What is a wetland and why is it important?

A wetland is ground that stays soaked for much of the year, so it is part land and part water. Wetlands matter because they shelter wildlife, slow floodwater, clean dirty runoff, and store carbon in wet soil. They protect living places, including ours.

A marsh, swamp, or bog may look messy to grown-up eyes, but to animals it is a nursery, pantry, rest stop, and hiding place. Frogs, fish, birds, insects, turtles, and plants all use the shallows in different ways, while mud microbes quietly help clean the water.