"Merritt Turetsky is so enraptured by bogs, so full of wide-eyed passion for them, and so skilled at recasting them as the magical wonderlands that they secretly are, that you cannot help but be swept away." -Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of An Immense World

"Bogland is one of those rare and exciting books that can change bad situations in the way that Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring did in the nineteen-sixties. The highly respected environmental ecologist Merritt Turetsky gives us a grounding in the nature of sphagnum moss and the way the fen-bog succession works by giving us anecdotal histories of legendary bogs. Then she invites us to join her on a scientific hegira to many of the earth’s damaged-and-wounded but still living bogs. This journey is more than a rich and loving appreciation of the world-wide kingdom of sphagnum bogs that are ‘one of our planet’s most effective tools for balance through carbon regulation.’ There is a sting in this tale: disturbed and damaged boglands release methane. The desperate trick is to find and keep a balance. Turetsky asks readers to help her support and rescue the world’s endangered and failing boglands that are struggling to hold the earth together. How can readers help? By finding and understanding bogs, by getting to know them and to recognize their world-saving value. If you enjoy breathing, you should join us and answer the call." -Annie Proulx, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Fen, Bog & Swamp

"Bogland invites us to consider the quiet power of Earth's darkest, dankest layers. With infectious care and curiosity, Merritt Turetsky reveals the rich histories and ecological wonders buried in bogs around the world. A beautiful ode to one of Earth's most overlooked environments." -Laura Poppick, author of Strata

"Writing with a love and intimacy born from decades of immersion in these undervalued landscapes, Merritt Turetsky takes readers deep into boglands to witness the surprising beauty of peat: its mystery, its plants and animals, its crucial role in the future of Earth’s climate. You will learn not only how important and fragile these ecosystems are—and how much we stand to lose if we don’t change the way we consider them—but also how to look beyond the obvious, how to love places that aren’t dramatic, but rather exist quietly, enduring and supportive. Everyone who makes decisions about land use—simply everyone, actually—should read this book." -Anna Chilvers, co-editor of The Book of Bogs