Here in Ohio, we know all about Great Lakes wetlands: in northwest Ohio, the wetlands along Lake Erie are a bird (and birders) paradise.
But other states on the Great Lakes like their wetlands, too, and there are lots of different wetlands even in Ohio. So the National Audubon Society, Audubon Great Lakes, and the Coastal Wetlands Monitoring Program collaborated to find out: which wetlands are most important for birds? A summary of the research, which resulted in a major paper in the scientific journal Conservation Biology, is on the Audubon web site. You also can see a map showing the most critical areas for birds here. (Spoiler: yes, Ohio’s Lake Erie shore is packed with important wetlands.)