Swamplands: Tundra Beavers, Quaking Bogs, and the Improbable World of Peat

by Edward Struzik

In a world filled with breathtaking beauty, we have often overlooked the elusive charm and magic of certain landscapes. A cloudy river flows into a verdant Arctic wetland where sandhill cranes and muskoxen dwell. Further south, cypress branches hang low over dismal swamps. Places like these–collectively known as swamplands or peatlands–often go unnoticed for their ecological splendor. They are as globally significant as rainforests, and function as critical carbon sinks for addressing our climate crisis. Yet, because of their reputation as wastelands, they are being systematically drained and degraded to make way for oilsands, mines, farms, and electricity.
 
In Swamplands , journalist Edward Struzik celebrates these wild places, venturing into windswept bogs in Kauai and the last remnants of an ancient peatland in the Mojave Desert. The secrets of the swamp aren’t for the faint of heart. Ed loses a shoe to an Arctic wolf and finds himself ankle-deep in water during a lightning storm. But, the rewards are sweeter for the an enchanting Calypso orchid; an elusive yellow moth thought to be extinct; ancient animals preserved in lifelike condition down to the fur.

Swamplands highlights the unappreciated struggle being waged to save peatlands by scientists, conservationists, and landowners around the world. An ode to peaty landscapes in all their offbeat glory, the book is also a demand for awareness of the myriad threats they face. It urges us to see the beauty and importance in these least likely of places­. Our planet’s survival might depend on it.
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Science, Environment, History, Audiobook, Natural History

312 pages, Hardcover

First published October 12, 2021

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first word of the title is misleading - a swamp is a wetland dominated by woody vegetation, but most peatlands which the book focusses on (bogs, fens, and marshes), are not. On page 3 (after the preface) the author defines peat to be 'partially decomposed plant material that builds up...in oxygen-starved, waterlogged conditions where decay can't keep up with growth.' ie not just peat moss.
Nevertheless, this is vivid writing on a vital topic - peatland destruction can make the climate crisis much worse, and restoration of peatlands could sequester carbon at lower cost than many other actions to mitigate climate change. And the biodiversity crisis is very much entwined with the climate crisis as the author documents - peatland restoration depends on the animals as well as the plants that inhabit these habitats. Struzik ranges widely to deliver stories about bogs, fens and swamps - past drainage to produce farmland or land for business or industry, and to eliminate feared disease too often eliminated livelihoods and failed to produce hoped for results.

But an editor would have been helpful, especially for the preface:
p.ix - 'Banks...one of 36,563 islands in the Canadian Arctic...' - who could know when many are surrounded by sea ice and covered with snow yearround?
- 'butter-soft, spongey peat' - how does 'butter-soft' help here?
- 'polar desert' is a silly if oft-used term - polar regions may not get much rain but very few are dry, so they aren't deserts as commonly understood
- 'Inexplicably, there are 6 fish species in the Thomsen' - why inexplicably??
- '83 specimens of lichen' - you mean species, not specimens
p.x - 'peatland meadows' Peatland is wetland with peat; meadow is grassland - not the same thing
p.xii - 3/4 way down the Mackenzie river 'Arethusa bulbosa' - this is thousands of miles/km northwest of the documented range of this orchid
p.xiv - the map at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/... is different!
p.4 - 'you'll need to venture into a peatland if you want to harvest mushrooms...' - aside from mushroom grow operations, I have harvested mushrooms from sandy savannas, dead wood, forest soils, but never from peatland
p.32 - 'these 20 enslaved people [to Jamestown in 1619] were among the first of 12.5 million ...shipped off to America over the next 2.5 centuries.' But the Atlantic slave trade started in 1528. Those 20 were perhaps the first (of about 1 million) who were brought to British North America
p.113 -'[in 1949]...Death Valley Suite...was performed ...in Death Valley...It was "Woodstock in the Desert," nearly a half century before the rock festival in Upstate New York' but Woodstock was only 20 years later - much less than a half century.
p.116 - 'It also has bulrush as well as monocots...' but bulrush is a monocot
p.137 - 'lady slippers and many orchids...' but lady slippers are orchids
p.149 - 'Georgian Bay...cottages of affluent New Yorkers and Torontonians who can do the drive in a day or 2' - true: 2-5 hours from Toronto; 8 hours more from New York City.
p.187 - 'Mer Bleue bog, which is located seventy miles to the southeast' [of the Victor Diamond mine] - it is over 600 miles, not seventy
p.241 - 'Bois-des-Bel bog 7 miles northwest of Riviere-du-Loup' - Bois-des-Bel is 10 miles northeast of Riviere-du-Loup, not in the middle of the St. Lawrence
p.251 - 'climate-change scenarios. They range from no change to a very realistic increase of 2.25C, 4.5C, 6.75C...'. Many would question whether an increase of 6.75C or even 4.5C (of global average temperature from pre-industrial levels?) is very realistic: Policies as of late 2021 could result in a 2.7°C (4.9°F) rise by 2100, according to the Climate Action Tracker compiled by Germany-based nonprofits Climate Analytics and the NewClimate Institute.
p.263 - 'spiders regulate density of other invertebrate herbivores' but spiders are not herbivores
- 'the 601 species of fungi' - there are thousands of species of fungi, not 601??

