Shaun Kennedy’s presentation – Plant species selection for amenity and resilience in stormwater biofilters and wetlands – is now available by clicking on the link.
As stormwater biofiltration systems are becoming a common feature of our streetscapes and open spaces, we need to ensure that these green infrastructure elements can provide multiple benefits to the community.
- Our understanding of plant species effective at removing nitrogen from stormwater runoff has evolved such that our biofiltration systems can be expected to deliver the required pollutant reduction performance.
- Is plant resilience during extended dry periods, biodiversity value and amenity factored into our species selection?
- The Adoption Guidelines for Stormwater Biofiltration Systems indicate that up to 50% of plants within a biofilter or raingarden may consist of species other then those effective at nitrogen removal – so called “companion plants”, opening the door to a wide variety of options to deliver improved aesthetics, habitat and microclimate benefits, enhancing community support for these systems.
Who should attend
Landscape architects and designers, open space/parks managers, engineers, asset managers and horticultural maintenance officers.
Outcomes of seminar:
Gain an understanding of plant species selection to deliver more resilient stormwater biofiltration systems with high amenity value throughout all seasons.
Presentation by:
Shaun Kennedy, Vegetation Services Office, SA Water, will provide ideas on:
- how to establish a resilient diverse plant mix for biofilters that can offer year round colour
- the introduction of herbaceous flowering ground cover species for weed management that can negate the need for mulch
- local species that are suited to the South Australian climate
- potential cost savings through the use of spreading plants.
An informal interactive workshop will follow to enable participants to share ideas on what has worked well in the South Australian context to maximise the success and community acceptance of the next generation of biofiltration projects.