The Wetlands Specialist with the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority says a lot of local landowners are seeing the advantages of restoring sections on their properties.
Angela Van Niekerk says typically they look for land that is not being used or is too wet for farming. They do site visits and elevation surveys and then apply for grants and do the design work.
Contractors do the restoration work and then seed the soil and plant native plants to speed up the recovery.
They have 12 sites lined up for this year.
Van Niekerk says wetlands provide a multitude of benefits including habitat for over 600 species of plants and animals.
"Wetlands provide a lot of water storage on the landscape that helps to slow down heavy surface flows, leading to less soil erosion, reducing flooding and erosion, also recharging groundwater areas and the roots can help to filter the water," she says.
