Briefly Tuesday

Jim Rex, state superintendent of education, will speak next week at the Hilton Head Island Rotary Club's Teacher Appreciation Day

The meeting will be at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Sea Pines Country Club

The club will honor teachers from Hilton Head public and private schools, and Rex will speak on the topic: "What's going on in education in South Carolina."

For information on attending the luncheon and program, call the Rotary office at 843-686-4100.

Leadership group to build rain gardens

The Leadership Hilton Head-Bluffton Class of 2010 is building rain gardens on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton as part of its class project, "Rain Gardens: A Beautiful Solution to Water Pollution."

Rain gardens are landscaped depressions, channels or stormwater runoff containment areas that filter pollutants from stormwater. The class has planned several events:

• March 5 to 7, rain garden informational workshops at the Hilton Head Area Home Builders Association's 25th Annual Home & Garden Show at The Mall at Shelter Cove on Hilton Head.

• March 13, rain garden construction demonstration at the Calhoun Street Promenade in Bluffton.

• March 20, rain garden construction demonstration conducted by Clemson Extension agent David Joyner at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn on Hilton Head.

• Week of April 17, rain garden construction demonstrations at Red Cedar Elementary School in Bluffton and Sea Pines Montessori Academy on Hilton Head.

The class wants to partner with residents and local businesses and organizations to foster the proliferation of rain gardens in the community. If you or your group isinterested in creating a rain garden or sponsoring a rain garden event, call Pete Nardi at 843-681-0525, e-mail leadershipclass2010@yahoo.com or go to the rain gardens project blog at www.lowcountryraingardens.blogspot.com.