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wetlands

Wetlands

Originally a channel of the South Platte River until the flood of June 1965, the Wetlands offer an incredible educational resource due to the diversity of habitats and environments that exist in the area. The 1.25 acre wetland at Hudson Gardens is protected by law and is home to cattails, willows and duckweed, and supports a variety of fauna, including muskrats, raccoons, frogs, toads, red fox, and a multitude of birds. The area is left relatively natural with only the occasional clearing of decaying matter.

Defined as areas where water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface at least a good portion of the year, wetlands are the most threatened ecosystem on earth. They are also one of the most productive ecosystems, sometimes being referred to as “biological supermarkets” due to the wide variety of plant and animal species that they support.

A few interesting facts about wetlands:

• Wetlands cover about 5% of the land surface in the continental US and are home to 31% of the plant species

• An acre of wetland can hold a million and half gallons of water

• As many as half of all North American bird species nest or feed in wetlands.

• More than a third of US threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands.

• Over half of America’s original wetlands have been destroyed.

Learn more about the Wetlands.