A wetland is an area where water covers the soil for most or all of the year, creating a unique environment where land meets water. Picture a place that's too wet to be solid ground but not deep enough to be a lake or ocean: marshes, swamps, and bogs are all types of wetlands.

These soggy landscapes might look like wasteland at first glance, but they're actually some of the most productive ecosystems on Earth. Wetlands work like giant natural sponges, soaking up floodwater during heavy rains and slowly releasing it later, which helps prevent flooding downstream. They also filter pollution from water as it flows through, trapping sediment and breaking down harmful chemicals before they reach rivers and oceans.

Wetlands teem with life. Ducks, herons, and countless other birds nest there. Fish spawn in the shallow waters. Frogs, turtles, dragonflies, and thousands of plant species thrive in conditions that would be impossible almost anywhere else. The Everglades in Florida, the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, and the wetlands along the Mississippi River are all vital habitats.

For much of American history, people drained wetlands to create farmland or build cities, not understanding their value. Today we recognize wetlands as precious resources worth protecting.