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By John Watson Local Journalism initiative Reporter

The Town of Strathmore Sustainability Committee will soon be putting up educational signs throughout the wetland south of Grey’s Park in an effort to help educate residents of its importance.

Committee Leader Rob Pirie said the team is concerned about a general lack of understanding about the importance of the wetlands by local residents. 

The idea for educational signs came up after some residents were calling for the creation of developed pathways through the wetland, and others were calling for sanded areas around the large body of water.

“As a committee we said it would be nice if we had some education there which talked about why we have wetlands, what the purposes of them are and importance in the sense of the species that are there,” said Pirie.

“People need to understand wetlands, what the purpose of them [is], and why there will not be development in that area.”

Communities in Bloom, of which Pirie is also involved, voted to allocate $1,500 to the signs and petitioned the Town for an additional $500 for the project. The motion was passed and approved by council.

Pirie added the sustainability committee had felt they did not have enough local expertise about wetlands to compile information for the signs themselves, so Ducks Unlimited Canada has been asked to help.

Conservation Program Specialist, Derek Hallgrimson, said Ducks Unlimited was happy to help and is working on three topics to cover with the signs.

“Right now, I’m working with some of our HR people and we’re trying to put together some appropriate information for the Town and Communities in Bloom to put those signs up around the wetlands at Grey’s Park,” he said. “It’ll be why wetlands are important, what is a wetland and there will be what species, especially waterfowl species, can be found at those wetlands.”

Hallgrimson added he believes not many people understand the importance nor the necessity of wetlands. 

“Wetlands act as a sponge during drought or flood years. In dry years, they’ll release some of the water that they once held, and then in wet years they’ll absorb more water to cause less flooding,” he said. “All the vegetation – everything within a wetland, filters water, so it creates cleaner water for the environment, for animals, for birds, for people.”

He further explained, wetlands also create habitat for numerous species of wildlife from birds to mammals, fish, all the way down to invertebrates. 

Pirie added the committee intends to install the signs as soon as all the necessary content is compiled for them, ideally before this winter.