Introduction

Wetlands are the most productive ecosystems in the world. Their value to countless species of wildlife is surpassed by no other type of habitat. They provide many important benefits to man and his environment, and they result in endless hours of recreational enjoyment. Wetlands also are an integral part of our history.

Wetlands served as the North Carolina base from which the Swamp Fox of Revolutionary War fame harassed British redcoats. A few years later, the men of Jean Lafitte emerged from the bayous of Louisiana to help Andy Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. And it was the wetland home of the beaver that opened the West to fur-trapping mountain men such as Jim Bridger, Jedediah Smith and Kit Carson.

Wetlands have been drained and destroyed in alarming numbers over the last 50 years. The most recent surveys indicate that over half of the wetlands in the United States have been lost as a result of drainage and filling, and many of our remaining wetlands have deteriorated in quality because of siltation, pollution and alterations. Only within the last few years has there been increased understanding of the values of this natural resource. Wetland protection and restoration is certainly one of conservation's biggest challenges today.

Above Image: A hooded merganser hen leads her brood through a Mississippi Riverland marsh. Hooded mergansers commonly nest in southeast Missouri but can be seen throughout the state during the fall and spring migration.

Next | Previous | Home