My thesis research focused on stormwater infrastructure in Kitchener-Waterloo and on the biota that inhabit stormwater infrastructure, particularly stormwater management ponds (SWMPs).

Across Ontario, SWMPs are rapidly replacing natural wetlands. These ponds are installed in suburban areas as a municipal requirement to capture runoff before it enters creeks and rivers. Due to their infrastructure priorities, they capture pollutants like fertilizer, salt, and pesticides.

The concept of liminality in the context of SWMPs is twofold. First, liminal from the perspective of an ecologist, where the terrestrial and aquatic realms of an ecosystem meet. Second, from an artist's perspective, the aesthetic of SWMPs occupy a space between engineered design and natural landscape.

Liminal Habitat is a parallel piece of work to complement the scientific work of my thesis. I employed traditional landscape photography techniques to capture the role SWMPs play in maintaining aquatic habitat within urban areas. Using photography as a tool for science communication, I aim to inform the public that these pieces of infrastructure unintentionally become habitat in urban areas. I ask the audience to re-signify the role that SWMPs play in our cities, and to re-imagine the co-benefits of providing habitat alongside flood protection."