World Wetlands Day: Mission to Marsh and the global story of wetlands conservation

Mission to Marsh: How World Wetlands Day highlights the power of wetlands

On Feb. 2 , people around the world paused to appreciate the most productive and precious ecosystems on Earth—humble yet powerful wetlands, the unsung heroes in the global battle for climate resilience.

This year, we recognized World Wetlands Day by hosting the North American premiere of Mission to Marsh, inviting Canadians to tune in and watch the award-winning documentary and experience the captivating majesty of wetlands.

Mission to Marsh: Revealing the power of wetlands

The Mission to Marsh documentary captures the beauty, complexity and urgency of wetland conservation.

Filmmakers Anni and Alex Kornelsen transport audiences to rarely seen landscapes in a remarkable journey from Canada to Patagonia to understand wetlands through personal experience as they witness the scale of peatlands, the diversity of wildlife and the people whose lives are intertwined with these precious habitats.

Seeing what’s been lost and what still remains

“I was impressed with the conservation efforts we saw in Canada as well as the passion of the people we met. I had never seen an intact peatland in my homeland, and it was breathtaking to witness the scale and humming biodiversity,” said Kornelsen.

Wetlands conservation across Canada makes a global impact

For Canadian audiences, this story felt close to home. The film features three current and former Ducks Unlimited Canada conservation sites that demonstrate how local stewardship contributes to global outcomes.

Gateway Marsh at Oromocto River, New Brunswick

Part of the Treasured Wetlands of New Brunswick, this restored wetland provides vital habitat for wildlife and supports the surrounding community. It also serves as an outdoor classroom, where roughly 500 students each year learn firsthand about the importance of wetlands and the role they play in a healthy landscape.

“This wetland is right in the heart of Oromocto and that is also where it sits with the locals in the area, in the heart,” says Samantha Brewster, outreach specialist at Ducks Unlimited Canada. “It is home to many different species of plants and animals and is a beautiful location to take your family and go for a walk. It is the perfect place to learn about the importance of wetlands and why we need to safeguard this vital ecosystem.”

La Grande plée Bleue, Quebec

This ecologically exceptional landscape, covering 2,224 acres (900 hectares) and 650 ponds, has been protected, thanks to collaboration between Ducks Unlimited Canada, governments and their partners. Today, it perfectly illustrates how conservation partnerships can preserve fragile and unique wetland systems.

“La Grande plée Bleue is one of the largest and rarest peat bogs in southern Quebec that remains in its natural state,” says Mélanie Deslongchamps, Ducks Unlimited Canada’s provincial director in Quebec. “This wetland is home to rare species and sensitive peat bogs that are found virtually nowhere else in southern Quebec. It is also a nesting habitat for the black duck, a species of interest, 90 per cent of whose global population uses the Atlantic migration corridor.”

Oak Hammock Marsh, Manitoba

A Ramsar Wetland of International Importanceand home to our national headquarters and Wetland Discovery Centre, Oak Hammock Marsh is one of North America’s birding hotspots. Its restored prairie marsh, tall-grass prairie and extensive trail system connect people directly to wetlands in a way few places can.

“Oak Hammock Marsh has always been a place where people can experience wetlands firsthand but seeing it on a documentary screen reminds us just how globally significant this landscape is,” says Jacques Bourgeois, marketing and communications coordinator with the Wetland Discovery Centre at Oak Hammock Marsh. “The film captured not only its beauty but the decades of restoration work that turned it into a living classroom for conservation.”

“The marsh at Oak Hammock is a place that’s really magical because it was almost gone… but through restoration the wetland is now a fully functioning ecosystem. It’s what [Ducks Unlimited Canada] set out to achieve, and you did it. We want to share these stories and successes in Germany to give hope,” says filmmaker Alex Kornelsen.

World Wetlands Day as a moment for reflection

On World Wetlands Day 2026, we invited audiences to watch Mission to Marsh and experience wetlands through the eyes of travellers who crossed continents to understand them. The film is both a tribute to the majesty of wetlands and a reminder that a healthy planet and conservation go hand in hand.

The day is also an opportunity for Canadians to learn about the value of wetlands in their community and throughout the country, particularly in our northern regions.
Maintaining a healthy boreal region is one of Canada’s greatest conservation opportunities. Its impact reaches far beyond the region itself—supporting waterfowl across North America, filtering vast amounts of freshwater and storing millions of tonnes of carbon.

It is time for Canadians to recognize that wetlands are not distant landscapes but living systems that support clean water, climate resilience, wildlife and culture every single day.

Learn about boreal conservation at a continental scale

“The boreal holds the largest concentration of wetlands in the country, and its conservation is one of the most substantial contributions Canada can make to global climate resilience and biodiversity. That’s why, on World Wetlands Day, we asked Canadians to turn their awareness into action by supporting our renewed boreal campaign for Canada, for the world,” says Pat Kehoe, acting CEO of Ducks Unlimited Canada.

When wetlands thrive, communities and wildlife thrive with them. On World Wetlands Day, Ducks Unlimited Canada brought that message home.