Natural Resources
Green Infrastructure is the interconnected network of open spaces and natural areas that naturally recharges aquifers, improves water quality and quantity, and provides recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat. Green infrastructure manages stormwater by capturing raindrops where they fall. CNT encourages reuse of natural moisture by using rain gardens, swales, green roofs, tree planting, permeable pavement and other low impact approaches to restore natural drainage functions and recycle stormwater in urban environments.
CNT’s Natural Resources work is rooted in the belief that if we change land use and investment patterns—capture water where it falls instead of building expensive treatment facilities—we can save money, have more reliable systems and create more benefits for people and places. Areas of focus include developing tools to map and analyze the values of green infrastructure, researching and demonstrating stormwater best management practices (BMPs), and promoting changes in local, regional and national policy.
Why is this important?
- Green Infrastructure approaches help save money, support urban sustainability, and use limited financial resources more efficiently by harnessing the natural filtering abilities of plants, trees and soil to protect water quality, reduce runoff volumes, and recharge groundwater supplies.
- Regionally, this means that water management helps open spaces and natural areas and improves water quality, provides recreational opportunities and enhances wildlife habitats for all to enjoy.
- Flash flooding can devastate homes and neighborhoods, but with judicious use of green areas, rain gardens, permeable pavements, and other green infrastructure strategies this threat can be avoided or reduced.
Learn more about our green infrastructure strategies by reviewing our projects, tools and publications through the links on this page.
Friday, August 1st, 2008 at 4:20 pm
CNT continues to bring communities together with the planting of rain gardens at three new sites in June. The plantings are demonstrating both the beauty of natural landscapes and the ecological benefits of rain gardens to reduce and filter stormwater runoff. Ultimately, these projects aim to raise awareness of green infrastructure and build community momentum towards implementing sustainable stormwater management practices on a grander scale. Here are our latest steps along the path to sustainable stormwater management in greater Chicago.
Bellwood
On Saturday, June 21st, CNT staff and 27 Bellwood volunteers planted over 300 native Illinois prairie plants in two rain gardens. The gardens, sponsored by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Village of Bellwood, are located at the Bellwood Public Library and across from Bellwood’s Water Department. Bellwood’s Mayor, Frank Pasquale, helped with the planting, as well as many of the Village’s Trustees, city department heads and citizens. Community volunteers from the Bellwood Lions Club, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, and others of all ages and interests came out to participate in a fun outdoor activity to benefit the entire Village.
Bellwood residents learned of the aesthetic and ecological benefits of native plants, while Mayor Pasquale and city officials put their muscle behind the greening of the landscape that Bellwood aims to become a signature of its local development strategy. Rain gardens provide a simple and beautiful solution to muddy yards and can reduce stormwater entering sewers via disconnected downspouts.
More photos of Bellwood planting at CNT’s Flickr page.
Hanson Park School
As part of “Hanson Park School Conservation Day 2008″ on June 4th, CNT staff, along with Hanson Park School students and staff, planted 120 native Illinois prairie plants in two rain gardens. The CNT planting was supported by the Prince Charitable Trust as part of an outreach program aimed at partnering with community groups to raise awareness of the benefits of green infrastructure throughout Chicago. CNT staff demonstrated the effectiveness of rain gardens as alternatives to conventional stormwater management practices. With their planting, students helped to reduce water pollution, add beauty to their school, and increase wildlife attraction-all while having a fun time outside.
The two rain gardens were placed next to the school’s kindergarten trailer. The 750 ft2 roof drains into the two new gardens, simultaneously providing relief to local sewers and beautifying the school grounds.
More photos of Hanson Park Elementary School planting at CNT’s Flickr page.
Gallistel Elementary Language Academy
In early June, with the support of the US Environmental Protection Agency, CNT provided another city demonstration at the Matthew Gallistel Language Academy on Chicago’s east side. As part of a Chicago Conservation Corps program, the school’s Environmental Club partnered up with CNT to bring a rain garden of native plants to the school grounds. Students received a hands-on lesson about the hydrological benefits of native vegetation and enjoyed an outdoor activity. The planting at Gallistal was another step in CNT’s community outreach program focused around the city’s Calumet region.