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of really interesting information that starts to feel repetitive. I wish this book had a photo glossary because there were so many specific plants mentioned that I have no visual reference for. I found myself stopping to look up images several times a chapter.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book but I really did not like the way it was written. A lot of (very insipid) anecdotes to get through between the actual facts. The cover is gorgeous though

[Sanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is this book really about peat, though?

While the introduction of the book was interesting and quite promising, the book did not deliver, in my opinion. It seems well-researched, but presents something different than the description of the book suggests. Struzik shares a multitude of (historical) stories that took/take place at different peatlands and he talks about how peatlands are affected by human disturbances, but not enough about the actual ecosystems and habitats. There is a lot of interesting information hidden within the sometimes seemingly random stories, but the majority is mostly distracting, unfortunately. I skipped over significant parts of several chapters. It's not poorly written, but just not really about peat!

If someone knows of a well-written book that is actually about bog, fen, and marshland natural and cultural history and ecology, I would love some recommendations.

[Rachel Libke · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the more misleading subtitles and tables of contents I’ve encountered in a book. Considered rating of two stars for lack of beaver and Sasquatch content haha. Seriously though, it’s a good book but felt very circular and repetitive. I think the topical organization the chapter titles promised would have been a better structural route.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably only interesting to nature nerds like me, but I appreciated it! Wetlands are such an important landscape that I wish more people took the time to learn about.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had everything "Fen, Bog, and Swamp" by Annie Proulx was missing. A more scientific look at the importance of wetlands and their role in regulating the climate, with some information on restoration efforts and their effectiveness. I appreciated the personal anecdotes he included because it was really cool to see that he'd been to these places and seen the environments and he could better describe what it's like in these places. It also broke up a lot of information at times. I liked the inclusion of historical context where appropriate, because we know what has been done but not always the why of it.
My problem with this book is the issue I've had with all my other environmental books I've read in the past; it's so disheartening to see what destruction is wrought on the world in the name of profit margins. Even when people have been saying, "Hey, we've noticed all these negatives since you started doing xyz," companies will continue to wring their hands like, "Well there's nothing we can do about it, and if we stopped, we wouldn't make as much money :(" It is endlessly frustrating that even with detailed modelling and years of observations, people are still so willing to overlook what's right in front of their face. So it's not an issue with the book itself, but that system it exists in. It's also worse because the US Supreme Court has recently made rulings that prevent the FWS and Clean Water Act from being able to control what happens to subsurface water. (i'm not still salty over this, noooo, I'm very well adjusted over it)
All in all, a good read that I enjoyed. I look forward to reading some of his other works.

