Overview
The Wetlands Initiative combines two basic strategies in its work: on-the-ground restoration of wetland landscapes both independently and in partnership with other organizations, and innovation of ways to promote and finance large-scale wetland restoration by others.
Restoration
TWI is a leader in showing through its own restoration projects how wetlands long drained and degraded can be returned to high-quality wetland ecosystems once again able to perform their natural “services” like cleaning water, providing habitat, and sequestering carbon. Our current major restoration projects include:
- Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at Hennepin & Hopper Lakes
- Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
- The Calumet Region
Innovation
If wetland restoration is going to happen on a significant scale across the landscape, others besides TWI and its conservation partners need to have strong, convincing reasons to join in the effort. We believe that this is most likely to happen through innovations that leverage the valuable ecosystem services provided by wetlands.
TWI’s current projects in this area focus on wetlands’ ability to effectively and cost-efficiently reduce nutrient pollution and improve water quality: