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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: "Walking Wetlands" Help Declining Birds, Boost Crops


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The unusual practice of flooding farmlands (above) has brought back wetlands and shorebirds to Washington State's lush Skagit Valley.

The three-year experiment has shown partial success: Fifteen shorebirds have made pit stops on the inundated fields, and farmers have benefited from increased levels of nitrogen, a natural fertilizer.

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Photograph courtesy Kirsten Morse, The Nature Conservancy