished over the winter.

More involved projects, like rain gardens, often require warmer weather for some aspects, but taking a workshop now will let you get the paperwork and some other preliminary stuff out of the way so that your project will be first in line come spring.

To encourage projects that manage stormwater management at home and take pressure off our sewer system, we chip in funds—up to $2,000 per property—and will connect you with experienced local contractors. Even if you rent, you can get a free rain barrel or a beautiful steel downspout planter for just $100 (or $250 for wood planters) through Rain Check—it’s as easy as taking a workshop and getting your landlord to give the OK.

What are you waiting for?

Head over to our website to learn more about Rain Check and pick a workshop that will get you started on a green project that will add to your home, save you money, and protect our rivers and streams from stormwater runoff and sewer overflows.

Get started now!