Weeping Wetlands

By Jenna McMahon

Sitting on a bench, looking into a little creek, a small trout swam by. Ducks were quacking and splashing their wings in the water. A butterfly landed on a leaf, moving its wings up and down slowly. The sun danced through the window into this imitation of a wetland. People began to come in, flooding the pavilion at the zoo to see what they could have seen 50 years ago. The Canadian wetlands close to gone because they were seen as a waste of land. Wetlands were so full of life like fish, birds, amphibians and small mammals. The marshes used to have tall and majestic whooping cranes. But the government flooded and poisoned their land to get rid of mosquitoes. Large marshes bulldozed to build small cities that grow into big cities that take out other wetlands and forests. As always, man doesn’t know what he has until it is gone.

A little girl stopped to watch the ducks playing in the water. She watched them as though she is seeing them for the first time. The swamp where I used to see the ducks swim, filtered the water we drink but it was removed for a mall. There used to be a small creek by the school where that girl goes, it absorbed rain and melting snow, and reduced flooding like it was a sponge. Then it was cut off for a playground.

I got up and walked with the crowd into the next room. An indoor pond full of salmon was next on display. I started thinking about when I was a little girl and I’d see them migrating through creeks. “Over 95% of southern Ontario’s wetlands are gone. Please enjoy our display of what they would have looked like.” Read the plaque near the exhibit. I started asking my self some questions: If I had said something about the bulldozing of Mallard’s Marsh would the species of mallard ducks not be endangered? If I had helped on the earth day clean up of the swamp would it still be there? If I cared when I was a little girl would our wetlands still thrive? If it took God millions of years to create earth, and it took man only thousands to destroy it are we next? These thoughts went through my head from then until I was home. In 2050, the wetlands of Canada have a dim future.

Near my house there still is a marsh. Every year birds flew through to head south. The government called me a lot and asked that I let them put in a shopping mall. I was going to let them until I visited the zoo that day and saw what would be gone. 30 types of migratory birds would never get south. The salmon that go through will never lay their eggs. I decided that I would bring the mayor and convince him that my marsh is important by showing him my wildlife and how it helps us in general.

3 Years Later

Ever since the mayor said he was going to leave my marsh alone I’ve seen frogs, salmon, whooping cranes, canvasbacks, and even deer. Most of which I didn’t think lived here anymore. I see them every week and it has shown me that it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done.

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