Essay Contest First Place
"Why Wetlands are Valuable Ecosystems"
By Christine Sewell

Hello, it is me, Sally the Snow Goose. I live in the wetlands in Smyrna, Delaware. Many people think the wetlands are swamps filled with mosquitoes. However, wetlands are valuable ecosystems and should not be destroyed.

At the wetlands you can learn while having fun! You can go canoeing and watch the fiddler crabs swim in the water. Did you know that fiddler crabs have one claw bigger than the other one, and that fiddler crabs eat detritus? Also, you can bring binoculars to go bird watching on your canoe trip. But please do not shoot me! You can hike and look at footprints and animal scat to identify animals that live in the wetlands.

Did you know that the wetlands are a habitat and a nursery for many animals? Lots of animals lay their eggs and have babies in the wetland area. The wetland is a resting place for hurt animals like my friend, Elise the Egret. She broke her wing when a teenager knocked her over trying to steal on of her long, fluffy, white plumes. Also the wetlands provide a home to many others, including me. White perch, fiddler crabs, raccoons, foxes, and Silversides are some of the animals that live in the wetlands. If you destroy this ecosystem, I will surely die.

Did you know that wetlands act like a big sponge for flooding? They soak up the extra water that might cause damage to nearby buildings and houses. Moreover, the wetlands clean the water and filter out pollution. Also, the wetlands stop trash from flowing too far. I really do not want to see pollution that would be caused without the wetlands. My friends and I are willing to share our home with you. Please treat our home as good as you would yours. Just remember that wetlands are valuable ecosystems that provide education, habitats for animals, and help prevent pollution. Please protect these natural areas!

Essay Contest Second Place
"Why Wetlands are Valuable Ecosystems"
By Colin McIlvaine

The real heroes of wetlands are fish, toads, salamanders, snakes, worms, turtles, and more. Some of which are endangered, another reason we should protect this natural beauty. Some think of slime and muck when somebody mentions wetlands, but in that slime and muck there are tiny organisms that break down waste. Without wetlands, the world would be messed up.

To get to know these many tiny living things, I wold explain what producers, consumers and decomposers do. Producers produce food for consumers; most likely letting it eat them. Decomposers clean up by decomposing what's left. This cycle goes on and on.

People use wetlands. Sometimes we take much and give back nothing to the marshes. We eat their animal life. We use the marsh itself by developing houses over them. I say we start giving back!

I understand that many people think wetlands are useless. Am I alone in this world or do other people think we're making a mistake? Not only do these wonderful areas stop flooding, but they're beautiful.

There won't be any blue herons flying over or crabs in the store if we don't quit destroying wetlands. I hope you see it my way, and join me in preserving this part of our world.

Essay Contest Third Place
"Why Wetlands are Valuable Ecosystems"
By Robert Keesler

What would happen if we didn't have them? What kind of damage would occur? Would it affect us? I'm talking about wetlands. You're probably thinking, it's just a swamp. Listen to this, then you'll know why they are more than just a place.

First, wetlands help us in many ways. The most important reason is that they help stop flooding. Think of the kind of damage it could do to our homes. It could even kill us. That is why we shouldn't build on wetlands.

Second, it's not just about us; it's about the animals that live there. If we pollute their water, they'll die. Animals are just like people. They have to eat, sleep, drink and breathe. How wold you like it if you had to drink polluted water? The wetlands are a place for cleaning water, not polluting We're dumping too much, it has to stop. There is a limit. It can't keep up with the way we pollute the water it cleans.

Third, wetlands have another good thing. People love to watch them. If we keep building and polluting, the future generation won't be able to dazzle at the looks of animals and plants. The people that come later would like to see nature. Just think how bad I could be if the wetlands were destroyed. So please don't pollute or destroy the wetlands in any way. And that is why wetlands are so important to nature and us.