Program on the Environment

Wetlands serve as a habitat for native species, maintain water quality in the surrounding area, and help to mitigate environmental problems. Therefore, the public needs to pay attention to wetland restoration projects. Unfortunately, many people do not care or pay little attention to the problem; instead, they dump garbage into wetlands, which shows that people’s mindset toward protecting the environment is immature. This study aims to demonstrate the importance of protecting wetlands and how to do it. To answer this question, I learned to identify different invasive weeds and their characteristics from my site supervisor and literature review during my internship. The papers I looked up also show various methods to restore wetlands more efficiently, such as remote sensing techniques. I set up a simple experiment to test the growth rate of Eastern Red Cedar in the wetland. Though the result of my experiment does not show a positive correlation between living conditions and heights of Eastern Red Cedars, other crew members will keep working on this experiment. By doing so, we can learn how to help strengthen the ecosystem without wasting too much time, resources, and energy. The key findings of my project are the importance of being familiar with different noxious weeds, applying various methods to restore wetlands, raising people’s awareness of wetland restorations, and supporting environmental organizations. Wetlands are essential, not just for animals but also for human beings. Therefore, it is our responsibility to protect them from harm.