Home » Plants & Animals » Birding » Chesapeake

Chesapeake

© Fred J. Kane

CHESAPEAKE BAY In a body of water that touches the shores of the states of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware is a water shed of about 64,000 acres called Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Bay is among the largest and most fertile wetland environments in the world. In total the bays rich variety of wetland and interior surroundings sustains about 2,700 species of flowers and living things, in addition to the majority of the Atlantic Flyway's Canada Geese. Also it supports various other waterfowl species, coastal birds, wading birds, raptors and temperate climate birds.

During the preceding few decades the soundness of Chesapeake Bay experienced harm because of the transformation of huge wetland sections and woods along the bay's expansive system of tributaries. Much of this area has been converted to farming uses during the past century cutting the wetland's size available for wild birds. Farmers cleared the woods and shrubs from the area destroying bird habitat. Water contamination, principally residue laden run off killed large beds of aquatic growth, like eel grass and wild celery that are important to water fowl and the fishery. Both eel grass and wild celery support insects that birds eat.

Ducks Unlimited (DU) and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) shaped a fellowship to reestablish water bird territory and improve water quality through the whole Chesapeake Bay water shed. Given the magnitude of the region's environmental task DU and CBF secured the assistance of many government and private corporations to help reestablish and increase wetland and riparian environments along creeks in Pennsylvania. DU and another group helped 90 private farmers establish fence buffers and reinstate small wetlands along 50 miles of these Chesapeake Bay tributaries. This, with the help of these private landowners will help produce better landscape for our wildlife and we, the people.

With trees and shrubs growing along streams and creeks less shore damage occurs along these waterways. In addition to supplying home for waterfowl and other wildlife this labor will dramatically reduce levels of deposits and contaminants in the water transported by streams and creeks and as a result gain water quality in the entire tributary.

The task is to revive 125,000 acres of wetlands and 1,500 miles of buffers along streams and creeks by the year 2005. This rectification of the Chesapeake ecosystem will benefit a broad diversity of wildlife including the osprey or fish hawk. Also this diverse area of wetland aids song birds too.

With this challenge and securing conservation easements from private landowners will help revitalize hundred of acres of habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.

The copyright of the article Chesapeake in Birding is owned by Fred J. Kane. Permission to republish Chesapeake in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.