Wetlands or Wastelands?

What mental images appear when people hear the word “swap?” To those of us at this workshop, and to many others, the word evokes the thought of an ecologically and hydrologically dynamic forested wetland with complex interactions of soil, water, flora, and fauna that provide many valuable environmental and economic services. However, too many people still picture swamps as worthless sumps infested with insects, snakes, and other less than desirable life forms.