Blog Post #4 - Edmonds Marsh

I spent some of my afternoon on October 13th in Edmonds Marsh, it was a nice sunny day and the boardwalk was empty of people between 3pm and 4pm, so I was able to spend some time looking at all of the different species that are contained in the marsh without many distractions.

Wetlands and estuaries act as filters for run off as well as containment of excess water. They also provide a sanctuary in a developed area for organisms such as birds, insects, and plants.

Comparing Edmonds Marsh to Carkeek Park, I did notice that Edmonds Marsh has much more grass, while Carkeek had more trees as well as being right up to the sound. In Carkeek Park, the water was stream fed and the water was moving, at Edmonds Marsh, the water appeared to pool and I did not see if it was flowing. Carkeek Park also had areas within the park for human recreation, while Edmonds Marsh was difficult to navigate other than the few perimeter boardwalk overlooks and a few places just off of the trail where there was enough of a clearing to walk down to the waterline.

Some of the organisms I discovered at the marsh were a flock of green heron, several different species of grasses, many tall cattail (Typha latifolia) and even what appears to be European Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) with its red berries. There were also many trailing blackberry bushes along the eastern edge of the marsh and I was lucky to even spot a crane fly snacking on a blackberry. There also were a few bird houses placed in the marsh, and the skeleton of a tree, which looked to me to be an ideal perch for resting birds.

Some of the abiotic factors I noticed were the fact that the marsh was very open so the sunlight was able to reach all of the plants, the plants themselves provided plenty of cover for smaller creatures and the marsh allows the ground to stay spongy and wet. The birds were resting, so I was unable to determine if they were eating any organisms in the marsh, but I imagine that there was something there other than just water since I don't recall seeing herons in other places.

I feel that wetland restoration is very important. There are organisms which thrive in marsh environments and we owe it to our descendants to help these organisms. I have lived in the PNW for several years now, and do not recall seeing herons anyplace other than marshes, nor do I recall seeing that many marshes.

I believe the restoration of Edmonds Marsh is being performed by first trying to restore the wetland back to its natural condition based on what I recall of the sign that was located along the edge of the marsh.

I enjoyed the time I spent at the marsh even though it was rather short. I did not realize before I did this assignment how important marshes are, and the need to restore them is so vital to the survival of several native species.

One question I have, is what do the cattails contribute to the marsh?