Gardeners’ Gathering Tour June 21st
Thursday, June 21, 2018 Tour of KC Water Swope Campus Green Infrastructure
Tour of KC Water’s Swope Campus Infrastructure
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Rain gardens, bioswales, native plantings, permeable pavers—are you interested in these gardening/water management elements but not sure how they work together? Then please join the Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas city for a tour of the Kansas City Water Department’s new Swope Campus at 4800 E 63rd Street. This is definitely not your father’s water department!
KC Water employees will conduct guided tours of the green infrastructure, including native plantings, pervious concrete, porous asphalt, grasscrete, permeable pavers, rain gardens and bioswales. You will learn how these elements are built and maintained to catch, infiltrate and slowly release storm-water runoff from the campus, improving water quality in the Blue River and preventing erosion in the neighboring Big Blue Battlefield historic site. The campus includes a paved walking trail and an outdoor plaza to support healthy living and connect campus buildings. Plants by the trail vary from mowed lawn to prairie and new tree plantings that will eventually provide shade.
Even the parking lots will knock your socks off! Medians, trees, landscape plantings and intelligent traffic flow enhance parking lot safely, sustainability and beauty. Outdoor lighting uses energy efficient LED technology to reduce energy consumption and light pollution while providing high quality light. The landscaping reduces the heat island effect, reduces water runoff and makes the site beautiful.
Tours start at 6:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required through Eventbrite, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tour-of-kc-water-swope-campus-green-infrastructure-tickets-45693101296 Registration starting on May 25 and ending June 15. For more information, call 816-523-5526 or e-mail: chronwall@umkc.edu
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