The Nature Trust of British Columbia
Mini Rain Gardens (2010)
1000 Roosevelt Crescent, North Vancouver
A drab entrance to an exciting place
The Nature Trust of British Columbia (TNT) is hugely
important in the protection and management of natural habitats throughout
the province. Yet the entrance to TNT’s headquarters, located on the 2nd
floor of a North Vancouver strata office building, was rather drab and
lifeless.
Two drain chains brought water down from the
entrance portico into what appeared at first glance to be
gravel-filled infiltration chambers. But no, they were in fact just
decorative patches of white gravel, disguising standard old drains
that connected to the storm sewer system.
Strata on board
TNT CEO Doug Walker checked with the Strata
Association to make sure there were no objections (and there
weren’t) to replacing the fake infiltration areas with functioning
miniature rain gardens. As a bonus, the gardens
would add some life and colour to the building entrance.
Staff on task
On a sunny October day, TNT staff – with help
from a couple of Cougar Creek Streamkeepers – set to work. By
mid-afternoon, rotating a few staff at a time, they had created a
small rain garden for each drain chain.
First, bricks and compacted
gravel/soil were removed. (The bricks were re-used in another garden
project, and the gravel/soil went to reinforce a nearby footpath.)
A rich composted soil was trucked in and wheeled to
the new rain gardens. A few holes later, and the plants were in.
That was easy!
Downspout and drainchain rain gardens are among the
easiest to create … and fun to watch in action too. Within the week, we
had the opportunity to see rainwater trickle steadily down the chains
from the entrance portico, and disappear instantly into the plantings.
It seems likely that the gardens will always be
equal to their modest task, even in a heavy rainstorm. As the plants
mature, and as various organisms colonize the soil, water absorption
will become even better.
But should there be too much water, it’s okay! The
gardens slope toward the street, so any excess water will simply drain
away into the gutter and down an existing storm drain. All rain gardens,
but especially those close to buildings, need a safe overflow route for
excess water.
Stay tuned for more photos, as TNT’s rain gardens
move into their first growing seasons.
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Cougar Creek