With our previous blog post, we gave you an introduction to wetlands. This time, we’re going to focus on one of the most important benefits that wetlands provide and what the Sankofa Wetland Park and Nature Trail provide for the Lower Ninth Ward community- the management of stormwater runoff.
Stormwater runoff happens when after a storm, rain flows across the land and picks up soil, chemicals, or anything else that might be in its way. This is harmful to our environment because when the water ends up going back into streams, bodies of water evaporate back into the atmosphere, and take all of the things it has picked up along the way with it. This can cause multiple problems, many of which we face here in New Orleans, including:
- Excess flooding
- Pollution of water
- Erosion of natural areas
Thankfully, wetlands are an important part of managing stormwater to make sure that these problems occur less or even not occur at all. Wetlands, such as the ones found in Sankofa Wetland Park and Nature Trail, help to remove pollutants from stormwater runoff, as well as allowing the water to have somewhere to go. The plants that live in and around these wetlands are able to filter out the toxins and chemicals that can be found in the water, without causing harm to themselves. This leads to the production, distribution, and consumption of fresher and cleaner water!
Check out our activities page and make your own Nature Bookmark!
If you are interested in seeing the wetlands in action, be sure to take a walk at the Sankofa Wetland Park and Nature Trail, located at 6401 Florida Avenue.
Additionally, if you are ever interested in taking a step to help the wetlands and the environment in general, come to one of Sankofa’s Second Saturday Restoration Days (on the second Saturday of every month)!
