MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Meridian Township volunteers have transformed a traffic circle into a Hidden River Rain Garden.

With the help of horticulturists and landscapers this natural landscape is now complete. Featuring recycled materials, water conserving and purifying features as well as Michigan native plants and wildflowers.

Volunteers from the Mid Michigan Environmental Action Council (Mid-MEAC) and Meridian Township came together to create this garden at the once grass filled roundabout of the intersection of Burcham Drive and Park Lake road.

"I am thrilled that so many came together to envision and help this project along," Recycling & Energy Coordinator LeRoy Harvey said. "It’s a living example of community collaboration. I encourage people to think about a creative project in their own neighborhood or other public or private spaces."

This improvement soaks in and filters rainwater that would have been washed onto the street and into storm sewers. The concrete used on pave roads causes water to overflow during rainstorms and not naturally perforate through the earth.

The project began in 2014 by concerned residents contacting Meridian Township and suggesting something more appealing be located by the roadway.

The Meridian Community Development and Planning Department sketched a design however there was not funding at the time. This issue was soon resolved when the community came together and created a gofundme site (https://www.gofundme.com/eco-roundabout).

Raising nearly $2,500 for this development.