What would the world be, once bereft Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left!
Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-89)," Inversnaid "
The wonder of wetlands
Wetlands are where earth and water meet. They are almost as old as the planet itself, and are home to some of the richest biodiversity on Earth. They are to be found all over the world from the tropics to the frozen plains and are as crucial to the planet
's well-being as any other finely balanced part of nature.
They are also among the most beautiful places on Earth, and have inspired artists, travellers, poets, and photographers for generations. Which is hardly surprising - wetlands are host to a spectacular array of wildlife ranging from kingfishers to caimans,
herons to hippos, and an abundance of rare plantlife and exotic marine creatures.
Wetlands vary enormously in size. They can range from a small neighbourhood pond to the vast, 10-million-hectare Canadian Arctic bays. Big or small, north or south, the function of wetlands is much the same: they provide humans with fuel, food, recreation
, and employment; they support an immense variety of wildlife that would otherwise become extinct; and they protect millions of people from the disastrous consequences of flooding.
The world cannot do without wetlands.
<---------- BACK
|