Locals may have noticed a 646-square-foot patch of greenery bobbing in the middle of Trout Lake and wondered why it was there.
Last year, the Board of Parks and Recreation launched Vancouver's first floating ecosystem in an effort to improve biodiversity in John Hendry Park. The "floating wetland" is made from a series of interlocking platforms planted with sedges (plants), rushes, and other native species to support life above and below the water.
The island's submerged roots help purify the water by creating a habitat for microorganisms that consume algae, carbon, and excess nutrients.
As the system grows, the water quality improves and the forest of roots provides shelter for fish while the lush greenery above the surface is a nesting area for birds and other wildlife.
“The impacts of climate change – unseasonably cold temperatures, extreme heat, extended drought - are a continued threat to Vancouver’s environment and wildlife," said Chad Townsend, Senior Planner of Environment and Sustainability at the Park Board in a press release when the pilot project was first announced. "We must do everything we can to seek new, sustainable ways to support our greenspaces through this climate emergency.”
He explained the floating wetland was an experiment in testing innovative new solutions to support local flora and fauna and improve the natural habitats in which they live.
“Natural wetland water systems have been increasing biodiversity and water quality and providing habitats for plants and animals for millennia," says Galen Fulford, Managing Director of ecological technology company Biomatrix Water which built the platform.
On the anniversary of the project's launch (June 14), the Park Board reported that the wetland was bursting with life. The sweet gale and rushes that were planted are thriving and birds have been using it.
Vancouverites have been suggesting names for the little island on Twitter such as Bob and "#ShrubChillingFloat."
