Wetlands are found all over the world where low-lying lands meet
water, or where rivers meet oceans. Wetlands are saturated with
water at least part of the year, and are important hosts for a
variety of plants and wildlife. In the Central Valley, there are
different types of wetlands, including marshes, ponds, edges of
creeks and rivers, and vernal pools. These areas are some of the
most biologically productive environments on the planet,
comparable to tropical rainforests. Wetlands act as giant
sponges, slowing and storing rushing floodwater, then releasing
it in drier times. Like huge filters, wetlands clean the water
by breaking down or removing pollution. This exhibition will
help you to understand their beauty, role in the ecosystem...
and also their importance. The Effie Yeaw Nature Center is an
appropriate home for this exhibition. Nestled amid an oak
woodland along the American River, this award-winning
environmental and cultural education center is ideally suited to
tell the story of riverside (ripar