PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release – January 30, 2025
Media Contacts:
Laura Lapierre, Wetlands Program Manager
Department of Environmental Conservation
802-490-6177, Laura.Lapierre@Vermont.gov
Zapata Courage, District Wetlands Ecologist
Department of Environmental Conservation
802-490-6179, Zapata.Courage@Vermont.gov
Wetlands Day 2025 Celebrates Wetlands for Our Common Future
Montpelier, Vt. – This Sunday, February 2, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recognizes World Wetlands Day and invites Vermonters to celebrate the value of wetlands. Marking where land and water meet, wetlands may be saturated or flooded with water either year-round or for only a few weeks of the year.
“From fens and bogs to marshes and swamps, Vermont’s diverse wetlands span over 300,000 acres statewide,” said DEC Commissioner Jason Batchelder. “This year, World Wetlands Day centers on protecting wetlands for our common future. Vermonters can join this global effort to ensure a sustainable future for present and future generations.”
First celebrated in 1997, World Wetlands Day raises awareness about wetlands and the functions and values they provide for people and for the health of the land. It also marks the anniversary of the global Convention on Wetlands (or the Ramsar Convention). Adopted in 1971, the Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty that provides a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
For this World Wetlands Day, the Convention on Wetlands details why wetlands matter:
- Wetlands offer sustenance by supplying freshwater and food.
- Wetlands support biodiversity and an intricate tapestry of life.
- Wetlands empower resilience and mitigate the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events.
- Wetlands hold significant cultural and recreational value for many communities and connect people with nature.
- Wetlands are among the most threatened ecosystems.
- Healthy wetlands ensure a resilient, common future.
Wetlands provide clean water, medicine, food security, recreation, and many other benefits. Some wetlands store more carbon than any other ecosystem, and some wetlands can absorb up to 1.5 million gallons of floodwater in a single acre, helping to reduce floods as well as delay and relieve droughts.
“Since the early 1600s, the United States lost over half of its wetlands while Vermont lost as much as 35 percent,” said Wetlands Program Manager Laura Lapierre. “Together, we can help protect wetlands and our common future. Vermonters starting new projects near wetlands – whether the wetlands are mapped or not – should reach out to their District Wetlands Ecologist for assistance.”
For more information about World Wetlands Day, go to WorldWetlandsDay.org. To learn more about Vermont’s wetlands, visit the Vermont Wetlands Program online, review available wetlands resources, use the Wetland Screening Tool, or contact your District Wetlands Ecologist.
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