money bag

https://www.gofundme.com/austin-road-adventure

Wetlands are significant partly because of the WATER PURIFICATION and HABITAT they provide.  

According to the Ramsar Convention:

The economic worth of the ecosystem services provided to society by intact, naturally functioning wetlands is frequently much greater than the perceived benefits of converting them to 'more valuable' intensive land use – particularly as the profits from unsustainable use often go to relatively few individuals or corporations, rather than being shared by society as a whole.

Please describe the current condition of each piece in the adventure:

  NE:  open areas in permanent pasture with abundant & varied trees, wooded areas intact,

 5 acre wetland, 2 small and 1 large pond established  

  SW: open areas in permanent pasture (not currently grazed) with occasional, varied trees, 

wooded areas intact,  wetland established, 10 acre permanent grass hay field harvested twice a year  

  NW: open areas in permanent pasture (not currently grazed) with occasional, varied trees, 

 northern most field planted into trees, wooded areas intact

  SE:  open areas in permanent pasture with occasional, varied trees, 2 wetlands established, wooded areas intact 

   10 acre permanent grass hay field harvested once a year, northern most field planted into 200 conifer trees  

How many times does the St. Joseph River flow through this adventure?

  Twice

Please describe the condition of land surrounding the Austin Road Adventure:

   open areas plowed crop fields, sprayed with chemicals, rare trees, open areas and wetlands tiled and drained, wooded areas continuously logged, multiple active small (50 - 250 animals) CAFO 's (Confined Animal Feed Operation), fresh manure spread regularly on limited acres, frequently near surface water ditches  

What is meant by “permanent pasture” and why are these areas significant?

    Land in “permanent pasture” was plowed one time, planted into pasture (diverse mix of grasses and legumes), and has since been allowed to thrive.  It has not been and will never be plowed again, under the current stewardship.  

Pasture is not always an accurate descriptor since much of the land here is not currently grazed by farm animals. 

 One could use the word meadow to describe “permanent pasture” areas.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meadow

A meadow is a field habitat vegetated by grass and other non-woody plants (grassland).^[1]

Meadows are of ecological importance because they are open, sunny areas that attract and support flora and fauna that could not thrive in other conditions.  They often host a multitude of wildlife, providing areas for courtship displays, nesting, food gathering and sometimes sheltering if the vegetation is high enough. Many meadows support a wide array of wildflowers, which makes them of utmost importance to pollinating insects, including bees, and hence the entire ecosystem.    

As mentioned above, the “permanent pasture” areas are significant because they provide HABITAT for plants and animals.

The significance of “permanent pastures” also lies in the natural formation of TOPSOIL that occurs in these areas. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topsoil  

 Without topsoil, little plant life is possible.  Conventional agriculture encourages the depletion of topsoil because the soil must be plowed and replanted each year.  The United States alone loses almost 3 tons of topsoil per acre per year.^[10] This is of great ecological concern as one inch of topsoil can take between 500^[11] and 1,000 years^[12] to form naturally. On current trends, the world has about 60 years of topsoil left.^[12][13]

What is meant by wetland and why are these areas significant?  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetland  

A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem.^[2]  Wetlands play a number of roles in the environment, principally water purification, flood control, carbon sink and shoreline stability. Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal life.

As mentioned above, wetlands are significant partly because of the WATER PURIFICATION and HABITAT they provide.  

According to the Ramsar Convention:

The economic worth of the ecosystem services provided to society by intact, naturally functioning wetlands is frequently much greater than the perceived benefits of converting them to 'more valuable' intensive land use – particularly as the profits from unsustainable use often go to relatively few individuals or corporations, rather than being shared by society as a whole.