When it comes to worldwide celebrations, there’s one coming up that you might not be familiar with. Every year on Feb. 2, nature lovers around the planet take time to appreciate an amazing natural resource: wetlands! The Ramsar Convention organizes World Wetlands Day, and local groups work to promote understanding and appreciation of this very special natural resource.
Cheyenne Bottoms is recognized by Ramsar as a Wetland of International Importance. These sites are considered to be of value not only for the country where they are located, but for all of humanity and planet. It’s a pretty big deal – and certainly something that few people outside the state of Kansas expect to find here.
Why all the love for wetlands? They provide a huge range of benefits for both humans and the environment. Not only do they support a wide variety of animal and plant species, they also help with flood control, and provide food for both humans and animals.
Wetlands are the most diverse habitat types around — Cheyenne Bottoms is a great example of just how many different species make their homes in wetlands. You can find 335 species of birds, over 40 species of mammals, 28 species of reptiles, 10 species of amphibians, and dozens and dozens of species of invertebrates. That’s just the critters that move around — we haven’t even started on the plants!
Besides supporting wildlife, wetlands play multiple roles in a healthy water system. A wetland helps prevent flooding by acting like a sponge. As water flows into a wetland, the soil soaks up the extra water and holds on to it — slowly releasing the water rather than letting it rush on and flood another area. In areas where wetlands have been drained and filled, greater and more dangerous flooding is often the result. Wetlands also help purify the water that moves through them. When dirty, muddy water enters a wetland, it is slowly filtered by the plants and soil.
You might not think of a wetland as being a food source for most humans, but you’ve probably eaten at least one type of food that came from a wetland! Many types of fish and shellfish, cranberries, and wild rice all need wetland habitats. If you’ve ever been adventurous enough to try alligator meat, that came from a wetland too.
Of course, here at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center, every day is wetlands day. We work to help people understand the importance of wetlands and how special a place like Cheyenne Bottoms is to the world. From school children to retirees traveling the country in their RVs, we have a wide variety of people from all over the country (and the world!) stopping to visit.
If you’ve never had the chance to visit the Kansas Wetlands Education Center, or if it’s just been a while since you’ve stopped in, we’d love to see you. There’s no charge for admission, and there’s a lot to see and do. You can learn about wetlands in our exhibit hall, get up close and personal with our live animals, take a walk on our nature trail, and get directions and guidance for your own adventure through Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area. Got questions? Give us a call at 877-243-9268 and we’ll be happy to help you out.

Jean Aycock is an educator at Fort Hays State University’s Kansas Wetlands Education Center, 592 NE K-156, Great Bend. Contact her at jeaycock@fhsu.edu.