Botany Pond restoration revitalizes beloved campus landmark

Botany Pond, a beloved campus landmark and a popular and peaceful oasis for the University of Chicago community, has reopened following an extensive restoration designed to maintain its historical character and keep it flourishing for future generations.

Originally envisioned by renowned botanist John Merle Coulter as an outdoor research laboratory more than a century ago, Botany Pond is now a more sustainable habitat for both wildlife and visitors following the project. Work over the past year has improved the landscaping surrounding the pond to provide for universal access and views of the water, while native plantings have been mixed in with exotic historical specimens that date to the turn of the 20th century.

“The students, faculty, staff and visitors who return to Botany Pond will be able to marvel at new views of the changing Midwestern seasons, and see science and sustainability reflected in this restoration,” said Katie Martin Peck, UChicago’s associate director for campus environment.

Video by UChicago Creative

Yet some of the biggest enhancements are under the pond’s surface. UChicago faculty consulted with sustainability and wildlife experts on an innovative, natural filtration system that uses microorganisms and layers of rocks to provide a better habitat for the aquatic life, mitigate the long-term buildup of sediment and ensure water clarity. The system is more energy-efficient, requires less maintenance and provides multiple ecological benefits as well.

Prof. Emeritus Michael LaBarbera, one of six UChicago faculty members who advised the project, is helping lead the establishment of a balanced ecosystem. Previously, water leakage and sediment build-up had affected the pond’s ability to support fish and other aquatic life.

“One of the most difficult aspects of this restoration is the necessity to recreate a functional ecosystem from scratch,” said LaBarbera, a renowned UChicago evolutionary biologist. “In natural systems, components of this ecosystem arrive over the course of several years via water inflow and by hitchhiking on migratory animals. Since this wasn’t possible for Botany Pond, I volunteered to stand in to restock the pond’s diversity.”

LaBarbera said the next steps will include adding mud and zooplankton—free-swimming, microscopic animals like rotifers, water fleas and copepods—to establish the next levels of the ecosystem.

“By next spring, we have high hopes that Botany Pond will again be both an aesthetic gem in the center of campus and a fully functional ecosystem,” he said.

Next year, larger pond inhabitants like native fish and turtles, which have been locally fostered, will be introduced. Martin Peck also said they anticipate ducks will return to the pond as part of their annual migration patterns.

The new layout provides spaces designed for ducks, turtles and other wildlife, including boulders and plantings to provide refuge; stepped boulders for access in and out of the water, which is particularly important for ducklings; and fish habitat and terrestrial areas strategically located with specific plantings.

New signage will encourage proper stewardship of the pond. In particular, feeding wildlife disrupts the ecosystem on all levels—from the health of the ducklings to the delicate balance of healthy bacteria in the water, Martin Peck said.

“We created specific areas for people to interact with the pond and specific areas for wildlife to have a haven and a respite as well,” Martin Peck said. “It is important for both visitors and wildlife to have areas to call their own.”