[squidchianti · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is distractingly and uncomfortably colonial. I also felt that it lacked sufficient storytelling to bring meaning to the immense amount of information it attempted to offer.

[Desirae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward Struzik’s Swamplands: Tundra Beavers, Quaking Bogs, and the Improbable World of Peat is an ambitious and information-dense exploration of one of the planet’s most misunderstood ecosystems. I was initially drawn to the book because of an upcoming research project on bog bodies and their Celtic origins in northern Europe. While the book does occasionally gesture toward the deep human past embedded in peatlands, the overwhelming focus is on modern scientific research: the ecology, etymology, and environmental significance of fenlands, bogs, and peatlands, as well as the grave threats they face from climate change and rural colonization. This makes for an intellectually rich read, but one that feels written primarily for scientists and researchers rather than for general readers newly curious about these environments.

Historically, bogs have occupied a liminal space in the human imagination. Across northern Europe—particularly in Ireland, Denmark, Germany, and the British Isles—peatlands were viewed as dangerous, sacred, and uncanny landscapes. Ancient Celtic societies often treated bogs as thresholds between worlds, places suitable for ritual offerings to gods associated with fertility, war, and sovereignty. This belief system is most vividly evidenced by the discovery of bog bodies: remarkably preserved human remains dating largely from the Iron Age (roughly 500 BCE to 400 CE). The anaerobic, acidic conditions of peat bogs tan human skin and halt decomposition, preserving facial features, hair, stomach contents, and even fingerprints.

Perhaps the most famous of these is the Tollund Man, discovered in Denmark in 1950, whose peaceful expression and noose still encircling his neck suggest ritual sacrifice. Similar discoveries, such as the Lindow Man in England and the Grauballe Man in Denmark, reveal violent deaths—throat slitting, bludgeoning, strangulation—that many archaeologists interpret as ceremonial killings rather than executions or murders. These bodies offer rare insight into Iron Age belief systems, social structures, and even seasonal diets, making bogs some of the most valuable archaeological archives in Europe.

Struzik touches on this legacy only briefly. His central concern is not the symbolic or ritual history of bogs, but their scientific classification and ecological function. He delves deeply into the etymology of wetlands—explaining distinctions between bogs, fens, mires, and muskegs—and documents how peatlands function as massive carbon sinks, storing more carbon globally than all the world’s forests combined. This is where the book is at its strongest. Struzik synthesizes decades of field research, climate data, and case studies to show how draining peatlands for agriculture, forestry, and development releases enormous amounts of greenhouse gases, accelerating climate change.

The book also highlights the consequences of rural colonization and industrial exploitation, from peat extraction to oil exploration in subarctic wetlands. Struzik’s chapters on tundra beavers, permafrost thaw, and methane release are particularly compelling, underscoring how ecosystems once thought marginal are in fact central to planetary stability. His urgency is well placed: peatlands are disappearing at alarming rates, and their destruction is largely irreversible on human timescales.

However, this scientific rigor comes at a cost. Much of Swamplands is dense with terminology, research citations, and specialist debates. Readers without a background in ecology or environmental science may find themselves overwhelmed. The narrative rarely slows to invite wonder or emotional engagement, and when historical or cultural references appear—such as ancient uses of peat for fuel or preservation—they feel secondary to the data-driven argument. Given how evocative bogs are as landscapes of myth, memory, and death, this feels like a missed opportunity.

My concern is that this limits the book’s audience. While scientists, environmental researchers, and policy specialists will find Swamplands invaluable, more casual readers—or those initially drawn in by the eerie fascination of bog bodies and ancient rituals—may struggle to stay engaged. This is unfortunate, because public understanding of peatlands is essential if they are to be protected.

That said, if you are interested in science as it relates to the natural world, Swamplands is a rewarding and important book. It convincingly reframes bogs not as wastelands or relics of the past, but as living systems vital to our ecological future. For my own research, it provided crucial environmental context, even if it left me wanting more on the human stories buried beneath the peat. In the end, Swamplands succeeds as a scientific warning, if not quite as an invitation to the broader readership that these strange and powerful landscapes deserve.

