On February 2, 1997, people first celebrated World Wetlands Day. What is a wetland? It’s an area that is covered with water or saturated with water for at least part of every year. Swamps, bogs, and marshes are all examples of wetlands. Wetlands are very important—for the environment, for business, and for people. Wetland habitats are rich in biodiversity. They support animals from fish to butterflies to tigers, plants from cypress trees to Venus flytraps, and fungi from mushrooms to lichen. Trees and grasses that grow in wetlands help prevent erosion, which is important to farmers. Finally, wetlands act like giant sponges during hurricanes and other storms. These coastal wetlands protect cities and towns from flooding and other stormy weather.