Wetlands create family memories

“When we first initially started this project, the goal was re-establishing habitat for the deer population, wild turkeys. But what we found out is that it’s a lot bigger than that.”

TJ Rogers and his father, Tom, wanted to create a recreational property for their family on some marginal farmland they owned. So with the help of USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service’s Wetlands Reserve Program, they restored their land back to wetlands. Now, the Rogers’ property is not only a home to wildlife, it also cleans water and provides flood storage for communities downstream, all the way to the Fox River.

75% of Wisconsin’s remaining wetlands are in private ownership, giving landowners a vital role in caring for wetlands. Private landowners also own most of the land that used to be wetland and could be restored. As much as 85% of Wisconsin’s potentially restorable wetland acreage is in private ownership. If you are a landowner who owns wetlands or land you think might be wetlands, Wisconsin Wetlands Association and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation can help you care for and restore your land.

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Special thanks to TJ, Tom, and Luke Rogers for sharing their story in this video and for all they do for wetlands.