When is World Wetlands Day?
February 2nd is World Wetlands Day.
What is World Wetlands Day?
The star-nosed mole looks like it’s sneezing earthworms, but that’s just its nose. It’s weird. It lives in some North American wetlands and can smell underwater—don’t try that at home. Wetlands are home to so many incredible creatures, and World Wetlands Day celebrates the biodiversity they sustain.
Wetlands are water-logged areas of land, and they’re more important than you might think. Seasonal wetlands prevent flooding by soaking up runoff water from sudden inundations. Wetlands purify water of excessive sediment. They also shelter many species of animals that can be found nowhere else.
So don’t diss the swamps. Show them some respect, and use World Wetlands Day to see what they have to offer.
Fun facts about World Wetlands Day!
- Leopard sharks live in California wetlands. They aren’t dangerous to humans, and you can find them in saltwater wetlands near the San Francisco Bay Area.
- The Florida Everglades are the most famous U.S. wetlands. Home to the American Alligator, they cover about 700,000 acres.
- World Wetlands Day started in 1997, commemorating the 1971 Ramsar Convention, a treaty for preserving the wetlands and using them sustainably.
- Llanos de Moxos, 17 million acres of wetlands in Bolivia, is the world’s largest protected wetland.
How to celebrate World Wetlands Day:
- Visit wetlands near you. Make it a family trip. See if any conservation agencies sponsor events or activities for World Wetlands Day.
- Research wetlands and their conservation. Contact your elected officials to let them know you care about conserving these natural habitats.
- Look up a video of the star-nosed mole. You have to see it to believe it.
What’s the hashtag for World Wetlands Day?
Use #WorldWetlandsDay on social media to advocate for wetlands conservation.