February 2nd marked the adoption of the 1971 Ramsar Convention for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. The convention focused on the conservation, education, and importance of wetlands throughout the world. Wetlands provide a host of ecosystem services including habitat for plant and animal species, flood control during storm events, water-quality improvement, and a food source for a large portion of the world’s population. The Ramsar Convention continues to promote wetlands and their ecosystem services and approve the designation of sites around the world that serve as wetlands of international importance.
In 2008, the Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park (ORWRP) became the 25th wetland of international importance in the United States and the first in Ohio. This designation was in recognition of the combination of different wetland and riverine habitats at the ORWRP; outreach and education of the importance of wetlands in an urban community; and high-quality university teaching, and research pertaining to wetland ecology and management. We continue to build on this legacy with our research, teaching, and outreach related to aquatic and riparian ecosystems.
For more information on the ORWRP, please visit our webpage swamp.osu.edu or our Ramsar page at ORW Ramsar. For more information on World Wetlands Day, see http://www.worldwetlandsday.org.
ORWRP is part of the School of Environment and Natural Resources in the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences. ORWRP director: Dr. Mazeika Sullivan (sullivan.191@osu.edu); facility manager: Brent Macolley (macolley.1@osu.edu).