A composite Picture of native wetland plants found on the SWAMP site in Duke Forest. Picture compiled by Dr. Mengchi Ho in the Duke Wetland Center.
Students returning to campus this fall cannot help but notice ground has been broken to build a reclamation pond on campus! This sustainability project is being built primarily to capture campus rainwater and runoff in a natural basin. A recent article written in Duke Today mentions this feature could reduce demand on the City of Durham’s potable water supply by up to 100 million gallons per year. The water is used to cool buildings on Duke campus, so this savings will be exceptionally valuable in drought years. Recognizing a great opportunity for additional education and recreation activities, the project is consulting with the Duke University Wetland Center (DUWC) to select functional native vegetation for the area. We had the opportunity speak with Curtis J. Richardson, DUWC Director, to learn more about the native plants that will be used, why they were selected, and how they will benefit the landscape. Dr. Richardson states:
“The Duke University Wetland Center is trying to create a natural wetland and aquatic lake plant community that transitions into an upland piedmont plant community. The 30-40 native plant species that will be used will be chosen from this list. When choosing the species DUWC staff will advise to keep in mind drawing and storing water from the pond levels. The pond water levels will undergo 3-4 feet of water depth changes; therefore, when choosing the species they need to select carefully and keep in mind the ones that can handle the range of water levels. Water Lily can be planted in shallow water as the pond is filling and it will grow several feet to keep up with changing water levels, Cypress trees can be planted along the shore in shallow water and can tolerate water movement up and down. The Duke University Wetland Center is working with Duke Facilities Engineers and their consultants to help build the native community they are seeking to create. There will be plenty of benefits to the landscape! It will draw a lot of wildlife, a few off the list will be butterflies, dragonflies, and birds. Also, it will be used for teaching purposes for on-campus courses, specifically biology and environmental courses.”
Lastly, the banner image located at the top of the screen is to help visualize the new landscaping better. This image shows what the plantings might look like with native plants growing on our existing SWAMP pond near the Duke Golf course on the walking trail. Some of the species were planted and some came in on their own, a condition expected to happen on the Chiller Pond. Picture taken by Dr. Curtis J. Richardson in the Duke Wetland Center in the Nicholas School of the Environment.
Written by Lisa Strebler, DEL staff