Wetland Habitat Restoration; a collaborative pond project

Wetlands such as this one, the headwaters of the Pajaro River play a critical role in the cleaning of water as it goes through the ecosystem. Coupled with the Blue Oak woodlands the pond works to clean the water as well as support a ultra rich biodiverse ecosystem that is a key player in the link between the coastal and inland support system for human and animal health as well as the environmental health of the planet.   

Wetlands  are at a critical point. California has lost over 90% of it's wetlands.  The Central Valley of California extending north to south for over 450  miles has harbored most of the biodiversity for over a millenia. By the  1970's the Central Valley had lost over 90% of it's wetlands to  unsustainable agriculture and development. Since then the yearly losses  of wetlands in the valley have greatly reduced the availability of  wetlands. The Central Valley and the eastern rim of the coastal  mountains are a globally important bird area. Aquatic birds as well as  others migrate yearly from South America to the Arctic. They have to  stop to rest and refuel many times on that flight. The stop overs have  vanished. A million migratory birds die every year and the numbers are  increasing. Freshwater wetlands make up only 1% of the earth's surface  but they support over 10% of all the animals on earth. Fifty percent of  federally listed animals and 28% of plants depend on wetlands for  survival. In reality, most non marine wildlife depend on wetlands to  some degree.

Why should we care? Landmark  studies have consistently linked human health to animal and plant  biodiversity the greatest of which are found in wetlands. A landmark  study on climate change in 2017 showed that nature can deliver at least  30% of emissions reductions needed by 2030 to prevent climate  catastrophe. Protecting and increasing biodiversity plays a crucial part  in increasing these emissions reductions.
The health and lives of the human community are integrally linked to the health and survival of our wetlands and wildlands.