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Royalwood Becomes a Wetland Classroom 
Students learn about wetland conservation at innovative Winnipeg housing development
Oak Hammock Marsh, October 9, 2003 – Phase II of Ladco’s Royalwood housing development in St. Vital was host to a group of science students from grades five and seven classes in the Lord Selkirk School Division who were in Winnipeg today to learn about wetlands and native plant revegetation. The reason the students visited the Royalwood development is because the site is the first in Winnipeg to make use of wetlands to capture storm water, an innovation that has been implemented in other cities like Calgary and Minneapolis.
The group of science students visiting the site is the first to be involved in “Action in Wetlands” through the Green Street environmental education program. As part of “Action in Wetlands”, the students will take what they’ve learned through their wetland education and put it to use on a wetland creation project in their area. The innovative Royalwood retention system, which uses a hybrid between a true wetland and a traditional retention pond, offers the students a unique educational opportunity in wetland management.
“ Ladco wanted to look into new options for the storm water retention system in the Royalwood area,” said Mike Scatliff, the landscape architect contracted by Ladco for Phase II of the Royalwood development. “They invested time and money in thoroughly reviewing the use of wetlands as retention ponds. The result is a watershed retention system new to Winnipeg that provides biodiversity and helps to naturally clean the water of excess nutrients and impurities before it discharges into the Seine River.”
Native Plant Solutions (NPS), a subsidiary of Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), was contracted by Ladco to undertake the detailed design and implementation of the wetland development at the Royalwood site. Under the direction of NPS manager Brent Wark, the two existing ponds were modified to include wetland vegetation throughout the basins, as well as buffer strips of tall grass native prairie plants that were seeded around them.
Dr. Rick Wishart, DUC’s director of education, recognized the educational potential of the Royalwood site. “Royalwood provides an excellent opportunity for students to experience a wetland habitat up-close,” said Wishart. “This group has already participated in wetland education through the Adopt-A-Class program at the Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre, and now with the new Green Street initiative, they’re able to put into action all the things they’ve learned about wetlands. Being able to get involved in their own ‘hands-on’ activities really helps the kids to learn by doing.”
The field trip and follow-up workshops were courtesy of Green Street, an environmental education program for schools in Canada funded by the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and coordinated by Learning for a Sustainable Future. DUC has worked with Green Street since 2001 to develop wetland-based materials and programs that are available online for K-12 classes throughout the country free of charge. Teachers can apply for Green Street programs on line at www.green-street.ca.
For 65 years, DUC has conserved, restored and managed wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. These habitats, which act as nature’s water filters, also benefit other wildlife and people.
