Reader Profile: Susan Bryan

Jan. 6, 2017

As the rain garden coordinator for the Washtenaw County Water Resources Office in Michigan, Susan Bryan calls the program a “nonpoint-source solution to nonpoint-source pollution.” Through the Washtenaw County Rain Garden Assistance Program—begun 10 years ago as the area became built out—residents are given technical assistance on creating rain gardens on their property. One-third of those who receive assistance go on to take Bryan’s Master Rain Gardner training, learning about design, risk assessment, plant selection, grading, and proper installation. That program has “graduated” 250 people, who in turn help others.

Some people perceive a rain garden as being a “garden that’s wet,” and it isn’t until Master Gardener training that they become aware of the impacts of stormwater runoff and have a nuanced understanding of design issues, says Bryan. The typical rain garden captures 60,000 gallons of water from an inch of rainfall. The citizen volunteer effort helps the area meet stormwater mitigation goals: While residents’ rain gardens are kept lush and green, stormwater isn’t traveling through municipal pipes, flooding is avoided, and water is cooled and cleaned of pollutants before entering water bodies such as the Huron River. The program is marketed online and at community events. Continued motivation is provided through barbecue gatherings and plant sales.

“Rain gardens are perceived as a hot new way of gardening,” says Bryan. “By offering a training class, we’re able to convince people to put rain gardens on their private property with their own time and labor using their own money. The rain gardens people design themselves are beautifully maintained over time, whereas with municipal rain gardens, it’s always a struggle.”

Bryan has also organized volunteers to help maintainAnn Arbor’s public rain gardens. “They’re starting to look rough; that’s not good marketing for green infrastructure,” she notes. “For a gardener, it takes some dedication and commitment, but it’s a skill set they have. Municipalities often try to maintain green infrastructure with a work force that lacks the skill.”

Residents with rain gardens have sweat equity into them, and “it bugs them to see rain going down the gutter or their neighbor’s driveway,” notes Bryan. “They try to come up with solutions.”

What She Does Day to Day
Bryan’s days are dictated by the season: In the spring, she’ll go out and do site visits for rain gardens. During the rest of the year, she teaches.

What Led Her to This Line of Work
Bryan always knew she wanted to spend most of her time outside. She grew up in Colorado, hiking in the mountains with her father, who taught her how and where to step to avoid causing erosion damage. She also learned about different plant communities, as Colorado is stratified by elevations. Bryan earned a B.A. in anthropology and Asian studies from Cornell University and an MLA in landscape architecture from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment.

Her interest in plants piqued upon her move to the Midwest, where she became interested in plant diversity and the interaction of plants with soil. Many occupational endeavors led to her present job: owning a residential landscape design company, serving as an assistant park planner and project manager for the city of Ann Arbor, serving as president of a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization, working as a landscape architect, and teaching landscape architecture graduate classes at the University of Michigan.

What She Likes Best About Her Work
Bryan says her job nicely dovetails into her love for plants and people. “I like working with people who are highly motivated to do good in the world, including my colleagues and the volunteers,” she says. “They’re also gardeners, which means they’re fantastic people. I’m constantly inspired by what they are willing to do in their free time.”

Her Biggest Challenge
“There’s a lot of public will to do the right thing when it comes to stormwater,” notes Bryan, adding that government works to keep up with that. Sustaining public desire for clean rivers and drinking water takes funding, she points out.

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality grants help, but the recent economic downturn has meant doing more with less. “That’s why we started working with volunteers,” she says. “As it turns out, it was a good strategy.”

About the Author

Carol Brzozowski

Carol Brzozowski specializes in topics related to resource management and technology.