Groundhog Day??

Move over, Mr. Groundhog! This Friday, February 2 is also World Wetlands Day, giving people across the globe a special opportunity to celebrate the international importance of conserving wetland habitat – even in countries like Canada where wetlands are frozen at least part of the year!
“Our wetlands may be frozen, but there’s still lots going on and that bodes well for what these wetlands will do come spring,” says Dr. Henry Murkin, director of conservation programs with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC).

Murkin adds that when healthy winter wetlands melt in the spring, they nurture flocks of migrating waterfowl with vegetation and invertebrates that overwintered in the wetland mud. And that’s not all. Healthy wetlands also:

* Act as nature’s filter. By nourishing plant growth, wetlands can remove more than 90 per cent of common nutrient pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorous. They also remove disease-carrying pathogens that could harm people.

* Moderate climate change. These same plants take carbon dioxide from the air and “sequester” the carbon in the soil, where it’s used to grow more plants. This part of a wetland’s life cycle removes a potentially harmful greenhouse gas from the air – and replaces it with life-giving oxygen.

* Sustain wildlife habitat. Canadian wetlands provide essential habitat for about 600 species of wildlife, including the waterfowl, waterbirds and shorebirds that migrate into Canada to breed and raise their young. Some of this habitat is critical to threatened species of wildlife.

* Generate recreational opportunities. Wetlands give people a chance to experience the best nature has to offer. Bird watching, hiking, hunting, fish and eco-tourism depend on healthy wetlands.
* Mitigate flood damage. Wetlands act like giant sponges. They collect and store water in wet years, reducing flood damage and preventing soil erosion.

* Recharge groundwater. By holding rain and runoff water in place, wetlands recharge local sources of groundwater. This water sustains wildlife, livestock and agricultural crops in good years – and in times of drought.

Unfortunately, up to 70 per cent of wetlands have disappeared in settled areas of Canada, lost to industrial development and municipal and agricultural expansion. With new research showing how wetlands also improve the quality of life for people, DUC encourages Canadians to look for ways to conserve, maintain and restore these valuable ecosystems. People can start by sending friends and family an e-card on Feb. 2. (from Ducks Unlimited Canada)

Pam

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