STONEWALL, Manitoba — On World Wetlands Day, Ducks Unlimited Canada is challenging Canadians to take action to conserve our boreal region. …Spanning nearly 1.3 billion acres –about one-third of Canada’s landmass–the boreal forest and its wetlands form one of the planet’s largest intact ecosystems. When undisturbed, the boreal’s peatlands play a vital role mitigating floods, drought, and wildfire. It is estimated that one square metre of peatland in Canada’s boreal region stores about five times more carbon than one square metre of tropical Amazon rainforest. …Unfortunately, less than 15% of the region is under some form of conservation protection. These landscapes store enormous amounts of carbon and play a critical role in mitigating climate change. When wetlands are drained or degraded, those benefits are lost — and carbon is released back into the atmosphere. Watch Peatlands at Work to learn more.