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Who knew something so small could be so beneficial.

Today I’m sharing with you the 5 Benefits of a Fen.

We moved into this neighborhood about 20 years ago. Our last child was about to finish high school, we lived within the city limits and the neighborhood was getting worse every day. That’s when we decided to move outside of the city into a township. We love it here. The properties are big enough for us to enjoy some space but not so big they take hours to maintain. The older we get the more we are making our property self-sufficient. Lots of perennials, every year we add more. I want to travel not be a slave to my property.

Another big advantage is our park system Centerville Washington Township  Park District and the surrounding park systems. It’s like I’m situated in between small and large pockets of nature. It’s awesome. For instance, my neighborhood has always had a small park with a swing set, slide, monkey bars, etc… There was always a large grassy area that stayed wet and damp most of the time. Last year the township decided to return the land to its natural state. Its natural state is a fen. I wasn’t even sure what a fen was until the started the overhaul.

So what is a fen? A fen is a type of wetland, like a bog or marsh. A fen is fed by a mineral-rich groundwater or surface water. It will support unique plants depending on the characteristics of that particular fen making a fen a great indicator of the environmental conditions. In the 18th and 19th centuries land was cleared for farming, building towns and neighborhoods and the fens disappeared and so did the unique plants and animals.

The good news is that some fens are being brought back by local parks and conservationists.

Storm Control: A fen helps prevent and reduce the risk of flood waters.

Supports Wildlife: Certain birds and animals are able to use a fen to live or as a stopover.

Supports Native Plants: The high nutrient levels in a fen provide support for many unique plants;

Absorb Pollutants: A fen supports many trees and plants that help filter the air.

Improves Water Quality: Fens have continuous water flow with a water flow close to the surface.

References:
https://www.wetlandtrust.org.nz/Cache/Pictures/2280012/Northland_Fens.pdf
https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetlands-classification-and-types#marshes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fen

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