As climate change continues to impact regions across the world, our immediate communities are becoming increasingly wetter, warmer, windier, and wilder.
What is Depave Paradise?
Depave Paradise addresses the increasing amount of hard surfaces in urban environments, including school sites, through the act of ripping up pavement and replacing it with soil and vegetation.
Native plants, bushes, and trees are then planted to act as filters and sponges by absorbing and filtering polluted stormwater.
Depave Paradise works with local organizations, such as Halton Environmental Network, at highly visible sites, such as schools, to stage work bees, during which volunteers “liberate the soil,” using hand tools to pry up the pavement.
Depave Paradise leads with the understanding that the key to healthier, cleaner water and more sustainable communities is to capture rain where it falls by helping it drain into the ground as nature intended.
Did you know that hard surfaces such as asphalt and concrete not only reduce green space but also retain more heat and contribute to water pollution?
What does a Depave look like?
Before
- Hard surface does not absorb rain, creating runoff.
- Hot sun reflects off of dark surfaces, creating hotter temperatures.
- Soil does not receive air, water or sunlight.
After
- Native plants provide food and shelter for insects, mammals, and other creatures.
- Rain soaks into the ground, getting filtered and cleaned.
- Trees provide shade that cools off surfaces below.
- Rain, sun, and air keep soils healthy and productive.
Are you interested in getting involved in a Depave project?
Do you know of a space that needs Depaving? Let us know!
