Removal of wetland to install a curtain drain on the north side of a barn to catch surface flow necessitated the creation of a compensatory wetland. The 250 square feet of the compensatory wetland planting plan supplements a wetland seed mix to suit the wet meadow ecological context and ensure that the replication is successful. The mix of plants Rose Mallow, Joe Pye Weed, Blue Flag Iris and Turtle head are all in the surrounding wetlands with the possible exception of the Mallow. These plants have important habitat value for all manner of creatures and will be positive additions that can support the incredible diversity of wildlife in the area through the wetland’s nutritive, water storage and aesthetic functions.
The Bridge in plan was beautiful, elegant, harmonious and balanced. In the field, it was not going to work because a hard gravel base 3 feet below the surface of the water with giant stone interspersed made it nearly impossible to get the proposed configuration. The spontaneous evolution of the bridge reduced the impact to the wetland by only having two posts instead of four in the wettest area, and created a strong connection to other landscape design features as seen in the granite cribbing. By letting the genius of the moment work with the combined experience I shared with the project carpenter, the bridge functions on a physical level to go from point A to B without getting wet and on a metaphorical level as well.