[J. Muro · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Peatlands are difficult to assimilate because they are ambiguous, elusive, dangerous, sublime, and—as a Red River settler once said l—“deceitful.” Not land or water, but water and land sharing dominance, like the marginal world of a tidal zone, albeit more slowly, less predictably, and sometimes violently.”

“Peat is the filter that separates microbes and contaminants from the water that hundreds of people drink; “the kidneys of the landscape” is how botanist William Niering described them in the 1980s when he challenged the once-prevailing view that fens and bogs were “waterlogged wastelands.”

“Abused as they have been, peatland ecosystems are extremely resilient.”

“A badly degraded peatland will find a way to come back and haunt those who have done it harm.”

“One thing that became clear while I was writing this book is the connection between peatlands and indigenous people.”

SOURCES ABOVE: “Swamplands”

Between land and water, that magical liminal space—whether the solid earth/liquid water, or the awakened /sleeping mind—not a wasteland as viewed by some human beings, but resilient as well as karmic, are these wonderful worldwide peatlands. I secretly wish I was the author, or even travelling exactly as the author did to all of these gorgeous places! I want to BE the author! Not a boring or dry read. A book yo be deeply savoured! Loved his adventures, insights, experiences, others’ experiences and research shares and more. Historical, scientific, memoir plus several brief biographies of others, all meshed into one, done beautifully! Certainly not only a doomsday, cynical, and pessimistic read, BUT a book filled with realistic and active hope by a lot of peatland lovers, and not just the Swamp Thing (fave movie as a kid).

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prepping for Earth Day by learning about swamps, bogs, and peat. Metaphorically getting my hands dirty and loving it. This book has been criticized for the amount of anecdotes, but honestly I could have used more. More informative than entertaining, but I have a whole new appreciation for the damp areas of the world and how they’ve shaped our history.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the other reviews pointing out the flaws in this book are valid, however if I’m just doing a personal rating, I really enjoyed it. It was readable while being informative, I liked Struzik’s anecdotes and storytelling, and I was able to follow even the more dense and technical passages.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's drain that swamp and get rid of the mosquitoes, fogs, alligators and so on. Let's set up a peat mining firm and make a bundle. Even as simple as let's go and cut peat for the winter fires. We've been told before about the need to preserve wetlands but never in as simple terms as this. I live just up the hill from the Burns Bog to which Mr. Struzik refers and I remember the ever smouldering peat fire. The bog is still there, thankfully.
Mosquitoes have spread all sorts of diseases, especially malaria and yellow fever Mr. Struzik does not make suggestions there, although I suppose he would have only mild objections to spraying insect specific sprays.
Other than that I can certainly agree with what he proposes. We are so quick to declare land useless when it doesn't provide dollar profits for Eurocentric communities, totally neglecting other values. A great example is here in the Fraser Valley where we drained an entire lake a hundred years ago, removing the food sources for the local nations. This past winter the American River that used to connect with the lake burst through and the whole lake bed was flooded, drowning chickens and pigs, ruining fruit and grain farms and flooding whole towns. There is a lot to be done there, but there is no question of restoring the lake.
Wherever you live you can find out about the state of boglands in your area and there are some even in the Mojave Desert.

[Cacey Cottrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to rate this higher as I couldn’t wait to start reading this book. But, while there was an abundance of facts, intriguing plants and ecology, the flow/narrative was not concise, making it hard to follow. At times, especially the beginning, it felt like a list of facts without any context or reason behind them. Other times, there were seemingly irrelevant tangents that made it difficult to remember the point of the chapter. I wished there was more of a structure and clear thesis of the novel, plus more integrated introductions of the scientists and work je was describing. I do have to point out that this novel isn’t really for beginners to biology/ecology or peatlands in general, as there was a lot of knowledge assumed and there wasn’t a real breakdown of what peat lands entail in the intro for a non-science person. But despite all these things, I did learn a lot and definitely was worth taking the time to expand my knowledge on peat lands!

