in the not too distant past, wetlands were regarded as wastelands. Most people felt that they were places to be avoided, and it was common practice to drain them, fill them, or treat them as dumping grounds. A study published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1990 revealed a startling fact: more than half of the 221 million acres of wetlands that existed in the lower 48 states in the late 1700s have been destroyed.
Today, we know that wetlands provide many important services to the environment and to the public. They offer critical habitat for fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife, they purify polluted waters, and they help check the destructive power of floods and storms. They also provide a wide variety of recreational opportunities such as fishing, hunting, photography, and wildlife observation. As these and many other wetland functions and values have become more widely known, wetlands are increasingly seen as productive and valuable resources worthy of protection and restoration.
![[rylandbouchard-wetlands.mp4]]
Video by @rylandbouchard on Instagram