>> When it comes to eco-friendly landscaping in new
developments, Winnipeg is at the forefront.
Constructed wetlands provide small-animal habitats,
stormwater retention and a natural way to filter water and
reduce greenhouse gases.
native Plant Solutions (nPS), created as a consulting arm
of Ducks unlimited Canada in 2001, designs and con-
structs these wetlands from start to finish.
"Although Winnipeg is on a flood plain, we have lost wet-
lands in Manitoba, so this is a way to put some of that habi-
tat back on the ground," says nPS senior wetlands special-
ist Lisette Ross.
"If we're going to
build a pond in Win-
nipeg, why don't we
build a wetland?"
Constructed wet-
lands mimic natural
processes. native species are carefully selected to ensure
long-term survival and compatibility with the environ-
ment. They sequester greenhouse gases and purify water
from melting snow and rain before it makes its way into
the watershed, and into threatened waterways such as
Lake Winnipeg.
"The wetland plants are really hungry for things like phos-
phorus and nitrogen which they need to grow, and they
store them for a very long period of time in the plants and
the soils," Ross says.
In addition to water quality, wetlands are highly diverse
habitats, which provide recreational opportunities like
birdwatching. And because they are native, they require
less management with no mowing.
Cont'd on page 102
'If we're going to build
a pond in nnipeg, why
don't we build a wetland?'
Parade of Homes Spring 2016 101