Future Projects
CNT will be continue to extend the benefits of green infrastructure around Chicago’s urban communities, with the goal of removing impervious surfaces from local parks, schools, churches and other community spaces. Projects include the removal of a layer of asphalt from under a south loop park and the conversion of a former outdoor stage into green open space at the Hanson Park School.
With an emphasis on community outreach, CNT is partnering with community groups to organize demonstration plantings and raise awareness of green infrastructure for stormwater management. If you are interested in volunteering or bringing these demonstrations to your local church, school, or community, please contact us at swise@cnt.org.
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Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
CNT’s Green Infrastructure research and demonstration projects are moving into their final planting and monitoring season. Read about our current activities and the state of last year’s work.
Monitoring
Over the past year, CNT has been working with our partners, City of Chicago Departments of Environment (DOE) and Water Management (DWM), the Village of Bellwood, the Illinois EPA, the U.S. EPA and GreenCorps Chicago to set up Green Infrastructure demonstration projects. Beginning again this spring, the sites are being monitored for performance characteristics regarding infiltration and runoff reduction.
The goals of these projects were to construct and monitor the performance of different Green Infrastructure Best Management Practices (BMPs). The data collected from each site will be used to advocate for greater reliance on Green Infrastructure as a sustainable solution to stormwater problems.
Bellwood
The research site in Bellwood consists of two rain gardens that receive runoff from the same roof, designed to compare the efficacy of native plants’ absorption of stormwater versus the absorption capacity of turf grass. Rainfall data and the performance of each rain garden is obtained with an on-site rain gauge and two monitoring wells and a soil moisture meter in each garden. Monitoring began in October 2007, equipment was removed in November to prevent damage from freezing, and is ready for monitoring now beginning this spring.
Read more in the Case Study.
St. Margaret Mary Church and School
Three kinds of Green Infrastructure BMPs were created in this project to relieve flooding during heavy periods of rainfall: a bioswale, two rain gardens and two patches of permeable pavement. Each of the two rain gardens at St. Margaret Mary has a different soil profile in order to compare the performance of different designs. Rainfall data and the performance of the bioswale and rain gardens will be measured through an on-site rain gauge and two monitoring wells and a soil moisture meter in each of the three BMPs. Like the Bellwood site, monitoring will start again this spring.
Read more in the Case Study.
Our Lady Gate of Heaven
This project’s vegetated swale was designed to drain nearly half of the parking lot, intercepting stormwater from the pavement before it reaches the sewer system. The vegetated swale at Our Lady Gate of Heaven Parish is designed to be typical of a bioswale located in a parking lot. Rainfall data and the performance of the bioswale will be measured through a rain gauge, three monitoring wells, and a soil moisture meter. Monitoring will begin again this spring.
Read more in the Case Study.
Outreach
With research well underway, we are now focusing on the demonstration aspect of the projects. CNT is working with the community groups based around each research site to choose multiple locations in their area to build rain gardens. These high-profile, functional landscapes will show the community the beauty of native vegetation and the ease of constructing a small-scale rain garden. CNT is kicking off the planting season with demonstration gardens in Chicago’s South and West sides, and a community planting day in Bellwood. Check back for more photos from our community rain garden projects and information on a volunteer opportunity in your neighborhood!
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Friday, March 21st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Established in 1992 by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, World Water Day aims to raise awareness of the importance of clean water to public health. According to the UN, an estimated 85 percent of global diseases can be attributed to unclean or unsafe water supplies; this disproportionately affects children in developing countries, 5,000 of whom die every day from such causes as parasites and diarrheal diseases that could be prevented by access to safe water.
What can you do to celebrate World Water Day and become a more conscious water user? It’s as simple as turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth, or using a rain barrel to water your lawn & garden, or just taking a shorter shower. For lasting infrastructural change, people who own property can also:
Dig a rain garden to retain & filter runoff, so that water can permeate naturally
Install a green roof on your building. Green roofs help conserve and filter water, as well as countering the urban heat island effect and providing a beautiful garden environment in the city.
Plant trees, which capture & filter rainwater, in addition to improving air quality.
Dig a larger cistern to conserve rainwater for non-drinking uses.
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