By B.J. Grassmann, WWA Board Member/Habitat Committee Chair
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s April, 2022 Newsletter edition.
The pace that we live our lives today can be described as hectic, jumbled, or fast-paced. Many adults must juggle work and personal life commitments, that give little time to stop and “smell the roses”. Roses can take many forms including watching/observing the abundance of nature in shallow fresh-water marshes.
These areas are teaming with life of all sorts, from almost invisible invertebrates, to fish, reptiles, many mammals, and a cornucopia of avian life. Just a list of the birds that live in this biome is amazing. Songbirds like wrens, Cardinals, Chickadees, and Jays. But also wading birds like BiBerns, Egrets, and multi-species of Herons. Ducks of all sorts use shallow fresh-water marshes as stop-over points on their migrations. Mallard, Blue and Green-wing teal, and Wood ducks nest and raise young in these areas. At the top of the food chain, Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Osprey, and owls call these places home.
Smartweed seeds are heavily consumed by ducks, small birds, and small mammals
The benefits that shallow fresh-water marshes provide to humans are important. These waters:
- Help to restore our ground water
- Assist in purifying our drinking water
- Help to control urban flooding
Experts share that Wisconsin has lost more than 50% of our original wetlands since settlers began to arrive around 200 years ago. Of the marshes that remain, 75% are owned by private citizens.
For almost four decades, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association (WWA) has worked closely with private landowners and other partners to restore, refurbish, and replenish shallow fresh-water marshes and other wetlands. These areas form complex ecosystems that are among the most fertile areas in our state. This fertility creates an abundance of wildlife. WWA can offer technical assistance and can guide the landowner through the restoration process. Often times finance assistance is available through various organizations.
WWA is actively seeking future projects throughout Wisconsin, to continue the work of growing the number of shallow wetlands throughout the Dairy State. For further inquiry contact me, B.J. Grassmann, Habitat Outreach at grassmannbj@gmail.com.
Life is hectic. Take the :me this Spring to smell a rose and visit a shallow fresh-water marsh and enjoy all that Mother Nature shows us.