Session: FT 2 - Horicon Marsh: A Wetland of International Importance


Saturday, August 2, 2008: 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
West Well St. Entrance , Midwest Airlines Center
FT 2 - Horicon Marsh: A Wetland of International Importance - CANCELLED
Horicon Marsh is today recognized as a globally important resource, yet this wetland has experienced numerous human alterations and impacts over the past 150 years, including ditching and draining in an effort to convert this wetland for agricultural purposes. As a restored wetland, Horicon Marsh supports a vast array of wildlife, with 296 species of birds having been recorded here. The greatest threat to this marsh is from non-point runoff and high sediment and nutrient inputs that lead to a chain reaction of events, which impact the flora and fauna of the marsh in different ways. This field trip will cover the history of the marsh, its current wildlife management objectives and applied programs, and examine the impacts from various land uses in the watershed that threaten this marsh. The story of Horicon Marsh is not only unique to this wetland, but reflects a changing human relationship with wetlands around the world and common threats to many protected wetlands today.