Why Marshes Matter
Salt marshes and other tidal wetlands are important hunting grounds for wading birds and shorebirds. Herons and egrets stalk fish and crustaceans in open shallow water, while sandpipers and yellowlegs search mudflats for worms, small crabs, and other prey. These rich feeding areas help migrating birds fuel up for their arduous journeys. Marshes also provide breeding habitat for birds such as Willets, Rails, and Saltmarsh Sparrows. Protecting these habitats is increasingly urgent. The 2025 State of the Birds report highlights a 33% decline in shorebird populations since 1980. Preserving and restoring marshes helps safeguard the places birds need to feed, rest, and raise their young—while supporting fish and other wildlife and helping protect nearby communities from coastal storms. As wetlands are lost and degraded around the world, every opportunity to protect and restore these habitats matters. Each marsh is part of a wider network that birds and other wildlife depend on.
Restoration in New York—Sunken Meadow
Audubon New York’s September 29 article announces a $1.6 million grant toward a larger effort to restore approximately 70–80 acres at Sunken Meadow State Park in Long Island. The first phase will raise portions of the marsh with sediment to improve habitat and resilience to rising seas. Construction is expected in winter 2027–28. Read Audubon’s article.
A local example—Iona Island
A 2018 State Parks account describes how controlling invasive Phragmites allowed native marsh plants to return, followed by birds including Virginia Rails, Least Bitterns, and Marsh Wrens. Read the Iona restoration story.