This video demonstrates how a small group of individuals can can make an impact to tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis by restoring ecosystem function in creeks within communities.
The individuals are associated with Aqua-tex Scientific Consulting Ltd., This consultancy consists of municipal ecologists who understand how creeks function and can be returned to health by designing water infrastructure based on nature’s principles around private developments. The video illustrates two examples of their work.
The first example is Dockside Green, a mixed residential and commercial development located in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. All rainwater and advanced treated liquid wastes are discharged into a constructed creek flowing through the development. The costs of creating and maintaining the creek are paid for by the developer as a premium price is paid by residents whose properties border the creek.
The second example is a residential development located on Esquimalt lagoon in the municipality of Colwood. When completed, the development will consist of approximately 70 suites. The consultants removed an old hydro dam on the property and converted it to a free flowing stream suitable for spawning salmon. There are also plans to improve terrestrial vegetation and salt marshes on the property to provide habitat for a wide range of shoreline birds.
As is the case with Dockside, all these restoration projects are funded by the developer as a result of increased values due to living with nature.
As climate continues to impact proper functioning creeks and wetlands in communities around the globe, these restoration practices will make creeks much more resilient to deal with such changes and increase natural storage of atmospheric carbon in thriving ecosystems.