>> 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 Winnipeg, why don’t we build a wetland?’
“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
Parade of Homes Spring 2016 101
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