It was Australian biologist Bill Mollison who advised, “If you only do one thing, collect rainwater.”

Experts at Lower Shore Land Trust would say that’s excellent advice, as would the pastor, and members, of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Salisbury. In conjunction with One Water Partnership – Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, they are hosting a rain barrel workshop at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 26, at the church, at 2812 Old Ocean City Road.

One Water Partnership is a network of faith communities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that care for the local waterways.

The workshop will teach participants how to use rain barrels to collect storm water runoff and the best ways to use the water to nourish gardens, indoor plants and lawns. Participants can attend in person, at the church, or by Zoom. Register at lower-shore-land-trust.dm.networkforgood.com.

Collecting the water in a barrel prevents it from flowing off rooftops, rushing down rainspouts and pouring water containing harmful chemicals and bacteria into local waterways.

The Rev. John Wright, pastor of UUFS,  said he and church members have been “committed to the idea of environmental justice for a long time,” have been involved with like-minded environmental groups and interested in environmental matters.

“We got hooked up with the Interfaith Partnership, which is a larger group, then they had this rain barrel workshop and we were like, ‘Yes, let’s do this,’” he said.

The workshop is open to the public.

“We decided if you’re going to stand up for social justice issues you need to stand up and be noticed. You need to stand up and say what you need, what you want, what you believe is true. I know this isn’t ‘save the world,’ but it’s something. Because  we just started meeting again in person, back into the building in February, this  is like our in-gathering, as well, a chance to get people together, which ultimately is what this is  about for us,” Wright said.

Suzanne Ketcham, Stewardship and Restoration Manager at Lower Shore Trust, who will also be at the workshop, said it is “a good introductory way for people to learn about things they can do on their own property to help with stormwater management, so even though a rain barrel is a small practice, it is the gateway into learning what they can do.”

“They come together and feel like they are making a difference. We like to promote these to congregations. It’s a good way for congregations to start getting involved. Anyone who’s interested can also recycle old bins and turn them into rain barrels. That can be a cheaper way to do it, if you use something you already have. I have seen people make them out of old plastic dumpsters,” she said.

The rain water is perfect for lawns and plants, but shouldn’t be used to feed edible gardens because the runoff can contain contaminants. The collected water can be allowed to slowly run into grass, slowing down how fast it flows and preventing runoff.

Ketcham recommended starting small, maybe with one barrel, then adding others to  downspouts.

Barrels are available in various types and sizes at retailers including Ace Hardware, or online. Ace Hardware advertises them from around $55 to $130.

“A lot of people are signing up for this workshop. This is really exciting for us because we have Lake UUFS when it rains,” Wright said with a laugh.

“Our front yard becomes like this pond and it doesn’t drain for days. So we have a bit of a rain garden out there and there are plants that don’t mind getting their feet wet and can withstand soggy conditions. But that  doesn’t fix the problem. So we’re going to be putting these barrels in to catch the rain,” he said.

The church will plan more, similar workshops, he added.

“There is no question about that. We are kind of putting our toe in the water kind of a thing with this one, but success breeds success so if this comes off as well as we expect it, that will encourage people to want to do more,” Wright said.

“And that is really part of what we want to do here at UUFS.”