Wetlands

Most kids don’t know what wetlands are, but all this will change after they read this issue. Even better, they’ll develop a sense of how pivotal wetlands are in regulating Earth’s climate, and how crucial they are to the survival of many endangered species. They’ll be amazed to learn about the many places where wetlands are found, which include the Arctic tundra and Florida’s steamy Everglades. Wetlands also come in a vast array of types, including bogs, estuaries, and prairie potholes. Scaled-down details on the complicated formation of wetlands, for kids, are also a prime point; they’ll follow the life cycle of a salt marsh and the delicate food chain that depends on it. Animals are not the only creatures that rely on wetlands, however; the Nuer of central Sudan and the cowboys of France’s Camargue region would be lost without the wetlands that support their ways of living.

Often called the “River of Grass”, the 100-mile long Everglades also receive much attention here. Typical of many wetlands, this area consists of everything from marshes, sloughs, and freshwater swamps to extensive mangrove forests. Finally, sink into stories about bogs, another type of wetlands; for kids focused on ancient history, tales about the discovery of 2,300-year-old Lindow Man – as well as chewing gum from earlier centuries – will definitely hold their interest.

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