Tippecanoe County outdoor happenings, March 18-22 (Photos)

March 20: Wednesdays in the Wild, 1-3 p.m., Lily Nature Center. The Grand Kankakee Marsh-Let’s Bring Some of it Back. Jim Sweeney, founding member of Friends of the Kankakee (link), will present the documentary “Everglades of the North”. Once one of the largest wetlands in North America, the Grand Kankakee Marsh was part of the Mississippi River system. Drained for agricultural and commercial purposes, the area is very productive. Modern understanding of the importance of wetlands has lead to a number of wetlands undergoing restoration where possible. Parts of the Kankakee Marsh are being restored on a small scale by county and state governing bodies. Mr. Sweeney will talk about current plans to restore more of the wetland as a national wetland refuge (link). Lying directly below Lake Michigan, the Kankakee River and Marsh was the remnant of an ancient glacier. It was a vital part of the Great Lakes flyway for migrating waterfowl.