Conservation Commission

A Year in the Wetlands

There is always something happening in a wetland. Here are some of the sights you can look for on your next visit to an Amherst wetland.

Spring

• marsh marigolds bloom
• birds return for winter migration
• ducklings and goslings hatch
• baby animals are born
• pitcher plants bloom in May
• tussock sedges stick up out of the water
• herons and egrets nest
• fish move to wetlands to spawn
• wetlands hold and filter water from winter snowmelt

Summer

• muskrats raise young
• redwing blackbirds display territories
• sedges flower
• water lilies bloom white and yellow
• young fish use wetlands for cover and food
• tadpoles metamorphose into frogs
• fawns hide
• summer wildflowers bloom
• wetlands hold and filter water from summer storms

Fall

• tamarack trees turn gold
• ducks, geese, and other birds migrate
• usually the driest time of year
• winter birds arrive
• monarch butterflies migrate south
• goldenrod, asters, and other fall wildflowers bloom

Winter

• deer overwinter in wetlands
• snails and amphibians burrow in the mud for the winter
• bright red stems of the osier dogwood stand out
• animal tracks are seen in the snow
• skunk cabbage's smelly flowers signal the coming spring

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