A 1200 sq ft Bio Swale planted June 16th

Brett Shoffner was interviewed about it on KCTV5 (below left) and Urban Film + Design filmed the event (below right)!

Twenty eight neighbors and park fans came out to help complete the professionally designed Bio Swale north of the Community Center on Saturday June 16th. Some stayed just long enough to hear Jason Dremsa talk about the bio swale's function and the plants being planted in it. Others stay to noon or well past to get as many plants in the ground as possible. (Over 1,000!).

Our friends at Urban Film + Design created a nice little video capturing the glow of the planting session. Check out the high quality video at http://vimeo.com/45605267

See a gallery on facebook.com/RoanokeParkKC

Click Read More for more info and a list of the plants used.

• MARC funded it with a matching grant
• We MATCHED it with our volunteer time
• Jason Dremsa and trail steward Brett Shoffner conceived it
• Applied Eco designed it
• KCMO Parks roughed it in with their machinery
• You volunteered and planted it.

Thanks to Jason for explaining how a bio swale or rain garden might apply to our own landscape interests. And thanks to Melissa Koch for talking about her butterfly gardening and bee keeping experiences. Here are all the plants that went in and links to info about them:

Ozark Bluestar, Amsonia illustris
Palm Sedge, Carex muskingumensis
Fox Sedge, Carex vulpinoidea
American Beakgrain, Diarrhena obovata
Virginia Rye, Elymus virginicus
Virginia Iris, Iris virginica
Common Rush, Juncus effusus
Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis
Wild Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa
River Oats, Chasmanthium latifolium
Wild Senna, Senna marilandica