Install a Rain Barrel and Plant Native at Home this Spring
This spring, the City of Hopewell Stormwater Department and the James River Association are offering a FREE rain barrel workshop to residents of Hopewell. This workshop is intended to educate residents about stormwater management and empower them to implement river-friendly conservation practices at home.
Rain Barrel Workshop at Hopewell Community Center
Date & Time: Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Location: Hopewell Community Center, 100 W City Point Rd, Hopewell, Virginia
Fee: Free to Hopewell residents
Join the James River Association for a rain barrel workshop at the Hopewell Community Center on Thursday, May 14, at 6:00 pm. Staff members will instruct workshop participants on how to assemble and install rain barrels at home. The registration fee for the workshop is free to Hopewell residents and each registration comes with a 55-gallon drum and DIY rain barrel installation kit. Click here for more information.
Did you know that conserving water by using a rain barrel and planting regionally native plants at home could qualify you for the James River Association’s River Hero Homes program!
River Hero Homes is a community of stewards that realize the first step to a cleaner James River starts at home. Residents of the James River’s 10,000 square-mile watershed take a pledge and commit to adopting a minimum of three of the five following river-friendly conservation actions that reduce stormwater runoff.
- Properly dispose of waste. Pick up trash in your community and properly dispose of waste, including pet waste, to reduce pollution.
- Use native plants. Use regionally native plants and remove invasive plants in gardens and landscapes, including riparian buffers and living shorelines.
- Reduce herbicide and pesticide use. Reduce or eliminate herbicide and pesticide use to promote a healthy ecosystem.
- Reduce fertilizer use. Reduce or eliminate the use of lawn fertilizers to reduce nutrient pollution entering our waterways and encourage healthy soil by using compost.
- Conserve water. Reduce household water use and consider installing a rain barrel to harvest rainwater for watering.
River Hero Homes would not be possible without generous support from Altria and DuPont Clear into the Future. Their support allows the James River Association to promote conservation and stewardship practices that support a healthy James River.