#wetlandsforourfuture

[wfmemoirs-blog]

Great egrets on the hunt. --- #greategret #ardea #hunting #wild #outside #birdsofinstagram #ornithology #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #outdoorphotography #actionshot #kayakphotography #sdkayaking #wetlandsforourfuture (at Rush Lake)

[wfmemoirs-blog]

A sandpiper forages along a shoreline covered in blue-green algae. --- #sandpiper #scolopacidae #bluegreenalagae #cyanobacteria #pollution #runoff #toxic #conservation #wetlandsforourfuture #environment #ecology (at Rush Lake)

[wfmemoirs-blog]

Almost stepped on this little guy while loading up for a portage. I've always thought leopard frogs seemed to stick out, but their stripes, ridges, and spots really are perfect for blending in among macrophytes. Had it been earlier in the year, when vegetation was greener, there's no way I would've seen him. ---- Check out more photos and stories at wormfootmemoirs.com. ---- #peekaboo #iseeyou #hidden #almoststeppedonyou #camouflage #survivalofthefittest #northernleopardfrog #anura #wetlands #conservation #wetlandsforourfuture #portage #outdoors #wild (at Bullhead Lake)

[earthstory]

In celebration of world wetlands day, here are five quick facts about wetlands

1: Wetlands can be complicated things, but at a basic level they are areas of land either permanently or seasonally covered in either fresh or brackish water and are differentiated from lands that become wet after rainfall by the type of plants present. They can include; swamp, marsh, reef, mangrove, bog, mud flat and peat marsh.

2: Despite being a vital part of the ecosystem, and having important links to tourism, agriculture and farming over 64% of the worlds wetlands have been destroyed or disappeared since 1900. Many humans see wetlands as waste land.

3: Wetlands are incredibly important in the fight against global climate change and anthropological emissions, acting as a carbon sink. They also protect coast land from storms and act as a natural sponge during flooding events.

4: Wetlands occur on every continent except Antarctica and are considered so rich in biological life that they are the most diverse of all habitats.

5: The Pantanal In the Amazon basin is the largest wetland in the world covering over 150,000 km2 and is home to 658 bird species, 190 mammals, 270 fish, 50 reptile and a staggering 1132 species of butterfly.

worldwetlandsday #wetlandsforourfuture

-LL

Further Reading;

http://www.worldwetlandsday.org/en/

http://www.softschools.com/facts/biomes/wetland_biome_facts/170/

http://www.defenders.org/wetlands/basic-facts

https://www.environment.gov.au/water/wetlands/about

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/intro/majorwetlands/

Image of mangrove swamp in Florida uploaded to wiki commons by user Moni3