Born on February 2
World Wetlands Day
Marshes, mangroves and rice fields too.
Next: February 2, 2027
Where it comes from
World Wetlands Day marks the anniversary of 2 February 1971, when the Convention on Wetlands was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The treaty still works to reverse the loss and decline of wetlands worldwide, which are disappearing three times faster than forests.
How it's celebrated
Nature reserves and wetland parks run guided walks, birdwatching mornings and clean-ups, and schools head out with nets and notebooks to see what lives in the water. Governments use the day to name new protected sites.
Did you know
Wetlands cover only around 6 per cent of the Earth's land surface, yet 40 per cent of all plant and animal species live or breed in them.
Read the full story of World Wetlands Day
Star sign
Aquarius · January 20 – February 18 · Air sign
Original and independent, a little ahead of their time.