Save Wetlands

Wetlands are reportedly the number one threatened ecosystem in the world today. Destruction of these valuable regions is out of control in many areas of the world and is endangering human, plant, and animal

life at an alarming rate

Wetlands, which make up 6 percent of the Earth's surface, are regions that are saturated or inundated by ground or surface water at least part of the time, and which support life that has adapted to such conditions. This loose definition encompasses regions such as floodplains, marshes, peat bogs, swamps, shallow lakes (e.g., ponds, volcanic crater lakes), estuaries (deltas, salt marshes), and coasts (e.g., beaches, mangroves). Although the exact definition of "wetlands" changes depending on their location, the fact that they are invaluable to life on Earth and that they are disappearing is not.

The main reason wetlands are destroyed is to create agricultural land, while industrial and residential construction, mining, and oil and gas production also contribute to their demise. In the US alone, more than 80,000 acres of wetlands are destroyed every year. In the Philippines, 80 percent of the coastal wetlands have been drained, degraded, or destroyed in just the past 30 years. Over the last century, half of the world’s wetlands have been lost or destroyed, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In Indonesia, peat bogs are rapidly disappearing due to massive burning to make way for farming. Because peat bogs store vast amounts of greenhouse gases, their destruction is contributing to global warming. River flooding in Europe and China are becoming more severe in recent years as their wetlands continue to vanish. And in southern Iraq, military actions are taking a toll on its marshlands.

Loss of wetlands has a devastating impact on the millions of trees, plants, birds, fish, amphibians, and insects that depend on these regions for their existence. Freshwater wetlands help sustain more than 40 percent of the world’s species and 12 percent of all animal species.  Migratory birds around the world depend on the existence of healthy wetlands as havens for feeding, resting, and breeding. Wetlands are natural water filters, absorbing pollutants and contaminants from water before it flows into rivers, streams, and lakes. They also absorb excess water after heavy rainfall, which helps prevent flooding, and then release the water slowly back into groundwater, lakes, and streams during dry periods.

The role of wetlands as buffers against extreme weather conditions is especially critical. This became apparent in Louisiana when hurricane Katrina hit the state in 2005. More than 148,000 acres of Louisiana wetlands had been destroyed due to construction during the last decade alone, weakening the inland’s defense against the storm. Katrina caused the loss of an additional 30 square miles of wetlands during its 36-hour assault.

Wetland restoration and preservation is a priority of many government and non-government organizations around the world, and they can use your help. When you do, you'll be assisting in the preservation and restoration of some of the most biologically diverse and sensitive areas of the world.

• Help preserve an ancient floodplain in the Alam-Pedja nature reserve that lies in the heart of Estonia in the wetland system of Lake Vortsjarv. During your 10-day stay you will help with habitat management and the preservation of wildlife in this virtually uninhabited and untouched environment.
• The degraded mangrove ecosystem in the Gazi Bay area of Kenya is in desperate need of rehabilitation. This volunteer opportunity lasts for 11 days and involves planting mangrove seedlings and monitoring the effects of the mangroves on beach erosion and native animal life.
• You can explore one of the most extensive salt marsh ecosystems on the East Coast of the United States for 9 days to help capture, tag, and track terrapins in their estuary environment. Volunteers get a chance to contribute to environmental sustainability in the face of sprawling development in New Jersey’s Ocean County.
• Help collect data on the unique wetlands in Minsk, Belarus, before they disappear. You will collect plant and peat samples, information on the vegetative structure of bogs, and the human impact on wetlands. Accommodations include simple guest houses or tents.

Before you take off on your trip, you can learn more about the many facets and the vast biodiversity of wetlands at various websites, including Wetlands International, the International Wetlands Conference, the Environmental Protection Agency's wetlands site, and We Are Wetlands.