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Preserving wetlands is greatly beneficial to our environment in the way that they slow down water flow, run off, and act as a great filtration system while housing a variety of species. Water doesn’t flow quickly through this area because of the mass amounts of vegetation that are present. By traveling through the wetlands, water is actually being filtered naturally! “Nitrogen in water is transformed to harmless nitrogen gas” and the nutrients that pass through are needed and used by the plants ("Value of Wetlands"). 

Wetlands are also a great source of food for animals; a primary source of food for ducks in the Jug Bay Wetland Sanctuary is the common named plant duck corn. Duck corn gets its name from being very popular among the waterfowl in this area. Canadian Geese have grown so dependent on the corn in this area that they have been known to stay in the wetlands even during the winter when they would normally fly south (Swarth, “Distribution and Abundance” ).

"The Value of Wetlands." WWF. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. <http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/intro/value/>.

Swarth, Chris. Distribution and Abundance of Wintering Waterbirds on the Patuxent River Estuary. Rep. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.jugbay.org/sites/www.jugbay.org/files/Swarth%20waterbird%20report.pdf>.