We often pass by without really seeing them. However, in Martinique, wetlands are everywhere. In valleys, along rivers, in mangroves, in the hollows of forests or even at the bend of a trail. On the occasion of the World Wetlands Day, celebrated every year on February 2, it is an opportunity to stop for a moment... and to better understand why these environments are so precious.
In 2026, the theme honors traditional knowledge. A choice that makes sense here, where water, land and forest have always dictated the uses, cultures and balances of the island.
Martinique wetlands: living spaces to be preserved
When we talk about wetlands, we often imagine swamps or mangroves. In reality, the term covers a great diversity of environments: rivers, temporary pools, humid forest areas, soils waterlogged for part of the year...
These spaces play a fundamental role. They store water, filter pollutants naturally, and mitigate the effects of extreme weather events. But above all, they are home to discreet biodiversity, sometimes invisible, always essential.
In Martinique, many animal species depend directly on these environments to feed, reproduce or simply survive.
Wild fauna that cannot live without these environments
Wetlands are real refuges for wildlife. Amphibians, reptiles, birds, insects and small mammals find conditions that cannot be found anywhere else.
The hylode frog, for example, is closely linked to undergrowth humidity and water quality. Some reptiles, insects or invertebrates can only complete their life cycle in the presence of these environments. When wetlands disappear or degrade, entire balances collapse.
“We often forget that many animals are only visible because these environments still exist. When the water disappears, so do they.”
— Sabine, Head Animal Caregiver at the Martinique Zoo
Landscapes shaped by water... and by man
In Martinique, wetlands are not only natural. They are also cultural. For generations, people have learned to observe the seasons, water levels, and soils to farm, fish, or travel.
This knowledge, transmitted orally and empirically, is an integral part of Martinique's heritage. They remind us of an essential thing: living with these environments, rather than against them, has always been a necessity.
Today, these spaces are fragile. Urbanization, artificialization of soils, pollution and climate change exert constant pressure on ecosystems that are already sensitive.
The Martinique Zoo, a place to understand these balances
Located in the heart of the former Latouche house, the Martinique Zoo evolves in a valley where water and vegetation have always played a central role. The park's botanical garden highlights tropical plant species closely linked to wetlands.
This plant richness creates an environment conducive to the presence of animals that can be observed freely: birds, insects, amphibians or reptiles. It also makes it possible to better understand the close links between flora, water and fauna.
The park also hosts animal species from Latin American wetlands, such as the capybara, the tamanoir or certain reptile species. Their observation helps to concretely understand the role of water in tropical ecosystems.
“Everything is connected here. The plant feeds the insect, the insect feeds the animal, and water is at the center of everything.”
— Jimmy Limousin, Director of the Martinique Zoo
Raising awareness today to preserve tomorrow
World Wetlands Day is not just a symbolic date. It's a reminder. The fact that these environments are alive, fragile, and that they need attention to continue to play their role.
At the Martinique Zoo, awareness-raising involves observation, exchanges with teams, and the gradual discovery of the links between species and their environment. Understanding how an animal lives also means understanding what it needs to survive.
A natural heritage to be passed on
Wetlands are allies in the face of climate change, refuges for biodiversity and witnesses to an ancient relationship between man and nature. In Martinique, their protection is an ecological issue, but also a cultural one.
World Wetlands Day invites us to change our perspective. To slow down. To be listened to. And to become aware that these environments, often discreet, are essential to the balance of the island... today and tomorrow.
