If Bill Jennejahn has his way, his dream of restoring some 50 acres of wooded wetlands behind the VFW Post on Lake Road in Hamlin will become reality this summer. His plan to excavate three or four areas for duck ponds, a wetlands nature trail and boardwalk, a nature center and expanded athletic fields has been several years in the making. This year the VFW’s proposal was finally selected for funding by the Wetlands Reserve Program of the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. JoBeth Bellanca, district conservationist for the USDA explains, "We go into formerly cropped areas where the wetlands were destroyed in one way or another. ... We restore the hydrology or wetland condition of that area. In Hamlin, the plan is to go into some of the wetter areas in the woods and excavate out a shallow ‘pothole’ -- is what we call them -- a duck pond, four feet or less of water. Most of the water is about 18 inches deep so the dabbling ducks can eat off the bottom." In all, the duck ponds will cover only about half an acre of the reserve. The focus of the project is to attract migrating waterfowl: mallards, blue-winged teal, black ducks and wood ducks. Few, if any, geese are expected to stop in the new wetland park because there are too many trees. Geese, here, are unwanted. As Bellanca says, "geese are aggressive and would chase the ducks away." "We tell landowners not to mow around the wetland," Bellanca says, "because geese don’t like the tall grass and vegetation. They’d rather have a lawn. In this area we are hoping to attract wood ducks, so we need to provide tall grass and vegetation for the ducks to nest." Some of the potholes are not going to hold water all year around, so in the summer visitors to the nature trail and boardwalk will be more likely to spot salamanders and other amphibians like frogs, toads and snakes. "Migrating songbirds are also going to benefit from this," says Ballanca. "Deer, all sorts of wildlife, are going to benefit. But our primary focus is waterfowl." It was largely because of Jennejahn’s persistence in promoting the project that the new park is being built. "It is a competitive process to get funding" explains Bellanca, "organizations like the VFW can apply, but it’s mostly private landowners that get funding for wetland restoration projects. Our only other current public project is in the town of Mendon. He applied several years in a row before he got funded." Construction of the duck ponds is expected to begin in July. The first population of nesting ducks is anticipated next spring. Private landowners interested in exploring the financial benefits of restoring wetlands can contact: JoBeth Bellanca at USDA, 249 Highland Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620 585-473-2120. Do You Know? Besides providing habitat for many different plant and animal species, many of which are threatened and endangered, wetlands filter and collect sediment from runoff water, including various pollutants, helping prevent contamination of creeks, streams and the lake. Many wetlands store water temporarily, allowing the water to percolate into the ground or evaporate. This temporary storage reduces the peak water flow after a storm and reduces the damage and danger of floods. Wetlands are reservoirs for rainwater and runoff, providing needed water for wildlife and improving soil moisture for vegetation. Wetlands also help recharge ground water aquifers. Wetlands provide for a variety of recreational opportunities, including fishing, bird and wildlife watching, and nature study. Wetlands, and the ecological diversity they provide, add beauty and value to the community |
