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Background
Background
Trees offer many ecological benefits such as storage of stormwater runoff, protection of waterways from toxins and pollutants, and carbon sequestration. Grand Valley State University is taking steps to be a green campus, and our project aids in that goal. GVSU is home to many LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certified buildings, and they have a large canopy of trees surrounding the Grand River on campus. There are areas where stormwater runoff is highly saturated, particularly in open areas near parking lots. In order to combat this and the negative consequences posed by stormwater runoff, our project focuses on planting trees in these vulnerable areas and assessing the benefits of those trees.
Design Thinking
Design Thinking
Design Thinking is a method of creating innovative solutions for problems. The three stages for people-centered design are: Immersion, ideation, and implementation. For a problem, immersion can include doing research, looking at policies, or evaluating personal experiences. These all result in a better understanding of the problem and to create empathy, which encourages improved solutions. Ideation is a an important step when it comes to designing the solution. This is the stage for analyzing observational data and brainstorming possible solutions. From here, you are able to test your solution, seeing what did and did not work, refining for an improved solution. The final step is implementation. After creating the best possible solution, you are able to bring your solution to life, allowing to see it out in the world making a difference.
Stormwater runoff is precipitation that does not absorb into the ground, which then runs off through drains and into waterways or eventually over saturates land. Parking lots, and other impermeable surfaces, are often sites for stormwater runoff. Since the water in unable to saturate the ground, it must travel to an area where it can be absorbed, and can often have negative impacts.
stormwater runoff
stormwater runoff
Flooding - In areas with impermeable surfaces, when there are instances with a large amount of precipitation, the runoff moves very quickly and can cause flooding without grass, trees, and other natural barriers to slow it down.
Erosion - mass runoff without rain gardens, trees or buffers erode shorelines and other natural areas. This is destructive to ecosystems that thrive there.
Non point-source pollution - stormwater runoff flows down elevation and finds it ways to drains, which is not filtered. The runoff picks up pollutants and toxic chemicals along the way from many different sources and then enters our water systems.
Immersion
Immersion
Interview with an Arborist
Interview with an Arborist
We conducted an interview with Grand Valley University's arborist Steve Snell, in which we started off by asking him questions about what land was owned and not owned by GVSU, so that we could get a better understanding of where trees could be planted. Steve helped us keep an open mind and realize that there are many factors to pay attention to when deciding where to plant trees and on which species you choose. He informed us about certain areas of land that were not available or owned by GVSU, even if it may seem like it is part of campus, for example, the space near the church. Some areas were not available for recreational activities, and some are not viable because of logistical reasons, for example, snow dumping locations during winter. We were also told to watch out for electrical and fiber optics and underground water and gas piping. With his help in lending us his survey book, we were able to make sure there was no interference with underground infrastructure. When we asked Steve what was the most important thing about trees to look out for when deciding which ones to plant, he said, “species is the most important,” and “size and price of the trees is also very important” (Snell 2020).
Other Forms of Research
Other Forms of Research
We also used technology such as the iTree software. A member of the Davey Resource Group, the developers of the iTree software, came into our class to teach us about the many facets and sub programs. We used iTree Species to narrow down which species to plant, and iTree design to virtually 'plant' our trees and run reports about the future benefits the trees pose to campus. We ran reports for 5 years, 25 years, and 50 years into the future. Alongside these methods of research, we completed a bibliography and read scholarly articles about stormwater runoff, tree planting and benefits, and tree species variants.
Ideation
Ideation
Ideation is the process of forming ideas and developing them. Ideation includes all steps of development process from an abstract idea to a plan. For our project, the Ideation step was where we chose the species of trees to plant and chose the plots of land to plant them. We chose these trees specifically for the benefits they offer, their ability to thrive in this ecosystem, and their tolerance to pests.
Eastern Hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Benefits (5 trees - 50 years)
115,212 gallons of stormwater interception
6,300 lbs of carbon sequestered
Low allergenicity
Moderate energy conservation
Aesthetic gain
Production of oxygen
O3, NO2, SO2 and PM10 removed from the air
Pests
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Southern Pine Beetle
Total plan value over 50 years
$4,432 (iTree Design)
Norway spruce
Norway spruce
Benefits (8 trees - 50 years)
192,398 gallons of stormwater interception
6,700 lbs of carbon sequestered
Aesthetic gain
Production of oxygen
O3, NO2, SO2 and PM10 removed from the air
Pests
Mountain Pine Beetle,
Pine Shoot Beetle
Southern Pine Beetle
Spruce Beetle
Western Spruce Budworm
Total plan value over 50 years
$7,732 (iTree Design)
kentucky coffee tree
kentucky coffee tree
Benefits (12 trees - 50 years)
466,632 gallons of stormwater interception
28,000 lbs of carbon sequestered
Aesthetic gain
Production of oxygen
O3, NO2, SO2 and PM10 removed from the air
Strong suits
Tolerant of pollution
Adaptable to most soils
Very hardy and resistant
Pests
No serious pests!
Total plan value over 50 years
$3,369 (iTree Design)
Implementation
Implementation
The Implementation stage will occur when we actually plant these trees this summer!
Our Sites
Our Sites
Site A is where we plan to plant 4 Norway spruce and 6 Kentucky Coffee Trees.
Site B has the same plant plan as A, 4 Norway spruce and 6 Kentucky Coffee Trees, since they are parallel sites across the street we thought symmetry would be a nice touch.
Site C we reserve to plant our 5 Eastern Hemlock trees.
We chose these sites because they flood easily and could use trees to soak up excess stormwater runoff. These locations are also clear of plumbing lines and have space for roots to grow healthily. This area is also not a space that snow to pushed away and stored by during winter months. We also thought these areas could use aesthetic enhancement since they are a bit barren.
References
Snell, S. (2020, February 7). Personal Interview.
Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability Principles and Practice. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
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