On a chilly afternoon, 23 people met for a “walk through the wetlands” on Thursday. Starting at the St. Michaels trail across from the elementary school, the group wound their way through the wetlands of St. Michaels. Sponsored by the non-profit Environmental Concern, the event celebrated World Wetland Day.
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With pen and paper in hand, Patsy Holtz and Abby Crismond of Cambridge ran ahead of the group, searching for scavenger hunt fauna and flora. “Minnows and a white perch!” cried Crismond, who said the event was “fun and educational”. Her partner Patsy Holtz chimed in “it’s totally awesome!”
Since 1971 when the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was signed in Ransar, Iran, communities across the globe celebrate the importance of local wetlands on February 2nd. Since it began, 1179 sites have been designated “wetland of international importance”, totaling over 100,000,000 hectacres in 133 countries.
According to Environmental Concern, 90% of the world’s population lives in close proximity to wetlands. Since the Chesapeake Bay is the nation’s largest estuary, it’s fitting that local residents take time to appreciate the importance that wetlands offer to the health of our region. It is estimated that the 3 Bay states have lost roughly 58% of their wetlands since colonial times. Wetlands are threatened by sea-level rise and development pressure despite increased restoration efforts.
The group visited the 13 acre site of Environmental Concern’s St. Michaels facility at the headwaters of San Doming Creek, and learned about the shoreline restoration project initiated there three years ago. It’s easy to appreciate the differences between the natural shoreline and the bulkheaded portion of the creek, which awaits funding for completion of the shoreline restoration project.
Environmental Concern has been preserving and building wetlands for 40 years, offering education programs, restoration services and the nation’s first wholesale wetland nursery, cultivating 120 different wetland species. The organization held an outdoor celebration with refreshments, educational displays and hot chocolate, a perfect treat on the cold afternoon.
The group posed for a photograph, which Environmental Concern staffers will post to an international website, alongside photos of other wetland walkers around the globe. For more information about Environmental Concern, a St. Michaels treasure, click here.
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Mary Ann Henker says
It was a great day! Environmental Concern does such worthy work. Thanks for the great article.