The Great Dismal Swamp in southern Virginia is a 113,000-acre national wildlife refuge that has been affected by human interference, leading to the loss of its peatland ecosystem. Hydrologist Fred Wurster has spent a decade restoring the swamp by building small dams to encourage water to accumulate in the area. The peatland ecosystem is crucial in the fight against climate change, as it stores carbon dioxide and releases it slowly over time. The swamp has released an estimated 183 teragrams of carbon dioxide equivalents since the late 1700s, equivalent to driving 42 million gas-powered cars for a year.
To reverse this trend, agencies like the US Fish and Wildlife Service and nonprofit groups like The Nature Conservancy are restoring the peatland ecosystem by rewetting the area and slowing down the decay of peat. This process allows new deposits to build up, reducing carbon emissions. The Nature Conservancy is planning to restore 33,000 acres and protect 10,500 acres of peatlands in Virginia and North Carolina, which will result in an estimated annual greenhouse gas reduction equivalent to taking 57,120 to 1.4 million cars off the road.