9:04 a.m., Nov. 19, 2008----When the University of Delaware's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources decided to convert a cow pasture into a wetland, it became a hands-on learning experience for several dozen students. Over the course of four warm days in mid-October, the students joined UD professors, secretaries and other staffers who volunteered to plant more than 250 potted trees and shrubs, in addition to 600 plant plugs (which are grown in small cells, not pots).

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For freshman enrolled in a new student colloquium, it was a chance to learn more about the college, find out about wetlands and wetland management, and, for some, discover the right way to plant a tree. But for upperclassmen enrolled in a design course, the planting days were merely the culmination of work that began on the first day of class in September. These students were responsible for creating the wetland, from the initial landscape plans to the choice of signage that was erected to explain the project.

“I jumped at the chance to get my planting design students involved in this project,” says Chad Nelson, assistant professor of plant and soil science. “I'm always looking for opportunities to get the students out of the classroom and into real-world situations like the ones they will deal with in their careers.”

The new wetland, which is in a prominent location, directly off Route 896, is one part of an integrated effort to make the UD Farm a model of sustainable, environmentally friendly agriculture.

Funding for the project came from the University of Delaware and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) non-point source program and ecological restoration program. Help with planning and design was provided by DNREC's Division of Soil and Water Conservation and by the Kent County Conservation District, which also supplied construction assistance.

Doug Tallamy, chairperson of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology who is a native plants expert and author of the 2007 book Bringing Nature Home, says that the new wetlands will “raise the carrying capacity” of the UD Farm for decades. “That is, it will add native plant biomass to the farm, which will produce food that will be used directly or indirectly by many species of animals,” says Tallamy.

“The plants will feed insects that many types of birds will eat. The wet areas will churn out insects that develop on detritus. These will support swifts, martins, swallows and bats,” adds Tallamy. “Wading birds will eat the aquatic insects and frogs in the wet areas. The wetland also will provide habitat for breeding birds. It will be very productive. And none of this was happening when it was a cow pasture.”

Nelson's students are studying to be landscape designers. In years past, a landscape designer might have gone his or her entire career without ever working on a wetlands landscape. But now these projects come up regularly, not only on commercial jobs but, also, increasingly, on residential ones.

“There has been a shift in thinking; a renewed dedication to stewardship of the land,” says Nelson. “Homeowners who have wet areas on their property are more apt to ask about the process of creating a wetland.”

Before sketching a single design for the wetland, Nelson's students took field trips to several existing Delaware wetlands and talked about which type would best suit UD's needs. They also discussed the fact that this wetland will be used as a teaching laboratory. As a result, they kept plants in groups by species so as to make plant identification easier.

“Working on the wetland project was a great learning experience,” says Kellie Cox, a senior from Wilmington. “It showed me all the different aspects one has to think about, such as the number of plants and the time needed to plant. We were given an extremely small budget so we had to shop around quite a bit in order to get the best deal and the most plants.”

The students chose a wide variety of plants native to the region, with an emphasis on providing year-round interest with waves of color. Plants selected include blue flag iris, which provides purple-blue spring blooms; buttonbush, which blooms in summer; bald cypress, which has brilliant rusty orange fall foliage; and winterberry holly, for its red berries in winter.

For now, the UD wetland looks a bit rough but Nelson notes that it's still a work in progress. Wetlands typically take a few years to look their best. Additional plantings will take place in the spring. And nature will do its part as well, as birds attracted to the wetland's native plantings drop seeds, which will grow to provide more food and habitat in years to come.

Article by Margo McDonough