It was International Wetlands Day on February 2nd. Simply put, wetlands are lands that are wet. Technically, wetlands are low-lying areas of land covered by water long enough to support aquatic plants and wildlife for part of their life cycle. There are all kinds of wetlands: swamp, bog, peatland, marsh, fens! Wetlands around the world are in trouble and so are the aquatic and wildlife that depends on them.
We depend on them too. Following is an infographic by Ramsar Convention explaining why urban wetlands are important for cities, the various environmental, social and health benefits that they provide us. Learning what is happening to them, being aware that these wetlands are more than just small poodles but big cities in themselves for other species, will help us take development in the right direction – a sustainable development.
What kind of people are involved in protecting wetlands? They can be conservationists, wetland biologists, water resource engineers, wetlands specialists, wetland scientists, wetlands ecologists, urban planners, etc. It can be you too.
Do you know a wetland near you? May be take a field trip, learn about it as you enjoy your time outdoors. Create a group meetup. Have a family picnic. Take your kid out for some nice parent-kid moments. Go with your friend. Kindle those childhood moments, when you saw small fishes and frogs grow in poodles of water.
I have collected some notable tweets that I saw on this day in a Twitter Moment ⚡️ “Wetlands Day 2018”, mainly pertaining to India and Canada. My first Twitter Moment. Doobook! :D
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