World Wetlands Day Is February 2, 2025

by Bob Montgomery

World Wetlands Day takes place on Sunday, February 2, this year. 

The theme for this year is ‘Protecting wetlands for our common future’ with a message to ‘value, protect and inspire.’

Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) Wetlands Specialist Angela Van Niekerk says it's amazing how fast the local dragonflies, turtles, frogs and birds move into the constructed wetlands, once the habitat is provided. She shares that they have lost a lot of wetlands in the past but they're working hard to protect the ones that they do have and local landowners are working with the ABCA to create their own wetlands. In the last year, 11 landowners have created 23 wetlands. Since 2008, ABCA has helped more than 100 local landowners create more than 150 wetlands over 950 acres. 

The creation of a wetland starts with a site visit from the ABCA staff. Typically, the area they're looking at is a wet spot that doesn't grow crops well and doesn't dry up very well. They check out the soil type and what other species are in the area. Then they do the design in their office and hire contractors that have experience in maintaining the features that provide the wetland benefits for the funders and the ABCA in cleaning up the water quality. The contractors typically excavate the soil and sometimes they can create berms to hold the water back. Next they plant the area with native seeds. In the fall and spring they plant a lot of wild flowers and native plants that will add a lot of colour and pollinators to attract other pollinators, animals and insects to the wetland.

Wetlands provide a lot of buffering and water quality improvement when it's stored on the landscape. It helps to alleviate some of the flooding downstream and it reduces erosion. The wetlands also provide habitat for over 600 species of plants, insects and native animals that call wetlands home at different times of the year. 

Van Niekerk says they do have some funding at the moment, so anyone that would like a little help in creating a wetland can call the ABCA at 519-235-2610. They can provide a site visit and help with planning their project.

Photo courtesy of ABCA