The benefits of swamps, marshes, and other wetland wonderlands are worth singing about. Join the chorus:
We should leave wetlands just as they are: wet ‘n’ wild. (via Craig Koppie, NFWS)
People once considered wetlands useless, as little more than soggy ground waiting to be drained and put to better use. Now we recognize wetlands as the croon-worthy areas they are.
Besides being quiet places of safety and serene seclusion for innumerable animal, bird, and plant species, wetlands function for people in amazing ways.
Here is just a brief sampling of the deep value of wetlands, which:
- Trap and hold raging floodwaters
- Replenish both groundwater and downstream water bodies
- Slow soil erosion
- Filter out pesky pollutants
Development projects have devoured millions of acres of wetlands over the past one hundred years, so it’s important that we preserve and protect the wetlands of “yours and mine” that remain.
Get Schooled:
- For all sorts of wetland wonder, check out the US Environmental Protection Agency wetland page
- Understand why wetlands are so important with this article from Scientific American
- Still not sure what counts as a wetland? Read this article to find out, from Wetlands International
- Get even more facts about wetlands with this article from WWF
The fine print:
- This segment was produced in partnership with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future
