POTSDAM -- "Rainwater Harvesting for the Yard & Garden: Hands On!" is the latest workshop being offered by the Local Living Venture, this time in partnership with the Engineers for International Sustainability (EIS) club at Clarkson University.

This hands-on workshop will provide an overview of rainwater harvesting and its uses, introducing concepts and techniques for passively harvesting rain water for use on the landscape.

The workshop is set for Wednesday, May 2 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Attendees will leave having constructed their own first-flush bypass valve (up to a $100 value) and with their calculations done to construct their own home system, all generously underwritten by the EIS club.

This hands-on event will also feature building a working model together on a shed roof, for first hand experience and the questions that inevitably come up.

Attendees will need to take some landscape measurements to bring with them in order to have help in calculating barrel size and other specifications for their systems.

Additionally, the EIS club will also underwrite at least $50 in material costs to the first ten people to purchase the rest of the materials needed to build their own system at home - based on what they've learned and the calculations that will determine watering needs.

Several Clarkson students, who comprise the EIS club at Clarkson University, will present the workshop and lead the hands-on portions of the event. The EIS is a club focused on promoting sustainability on both the global and local scale.

The EIS is concerned with the technical aspects of design projects as well as accompanying social responsibilities, so the students are always excited to use their technical skills in real-life situations, helping North Country gardeners!

The cost is $20 per person, which includes the free bypass valve. The Clarkson EIS club has offered to reimburse $50 of the expense of purchasing materials for a home system, for the first 10 attendees to take advantage of the offer.

Email to LocalLivingVenture@gmail.com and include your phone number(s) and the number in your party for all pertinent information. Email is preferred but messages at 315-347-4223 or texts to 315-261-1926 will be responded to within 24 hours.