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This
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So why has the number of wetlands in North America declined by half since the 18th century? Once, people valued wetlands for the abundance of food and water they provide. But as the pressure to house and feed burgeoning human populations grew, society altered its perspective of wetlands, and labeled them as wastelands that are breeding grounds for disease — that made it much easier to justify draining marshes for farmland and filling in swamps for building lots. Most people do not understand how much we owe to wetlands. Educating your students about them may help reverse this trend. In this issue we have joined with Environmental Concern Inc. to provide expert guidance as you explore wetland ecosystems. For those of you interested in creating a wetland at your school, a new partnership between Environmental Concern and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association offers the perfect opportunity to build a certified Wildlife Friendly Schoolyard through The MARSH Project. Learn more here! |
Background What is a wetland?
Wetlands occur where water and land meet. The legal definition
of wetlands in the United States is “any areas that are inundated
or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration
sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do
support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life
in saturated soil conditions.” In simple terms, wetlands are
areas where the soil is always wet or wet frequently enough to
be populated by plants specially adapted to wet soil conditions.
In order for an area to be considered a wetland, it must possess
water, wetland plants, and wetlands soils.
 Prairie Potholes |
What does a wetland look like?
It
depends. Marshes are wetlands that
look like fields of grass. Step lightly — those grasses
are floating on water. Wetlands that have trees and
bushes are called swamps. The cranberries
we savor at Thanksgiving and many carnivorous plants
grow in bogs. Bog soil is made up
of decaying peat moss. Prairie potholes and playa
lakes are sometimes dry, but have small depressions
that fill up with rainwater and provide important resting
and feeding areas for migrating waterfowl. Other types
of wetlands include fens, vernal pools, swales, sloughs,
bottomland hardwood, wet meadows, pocosin, muskeg,
and mire.
How big is a wetland?
Wetlands come in all different sizes. Some are small, like the
playa lakes found in the southwest United States. Others are
huge, such
as the coastal marshes that make up most of southern
Louisiana.
Where are wetlands?
There are wetlands almost everywhere, even in deserts. Can you guess
the one place that has no wetlands? (Antarctica: There is no liquid
water there, only ice.) Click
here
to
learn how to say “wetland”
in more than 80 different languages. It is a wetland world after
all!
What do wetlands do for me?
Some people think that wetlands are soggy wastelands. They couldn't
be more wrong.
Wetlands:
- provide food. The fish and shellfish you eat for dinner grew up in a wetland. No wetlands, no shrimp scampi.
- protect us from flood waters. Healthy and stable coastal and river wetlands absorb floodwaters and calm storm surges from hurricanes like Katrina; reducing damage to adjacent properties.
- replenish ground water supplies. Underground water supplies are not unlimited. They must be replenished. Wetlands collect and hold water allowing it to seep through the ground to refill aquifers and wells.
- cleanse water. Clean water is essential! Wetland plants help to clean up our nation’s waterways by filtering out sediment and taking up harmful pollutants.
- provide homes for wildlife. Wetlands contribute to biodiversity, providing habitat to more than 40 percent of all threatened and endangered plant and animal species.
- provide recreation opportunities. Wetlands are also playgrounds for people. Visit a wetland and canoe, kayak, watch wildlife, or fish.
Have you hugged your wetland today?
Wetlands 101
Environmental
Concern Inc. has developed a free online course titled Wetlands
101. It’s designed to give you a basic understanding of
wetland types, ecology, functions, and management. With this
tool you will learn what it takes for an ecosystem
to be called a wetland; discover the differences among
wetland types; and find out what mechanisms are in place to
protect and preserve wetlands. Developing a schoolyard wetlands
habitat
is a wonderful way to introduce your students to and help them
learn about these important ecosystems.
Installing a Schoolyard Wetland Habitat
A schoolyard wetland project is a unique opportunity to link learning
to the landscape. Students apply textbook knowledge in practical
ways that make a difference in the community and the environment.
When they are involved throughout all
phases
of the project, from setting goals and creating designs to
choosing plants and constructing the wetland, students are
empowered to take ownership and become stewards of their school
grounds.
Such an experience
sets the
stage for a lifetime of learning and community-minded action.
Research supports the effectiveness of environmental education and schoolyard learning activities. According to a national study conducted by the State Education and Environment Roundtable (SEER):
- 100 percent of schools using environment-based learning had students with improved behavior, attendance, and attitudes relative to traditional schools.
- 77 percent of schools with environment-based curriculum had improved standardized test scores, and 73 percent had improved grade point averages.
- 93 percent of educators surveyed observed a positive impact on the learning environment created by schoolyard learning activities, which lead to improved teaching and learning.
Creating
the wetland is just the beginning. These habitats transform schoolyards
into discovery zones where students
can explore the
natural world and develop a connection to
it. Wetlands are a comprehensive educational resource, like
a living textbook
in which students can
learn about the water cycle, botany, food
webs, soil, watersheds, and wildlife, in one place
and first-hand.
Wetlands are
also useful as a medium to teach
subjects such as art, math,
English, and social studies. The same wetland
can be used as a teaching tool from kindergarten
all the
way through high school and beyond!
Check out this month’s program spotlight for one teacher’s first-hand experience in developing a schoolyard wetlands habitat.
Resources
for Starting a Schoolyard Wetland
Environmental
Concern provides
resources for teachers who want to create a wetland schoolyard
habitat. Their newest initiative,
The
MARSH Project, is dedicated to transforming schoolyards,
transforming
education, transforming lives. It offers a comprehensive
approach to schoolyard wetland habitats design, construction,
and utilization.
Environmental Concern believes that the value of a schoolyard
wetland habitat is measured by the number of eyes, hands, minds,
and hearts
it touches over time. The MARSH Project’s three-step method
is designed to change the paradigm of one motivated teacher working
in a vacuum to that of a school community working together. Click
here for a detailed program overview.
Environmental Concern has recently joined forces with the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) to help schools create Wildlife Friendly Schoolyards through The MARSH Project. Click here to learn more about the exciting opportunities available to your school!
Read on for
ways to begin incorporating wetlands into your classroom
curriculum.
Lesson
1: Wetland Metaphor
Lesson 2: Herp Search
Lesson 3: Making
Choices-Setting Goals
Plant Spotlight: Swamp Milkweed
Resources
Copyright© 2005 National Gardening Association and Environmental Concern Inc.
October
2005
Kids Garden News
Contents
Lesson
Feature:
Wondrous Wetlands
Introduction
Lesson
3:
Making Choices, Setting Goals
Plant
of the Month:
Swamp Milkweed
Program
Spotlight:
Learning to Love Wetlands
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