Swamps, marshes, and other wetland wonderlands… on this CurrentCast.
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 valuable.
Besides being quiet places of safety and serene seclusion for innumerable animal, bird, and plant species, wetlands function for people in amazing ways. They trap and hold raging floodwaters, replenish both groundwater and downstream water bodies, slow soil erosion, and 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 that remain.
CurrentCast is produced in partnership with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. Learn more online at CurrentCast.org.
