The Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium (CWSEC) has been awarded $4,500 from the Wal-Mart store on S.C. 22 to install a rain garden on the campus of Myrtle Beach Intermediate School on Friday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m.

The event will begin with a check presentation from Wal-Mart to Myrtle Beach Intermediate School Principal Cathy Slater. Fourth and fifth grade students will then plant native, coastal plants and spread mulch.

This marks the fifth installation of a rain garden or school project through the consortium. The rain garden is a type of stormwater best management practice designed to collect runoff water from impervious (hard) surfaces. The garden will be located in the school's courtyard to collect rain water from sidewalks and roof and serve as an outdoor classroom. All the projects are funded through Wal-Mart, with a large portion of the award going toward educational resources for the school, including a weather station, water quality monitoring equipment and other hands-on activities associated with teaching the importance of watersheds and human impacts on our local water bodies.

Horry County Stormwater has donated equipment, materials and staff time for the project. CWSEC partners will provide information on stormwater pollution and solutions to be incorporated into the school curriculums.

For more information, contact Karen Fuss, coordinator of the CWSEC and environmental educator with Coastal Carolina University's Burroughs & Chapin Center for Marine and Wetland Studies, at (843) 349-4058 or e-mail kfuss@coastal.edu.

CWSEC is a regional collaborative effort providing stormwater education and outreach programs to meet federal requirements and satisfy local environmental and economic needs. Coastal Carolina University's Center for Marine and Wetland Studies is one of the six education providers of CWSEC.