The Nashwaak Watershed

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Turning Soggy Lawns Into An Oasis, Daily Gleaner (April 5, 2021)

April 8, 2021

John Chillibeck, Daily Gleaner

At this time of year, the small trench dug into a hillside doesn’t look like much, just a line with some withered plants breaking up the monotony of the lawn. But look closer, and you’ll notice the yellow grass just downhill from the channel isn’t soggy and pooling water like the dip in the lawn just a stone’s throw away. Walk over there, and your shoes are sure to get a muddy soaker.

The small project, about the length of a canoe, is an example of a rain garden, populated with native, perennial plants. The Nashwaak Watershed Association created it a couple of summers ago behind its offices at the Ville in Marysville, the old Alexander Gibson Memorial School, with the help of about 20 volunteers in about three hours. This week the organization launched an appeal to local businesses and organizations that want to build something similar that could act as a demonstration site and provide homeowners the opportunity to learn how to do such a garden themselves.

“A rain garden that contains native vegetation and grasses will capture runoff, be it from your roof or the surface of your lawn, and channel it to an area where it can accumulate and be sucked down by these plants into the water table, as opposed to it just flowing off into a drain somewhere,” says Natalie Deseta, the group’s restoration and outreach co-ordinator. “By filtering that water that would normally sog out or flood your property, you’re taking out a lot of things we don’t want in our water table.”

Those nasty things include road salt, dirt, oil, even feces that might pollute areas and be harmful to humans and animals alike. The plants also serve a dual purpose. “A modern lawn garden isn’t very friendly toward songbirds and insects,” Deseta says. “They are kind of deserts, in that they have so little biodiversity relative to native organisms. They starve the environment of food. So by planting one of these gardens, it’s a food resource and shelter for these organisms.”

The Ville’s rain garden contains only native plants, such as bladder sedge, red currant, Jack-in-the-pulpit, ostrich fern and Joe-pye weed, all purchased from Dave Smith who runs his Save a Native Plant business right out of his backyard in Fredericton. The association enlisted a permaculture designer who used a surveying tool to show them where to put the trench.

The garden now forms a barrage between runoff from a parking lot up above, preventing the tainted water from flowing to a storm drain in another parking lot below. Marieka Chaplin, the organization’s executive director, encourages people who are interested in rain gardens to check out the association’s brochure or look online for ideas. In some cases, water has to be channeled to the best spot, ideally on a hillside. Once the plants or rocks are put in, they do the rest of the work.

The cost of a rain garden depends on the size and scale, Deseta says. “If you really want to have a beautiful rockery and make it ornamental, you can spring big bucks for it. But it can also be something relatively cheap. Native species aren’t particularly expensive, and they’re not rare.” Beyond being good for the environment, she says such gardens are great for peace of mind. Even the tiny garden at the Ville is a riot of colour midsummer, with buzzing insects and chirping songbirds.

The more we naturalize our lawns, the more connected our habitats are for insects and our songbird friends. If everyone has even just a small patch in their lawn that’s friendly to native organisms, we’re helping the overall habitat.”


Filed Under: News & Events Tagged With: News

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Today on Endangered Species Day we celebrate and commit to protecting biodiversity. Please consider volunteering with us or one of wonderful NB organizations working to protect species at risk in our province. #endangeredspeciesday #protectbiodiversity #volunteer https://t.co/e68zkeGxNE

- 2 days ago

We took part in a Wilderness First Aid Course this week. Blair Doyle ran us through realistic wilderness scenarios that taught us to keep a cool head and figure it out how to care for injured people in the great outdoors. Special thanks to @MCFTfredericton for hosting us! https://t.co/qUOHs7LYDO

- 8 days ago

World Migratory Bird Day was yesterday, 2022's theme is light pollution. Migratory birds travel throughout the day and night. Consider having your outdoor lighting on a timer and or motion sensor to reduce impact in the evening hours. #migratorybirdday2022 #lightpollution https://t.co/LVB2OR3q3o

- 9 days ago

Bio-diversify your yard like landscape photographer Jason Nugent of Devon, NB! Take the NWAI "Natural Yard Pledge" and commit to 3 of our 10 pledge actions to encourage native flora and fauna on your property and in your neighborhood. #MyNashwaak #NaturalYardPledge #nativespecies https://t.co/F7z5my7hnQ

- 17 days ago

Everyday is a great day for citizen science and yesterday was no exception when Bridgette L'Heureux her daughter partnered with NWAI to install @DucksUnlimited duck boxes on Marysville flats. https://t.co/tycwIAQijn #MyNashwaak #duckboxes #citizenscience #familyvolunteering https://t.co/xI14888UT3

- 17 days ago

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

2 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Today folks all over the planet are coming together on Endangered Species Day to celebrate biodiversity and further action plans to protect and support endangered species. In New Brunswick we have a growing list of species at risk who warrant our attention. These species are at risk by various combinations of habitat/resource loss and negative human interactions. This list includes but is not limited to Piping plover, Peregrine falcon, Bald Eagle, Harlequin duck, Painted turtle, Eastern leatherback turtle, Maritime ringlet butterfly, Monarch butterfly, American eel, Atlantic salmon and Canada Lynx. Efforts to protect the wild places these charismatic creatures call home is increasingly urgent with the changing climate. We can make an impact by sharing our energy and passion with our communities. Please consider volunteering with us or one of the many wonderful New Brunswick organizations working to protect the threatened habitats these creatures rely on. Nature NB Conservation Council of New Brunswick Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society New Brunswick - CPAWS NB The Nature Trust of New Brunswick Community Forests International #EndangeredSpeciesDay #protectbiodiversity #keepnaturewild #volunteer #MyNashwaak #eauNBwater ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

1 week ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Ian, Mariah, Lauren and Marieka took part in a Wilderness First Aid Course in Fredericton this week. Blair Doyle ran us through realistic wilderness scenarios that taught us to keep a cool head and figure out how to care for injured people in the great outdoors. Special thanks to Maritime College of Forest Technology for hosting us! #wildernessfirstaid #eauNBwater ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

1 week ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
We have been busy this week at the NWAI with training and field work and so we are a day late in celebrating World Migratory Bird Day. All the same, the ways we can help with 2022's theme of light pollution are just as relevant today! Many migratory birds travel continuously throughout the day and night and the decisions we make about lighting our homes and properties matter. Consider having your outdoor lighting on a timer and or motion sensor to reduce the impact of unnatural light in the evening hours. These efforts are important as navigation by way of the stars is key to migrating birds. Tell your neighbors, share with friends, our community efforts have an impact. To learn more visit www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/#migratorybirdday2022 #lightpollution #migration ... See MoreSee Less

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Mail:
Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
P.O. Box 314, Station “A”
Fredericton, NB
E3B 4Y2

Office:
181 Westmorland Street
Fredericton, NB
E3B 3L6
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Phone: 506 261-4664
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