This moor frog is regarding the world from the safety of the wetlands in Poland’s Morasko Meteorite Nature Reserve. The photo by Zbigniew Urbańczyk is among the nearly 900 entries in the World Wetlands Day 2012 Photo Celebration, sponsored by the U.S. State Department and several partners.
World Wetlands Day, February 2, marks the anniversary of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an international treaty named after the Iranian town where it was adopted in 1971. Wetlands are “cradles of biological diversity,” according to the convention website. They provide habitat and water for countless species of plants and animals, reduce flood damage and filter pollutants from waterways.
The Ramsar Convention is devoted to stopping the worldwide loss of wetlands. The 160 signatory nations provide protection for almost 2,000 sites encompassing 192 million hectares, designating them “wetlands of international importance.”
For more wetlands photos, see the WWD2012 Photo Celebration. See the Ramsar Convention website to learn about the convention.