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The information was superb; however, I should have read it in print since there is so much information. Swamplands get a bad rap. They have been used as set pieces in atmospheric literature or derided as wastelands by pioneers and scientists. However, they have provided sanctuary to rare plants and animals and at times, even to humans. The amount of carbon storage they provide is mindboggling. The many ways they quietly do their part for the climate and their surrounding environs has never been made more clear.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-written book, looking at a variety of aspects of tundra peat land without reading like a travelogue. I learned a lot, but this was very depressing. I can't believe that coal and mining are still receiving such great funding for extraction. I was grateful for the small bit of positivity at the end, but overall I am sobered by how much harm we are doing.

[Eryne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it tedious to read through lists of wetlands all the time. The language used and writing style got in the way of the message for me. Good primer for those learning about wetlands, but too focused on the author's experiences to be truly informational.

[Emma K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I study biology, hydrology, or ecology in college? No. Could I write a PhD level thesis in defense of swamps and wetlands? Absolutely.

As a MN native and amateur naturalist, I have always had an interest in wetlands and the environments surrounding them. They are often home to a select group of flora, fauna, and fungi, those of which may not be found outside of those environments. Peat bogs in particular are at a great risk due to human meddling and climate change, and many creatures and plants will cease to exist without the very particular ecosystems created by swamps. This read takes a more academic approach to describing the very real problems surrounding swamps, bogs, fens, and wetlands, but it does so in a way that is easy to understand.

While many hold a perception of swamps as dangerous, haunted places that are filled with miasmas and "bad humors," they are actually vitally important to the future of our planet. These ecosystems filter water, hold more carbon than the Amazon, and preserve and protect endangered species around the globe. Despite this, there are countless articles about both legal and illegal degradation of these lands. In SD, countless acres of wetlands are lost every year by farmers illegally (as in, without permits) filling in or tiling these areas to create more farmland. In most cases, when discovered, they are given "good-faith waivers" and no punishment is granted. While farming is an important part of SD economics, it does no good to plant on grounds that continuously flood and do not produce a crop yield. In a year of record breaking floods, healthy wetlands and swamps help to hold in the excess rain and aid in giving surrounding areas time for water levels to recede. This summer, I drove by countless fields where every single low area is either exposed soil, or still has standing water a month after flooding. I can only imagine what it would be like if the original wetlands were allowed to remain in those parts of the fields.

Land management is a huge responsibility, and one that I think more and more people, from scientists (duh), to politicians, are starting to reckon with. We all need to be worried about the future of these natural areas, as their health has a direct effect on ours.

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the start of this book to the end of it, Edward Struzik presents the world of swamplands as a fascinating remote wonder that has been disappearing over centuries. The urgency of climate change and carbon release underlies this telling of swamplands more than the poetics, romanticism, and beauty of nature. However, those are not lost in part of the storytelling here.

Struzik tours readers through the High Arctic of Canada, the Great Dismal Swamp, Hawaii, California, Hudson Bay Lowlands and more. While exploring these regions, Struzik makes reference to many other parts of the world but also to the history of these places as it relates to the local cultures and to the ecosystems.

What strikes me from reading this book is how impactful politics and economics are on the development and use of energy resources. In the midst of peat, oil, and coal extraction, there are wolves, bears, fish, birds and so many plants living without knowledge of how closely their fates are tied to what we humans are doing and not doing.

If there is a persuasion towards action from this book, it seems to be a message that we need to stop the draining of swamplands because many of the wetlands are releasing considerable amounts of carbon. And aside from this, I found Swamplands by Edward Struzik to be a fascinating exploration of undervalued habitats and life on Earth. A refreshing and informative read!

