I've always enjoyed hiking the Little Portage Wildlife Area. As I drive through the farmlands and drainage ditches to get to it, I think about how most of Ohio's wetlands have been drained and filled to make way for farms, roadways,
houses and other development. Mining, fluctuating water levels and logging also
impacted Ohio's wetlands. In fact, nearly 90 percent of Ohio's original wetlands
have disappeared. From the 1780's to the 1980's, Ohio wetland areas declined
from about 5,000,000 acres to about 483,000 acres. Here in NW Ohio, I live in the area once covered by the Great Black Swamp, which was once 120 miles in length and an average of
40 miles in width (about the size of Connecticut).
Today, only 5 percent of the original Great Black Swamp remains. With the
notable exceptions of a few large tracts of marsh and swamp in Ottawa, Sandusky,
Lucas, Ashtabula, Geauga and Trumbell Counties, most of Ohio's remaining
wetlands are scattered wooded tracts. That's why is it so important that you support the effort to preserve existing and create new wetlands. Enjoy the video!
Recommended reading:
Discover the vital role of disappearing wetlands and what can be done to protect and restore this resource.
Discover the vital role of disappearing wetlands and what can be done to protect and restore this resource.Hide
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000+ acres lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad revenues (10%) will be donated to Monarch Watch, earmarked for their Monarch Waystation program. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it by Contacting Us!
My mother, Jane S. Morton, taught children about Nature's beauty at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center in Bay Village, Ohio. This plaque can be found there.
Discover the vital role of disappearing wetlands and what can be done to protect and 
