As wetlands shrink, their importance only grows

Wetlands are a defining landscape feature of Indiana and the region. Tucked away in the woods, sometimes referred to as the “jewels in the forest.”

They are wet long enough that the plants that live there, and thus the animals, must adapt to survive the wet conditions.

One of the great challenges for naturalists is to encourage the valuation of nature beyond “What good is it to us?” That is, intrinsic versus instrumental value. Their intrinsic value lies in their beauty and in their capacity to provide habitat for numerous plants and animals, many of which are imperiled.

Read an opinion piece in The Journal Gazette by Bruce Kingsbury, professor of biology and director of the Environmental Resources Center at Purdue University Fort Wayne. (subscription required)