In 2007 Water Gems won praise and recognition for its regeneration work at Inverleith Park in Edinburgh at the BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) awards ceremony. The project involved native wetland planting and the creation of a boardwalk to allow the public access across the pond.
Water Gems has considerable experience of designing and building planted wetlands. In many cases these have been built principally by creating timber retaining walls to contain the large quantities of silt that have been produced by desilting eutrophic lakes.
The resulting landscape of channels flanked by tall stands of emergent aquatic plants produces a perfect environment for nesting birds, amphibians and invertebrates.
Timber platforms then provide vantage points for the public to view the landscape and wildlife. The wetlands can also play a role in stripping nutrients from incoming water.