1. Vermilion Parish Wetlands Theresa Hardy

2. This is Vermilion Parish. Vermilion Parish is covered with wetlands.

3. Wetlands are lands that are covered in water. Swamps and marshes are types of wetlands.

4. Wetlands covered with grass and small bushes are called swamps.

5. Marshes are different than swamps. Marshes are wetlands that are covered with trees.

6. Throughout these wetlands are small streams. A small, slow moving stream or creak is called a bayou.

7. Many animals and insects live in Vermilions wetlands. A place where an animal lives is called its habitat.

8. Many bird make their homes in the trees that fill Vermilion Parish wetlands.

9. Birds like the great egret spend most of its day flying around looking for food. Egrets like to eat fish, frogs and crawfish found in the water and the grassy areas of Vermilion Parish.

10. Egrets also like to eat snakes. Snakes sometimes hide from egrets in the trees and the tall grasses found in the marshes and swamps of Vermilion Parish.

11. The smaller egrets like to eat insects. They are eating the insects hiding in this freshly cut rice field.

12. Some insects use their habitat for protection. Can you find the cricket hiding? It uses its environment to camouflage itself. Camouflage means to blend into the environment.

13. Spiders also feed to the insects that live around them. The Orb Spider builds her web to catch insects.

14. Dragonflies also eat insects. They are also called mosquito hawks because they like to mosquitoes.

15. Frogs eat insects too. They camouflage themselves to hide from birds and alligators while looking for food.

16. Alligators also live in the swamps and marshlands of Vermilion Parish. They feed on the many fish that live in the waters with them.

17. This is an alligator garfish. Alligator garfish have a pointy nose and very sharp teeth. They can grow up to 9 feet long.

18. Another type of fish that lives in Vermilion Parish wetlands is called a catfish. People catch catfish because they are good to eat.

19. Vermilion Parish has a large variety of wildlife living within its wetlands. Can you draw a picture of other wetland animals that live in Vermilion Parish.