Take a stroll through the Wakodahatchee Wetlands and you"ll likely spot great blue herons, like the fluffed-up pair we"re featuring today. Located in Delray Beach, Florida, and created on 50 acres of wastewater utility property, the park first opened to the public back in 1996. A three-quarter-mile boardwalk takes visitors over ponds and through marshes, offering the chance to see more than 150 bird species, plus turtles, fish, frogs, alligators, and other Floridian fauna. Every day, the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department pumps about 2 million gallons of highly treated wastewater into the wetlands. Then algae and other plants naturally finish the purification process before the water seeps back into the water table. Quite an upgrade from a yucky wastewater pond.
Finding a balance between wetlands and water treatment
Today in History
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Chapel of St. Michel on Lake Serre-Ponçon, Hautes-Alpes, France
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March of the flowers
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Summer winds down in the Southern Hemisphere
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Summer winds down in the Southern Hemisphere
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Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
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Terraced rice fields, Yuanyang County, China
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Roques de Benet, Els Ports Natural Park, Catalonia, Spain
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Plum blossoms in China
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Happy Thanksgiving from an expert face-stuffer
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World of WearableArt Awards
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Día de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico
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National Napping Day
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It’s Opening Day for Major League Baseball
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New York City Marathon
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Negratín Reservoir, Granada, Spain
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Everglades National Park turns 75
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Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
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Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
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Welcome to El Cervantino
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World Rainforest Day
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A Welsh wonder turns 70
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Harvest season begins
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Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument anniversary
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Snow on the temple
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Swimming into the season
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Mid-Autumn Festival
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Everybody loves World Turtle Day
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Books for children of all ages
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Maritime forest on Cumberland Island, Georgia
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The Great Blue Hole, Belize
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World Teachers Day
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Autumn in Alaska
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World Childrens Day
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Happy International Astronomy Day!
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World Otter Day
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On this shore, history was made
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Cold? What cold?
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American bison, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming