Wetlands are places where land and water mingle. They include a variety of ecosystems, such as swamps, marshes, bogs, prairie potholes, flood plains, and fens.

For a very long time, people viewed wetlands as dangerous, mosquito-infested areas filled with snakes and other undesirable creatures. So until recently, people went out of their way to drain and fill the wetlands. They turned these fragile ecosystems into farmlands, roadways, landfills, shopping centers, parking lots, housing developments, airports, and more.