Frequently Asked Questions

Why not make floating wetlands out of plastic?

One of the most frequently used floating wetland products is made from recycled PET plastic, injected with marine grade foam. PET plastics have been shown to degrade into microplastics in the environment. Our goal was to develop alternatives that do not contribute microplastics to the aquatic environment. Also, sometimes floating wetlands are installed and then are not monitored by the group that has installed them. By using natural materials, those structures can then biodegrade into the ecosystem without leaving plastic behind. 

Source: “The drinking water or groundwater is getting contaminated with PET plastic or the products leached from the PET plastic. Some studies have described the migration of microplastic from PET plastic into the water.”

Source: Occurrence, toxicity and remediation of polyethylene terephthalate plastics. A review.

Dhaka et al, Environmental Chemistry Letters, 2022;20(3).

How long do the birdhouse gourds stay buoyant?

We are still ascertaining the duration of buoyancy and developing methods to increase water resistance. 

How do you use the luffa gourds?

We are using luffas to hold the plants in floating wetlands! There are two primary ways: 

1. We hollow out the luffas and install wetland emergent plant plugs into them, and these are much easier to keep in place within the willow weave. The luffa funtions like a permeable, natural planting container.

2. We install whole luffas next to and around our plant plugs, to fill spaces in the floating wetland weave, to help the plants stay in place.

How long does it take to weave a floating wetland? 

A team of two people can typically weave the basic structure of a floating wetland in about three-four hours, if all of the supplies are already gathered. Planting time varies widely depending on the technique, plant spacing, and plant species.