Wetlands

Who knows where items we discard each day may show up?

More than 200 volunteers who turned out Saturday morning at Fort McHenry know — some of the plastic foam, plastic ware, bottles and other floating debris nestles in wetlands at the national monument.

In a cleanup hosted by the National Parks Conservation Association and the National Aquarium, volunteers converged on Fort McHenry to remove thousands of pounds of trash and debris from the site's shorelines, as well as remove invasive plants. Crews also planted trees, mulched gardens and performed trail maintenance.

The efforts help preserve a wildlife habitat that officials say is rare in an urban area. Ed Stierli,...