Innovation and biodiversity: a new life for invasive plant biomass?
Once an invasive plant has been removed, one question remains: what should happen to the harvested biomass? In her 2025 project summary, « Façonner les invasives — Du déchet vert à la matière première », Clémence Nollim explores this question through design.
A student at ENSCI–Les Ateliers, Nollim carried out four months of action research under designer Sarngsan Na Sootorn, in partnership with the invasive plants working group for the Centre-Val de Loire region.
Her experiments explore earth bricks containing shredded tree-of-heaven, ceramic glazes made with plant ash, seedling pots made from invasive aquatic plants, and dyes, inks and watercolours. Water primrose and Brazilian watermilfoil are among the plants studied.
Making an object is only part of the challenge. Processing also needs to address plant material capable of spreading the species. The summary states that sample tests were underway at the Conservatoire d’espaces naturels Centre-Val de Loire. These approaches remain experimental and are not validated methods for use at home.
For the Bourges marshes, this research encourages dialogue between gardeners, associations, designers and conservation specialists. It explores how local material use might connect with habitat management and its practical constraints.
This article introduces Clémence Nollim’s work using her 2025 summary. Dates in the original document refer to that project and are not announcements of upcoming events.
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