Habitat restoration

Recently I attended a water forum that included state and federal agencies, power companies and other utility providers, as well as academia. We had a breakout water quality session during which, among other things, the issue of wetlands restoration came up. I expressed an interest from a Landscape Architectural perspective, saying that our profession has a profound interest in this topic and this is an area where interdisciplinary work would be really beneficial. We provide the design experience as well as the cultural and economic facilitation, and the scientists help with technical details regarding how the ecosystem should be rebuilt. This cross-communication would also be very helpful in areas such as brownfield site restoration.

As one small first step in this endeavor, I make the following suggestion: (to be expanded upon ad infinitum...)

Biologists could provide us with lists of plant communities that function well together, and that provide habitats for sensitive animals. For example, if there is a type of bird that only likes to nest in a particular type of tree, and in addition this bird will not nest in said tree if it is located near a busy road...that would be very helpful information for a Landscape Architect. Perhaps that bird also requires food source plants nearby, such as a certain berry-producing shrub. How easy it would be for an LA to plant that particular combination of trees and shrubs, away from busy roads, and make a difference for an animal whose habitat is so specific.

This ties into my belief that it is not enough to simply plant native plants. I think we have a responsibility to carry this further, kick it up a notch and re-establish plant communities within developed areas. Why have the urban areas defined as for people only, and the wilderness for animals only? There should be room for both, at every level. Whether it is a residential yard or a large commercial campus, I think that we can shed this mentality of having separation between what is landscaped and what is natural simply by proper choice and location of plant material.