Added these guys to the wetland today: three bullfrog tadpoles, and a crayfish.

So total animals I’ve added is:
-25 minnows
-4 leopard frog tadpoles
-3 bullfrog tadpoles
-1 crayfish

I took a week off from working at the wetland in order to let it settle and see how it acts without any interference from me. I plan on heading there today, or tomorrow during the group work day.

The only thing I would like to finish before I call the project “complete” is the island in the middle of the cattails. Urban Habitat Chicago uses mostly recycled materials at their sites, so I have to wait to see if we have some type of gravel to use as a base for the island. I had placed the concrete chunks down on top of the mud hoping they would settle nicely but they sank unevenly. I removed them and am waiting for something to use as a base.

I had planned on extending the woodchip path completely around the wetland but have since changed my mind. The aquatics teacher at Northside College Prep may extend one of the streams to go own the entire length of the wetland so I have decided not to put down woodchips just incase he continues with the project. 

Jul 9th, 2011

I was able to get a lot done with the help of a gator!!! Hauled a few woodchip loads and some concrete chunk. I made two little benches by the East end of the wetland, and filled in that area with some woodchips.

I lined the stream that runs the length of the wetland with smaller pieces of concrete chunk to hold the border and also extended the woodchips that line it. 

I was going to work on the island more but I realized I need a base in order for the rocks to not move, so I am waiting to see if we have extra crushed limestone I could use. 

On the South side of the wetland, where I dug out the two divots, I lined them with stone and also surrounded them with woodchips.

Everything is really starting to come together and I feel I’m close to being done with the project. Just have to do a few more things.

Jul 4th, 2011

This past week I finished a few things on the wetland. First Jim and Nathan helped me build a wall around the sewer where the water drains into so the area around it won’t flood. It came out a lot better than I expected! 

Another thing I did was make the stream that flows down the north side of the wetland wider and have a more defined border. I’m also planning on lining the stream with small chunks of rock. 

I cleared out the stream that goes through the center of the cattails so now it flows easier. Where the stream hits near the south border of the wetland I dug out two divots so that people can see inside the cattails better. I plan on extending the wood chip path to go completely around the wetland so that you can easily walk to all sides of it. 

I also added 6 tadpoles to the wetland earlier this week and tomorrow morning I plan on finishing the rock island and stepping stones to the island.

Jun 25th, 2011 

Found a little turtle making himself comfortable in the wetland - I decided to name him Tommy. 

I also did some more work on the stream that goes through the cattails, about half of it is clear now so I hope it starts to flow better. 

On Thursday I started working on making a small stream flow through the cattails in the wetland. I’m hoping that the stream will increase the water flow, making less stagnant water. I’m also hoping that it will help the existing dead cattails and other plants decompose faster so that the wetland becomes healthier. While I was in the middle of all the cattails I noticed that some of them were so built up and rotting that they were growing a mold like substance on them - so I’m hoping by thinning them out that it will help the whole ecosystem.

June 18th, 2011

This past week and today I’ve done a lot of work on my project. 

Where the water drains out of the area into a sewer I created a barrier to help hold the water in so that it’s more appealing and doesn’t flood behind the sewer. When I went back today I noticed a lot of duckweed starting to grow so I took some and put it in the front part of the wetland where the water enters the area.

I created more streams in the grassland area and made it a little deeper so that it will hold water more effectively. I also went to the branch of the Chicago River which is right behind the Joy Garden and caught some fish with a student volunteer Marcus. We caught about 25 minnows and I placed them in the wetland. I also caught a good number of aquatic bugs that will hopefully help the ecosystem there.

This week I started working on the concrete island in the cattails by cutting down some of them, digging out anything laying on the bottom, and then placing rocks down. Where I started building the island I noticed it’s an area that the water starts to become stagnant because there is a lot of dead cattails laying bunched up blocking the flow. What I plan to do to fix this is creating a stream going down the center of the cattails straight back to the sewer area. It will be a lot of work and so it will be something I will work on little by little throughout the summer.

While working at the garden yesterday I had a chance to meet the aquatics teacher at Northside College Prep. We talked about my plans/ideas and his ideas for the wetland area. Since he will be using the wetland during the school year with his students I was very open to anything he wanted to do with the area.

One of the ideas he wanted to do was a small island in the middle of the cattails made of concrete chunk in order for students to enter the area and examine any bugs that would be under the rock. I think this is a good idea and I plan on starting it this Saturday. 

Another thing I’m hoping to do is expand the stream that flows down length of the wetland. This requires a lot of digging so I am planning on doing it little by little each time I’m there. 

The aquatics teacher also wanted to surround the entire water edge with concrete chunk, but I’m not sure if it’s something I want to do to the area. I like the natural grass meets water look so I may keep it how it is and keep the concrete barriers only on the ends where the water comes in/leaves the wetland.

I went back to the wetland to see how the water was flowing. I had to adjust a few of the rocks that were helping the water level rise to ensure it wasn’t flooding too much. I also cleaned up the surrounding area by removing trash and some dead plants that were there. 

I am also considering placing additional barricades across the full width of the wetland to flood the eastern side of it more since the western side is on the low side of an incline.

Jun 4th, 2011

A couple days ago I worked on the wetland area again. I concentrated more on aesthetic values of it; I placed woodchips surrounding the eastern area of it, as most of the soil around it was very damp. This way if anyone wanted to walk up close to it they could easily and without soggy shoes.

I also transplanted some iris in various places, I’m not sure how well they will grow so I have to just wait and see.

There are several little streams that flow through the grassy area of the wetland, and some of them have pools that collect. I created barricades in order for the water level to rise and the pools to fill before flowing downstream.

It’s been two days since I did this, so today I am going back to see if everything stayed the way I left it or if I have to alter it in any way.