Happy World Wetlands Day! [posted with permission from the Ontbirds Coordinator]
Today we are celebrating World Wetlands Day. This year's theme is WETLAND BIODIVERSITY: WHY IT MATTERS. The goal is to share and raise awareness of the importance of wetlands to biodiversity. Wetlands support a rich variety of plant and animal species - and provide many other ecosystem services, such as controlling floods and preventing carbon from entering the atmosphere. Wetlands in southern Ontario, for instance, yield a staggering 52 billion in ecosystem services per year! But recent estimates show these benefits are under threat, as wetlands continue to disappear. But you can help. By participating in the Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program you can conserve wetlands-one of North America's most important - and threatened - ecosystems. The Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program is a bi-national, long-term monitoring program that provides a unique and rewarding opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts. Participants visit their marsh 3 or more times each spring and collect information about the presence and abundance of bird and frog species. The data enhance our understanding of the habitat required by these species, and helps implement conservation actions to keep populations healthy. Over 400 volunteer Great Lakes Marsh Monitors complete bird and frog surveys at more than 300 locations each year. Spring 2020 is the 26th survey season of The Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program, and we hope to increase the number of surveys across the Great Lakes Basin. Here is the link to our Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program web page: https://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/glmmp . To request a route, please complete the form at https://tinyurl.com/needanMMProute , and remember to provide details on your preferred survey location. You can review available routes at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cZVkRiRAlMmZmS8kU_PcloN4hkkUTelV&usp=sharing. To read more about Birds Canada's Marsh Monitoring Program and it's results visit these two blogs. Cheers to Over 1700 Volunteers and to 25 Years! https://www.birdscanada.org/news/cheers-to-over-1700-volunteers-and-to-25-years Immerse yourself in wetlands biodiversity. https://www.birdscanada.org/news/immerse-yourself-in-wetlands-biodiversity Please share this information with anyone else you feel might enjoy participating. Kathy Jones Volunteer Manager, Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program Birds Canada 888-448-2473 ext 124 volunt...@birdscanada.org http://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/glmmp? _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