[Shonna Siegers · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars… I learned so much from this book. I didn’t know I didn’t know much about swampy marshes bogs and fens. Now I want to find all those things in my own area and visit them all. It was stark and sometimes dismal learning how of course humanity is a blight on the sustainability of every ecosystem based on how we overexploit every resource based on our lifestyle and economic practices.
My only complaint is that either the chapters are sometimes misnamed and/or the author goes on sidetracks that end up being talked about more than what the main topic seemed to point to. All in all though, one of my Davy books this year.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way that we look at the world is askew, especially when it comes to the land. At one time, much of the world has been designated as "valueless" because we don't understand the importance of ecosystems and how everything is connected.

Edward Struzik knows this well, and his book about peat bogs and their importance in the scheme of things cannot be overemphasized. He points out many blunders made by politicians, industry and the military and their intentions to utilize what they conveniently designate as useless land. When will we understand the interdependency of all things and the precarity of our situation?

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fewer facts about swamps than I was hoping but I found the stories about different kinds of wetlands the narrator visited very beautiful.

The kind of overall theme of swamps and wetlands being seen as wastelands by ~capitalism~ and being treated as such, compared to the actual incredible diversity of species and the way they play an integral role in the collective existence of living things has stayed with me.

I do wish someone would point me to another version of this book written by not a white men - the hints of other perspectives that this writer couldn't fully connect to or tell were frustrating to see just out of reach. Other perspectives please.

[Christine Crawford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. I found this pretty boring. I guess that's not super surprising because it's a book about PEAT, but I usually like science-y stuff. I think part of the problem was a audiobook narrator with a dull tone to his voice. And, at the risk of sounding childish, I think some pictures would have helped so I could better visualize what I was reading about. I did learn some about bogs and peat though and the book has an important ecological message, so I'm glad it's out there. And the cover is beautiful.

[Lucie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beavers rock! They are definitely the heroes in this book. They just might save the wetlands, and by doing so, they might save the planet... if only the humans can go away.
I liked the book, but find it repetitive. I liked to learn about how some creatures play a very important role in the survival of the ecosystems, but there was not enough of that in this book. It was mostly about how human activity in the swamp is killing or making the "kidneys of the world" sick.
The cover is beautiful. Koodos to the artist that designed it. 5 stars for the cover.

[Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting exploration of the amazing diversity of peat-forming wetlands. Struzik takes the reader from Hawaii to the Artic following all the places were the conditions for these explosions of diversity occur. Along the way he shares the stories of the people who study, advocate for and restore them, as well as the history of the uses and abuses of this resource. While his excitement at the beauty of these places is palpable, the prose can at time feel repetitive with scientists and species of each particular area blending into each other.

[Georgie Melrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book via a review of Annie Proulx's Fen, Bog, and Swamp. I have to admit -- this is what I wanted that book to be. Informative, interested, grounded in science, and compassionate towards the "useless spaces".

I was struck by Struzik's point on simplicity when it comes to policy. I'm not against innovation, but when there's such chaos and risk, I think caution is wise. It's good to experiment and try and progress, but we should do so carefully and with the dignity of life in mind.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. I feel like I should have found it more engaging than I did given the subject matter. I did learn things I didn't know previously about the significance of peatland for carbon sequestration and for reading climate history (the latter was the most fascinating part of the book for me).

I did also really enjoy some of the information about moths and beavers. Beaver's ancestors were much larger than I would have imagined.

[Nicci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful piece of nonfiction. I love the biology, art, history and passion in this. It was a fascinating read, full of unique and lesser known things and very rich information about the importance of fens, bogs, and peat.
I looooved this book and a hard copy will be purchased soon.

[Jeff Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part conservation science, part unique locations travel guide, this book takes you through multiple bogs and fens without having to deal with the biting flies. Edward Struzik imparts scientific knowledge and conservation principles in an easy, readable fashion. Each fen and bog is a cautionary tale and a reminder that these vital resources provide so much.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read the advance reader's copy, I'm interested to know a bit more about how the final publication turned out, only to see if some redundancies were corrected, and a bit more concluding information provided. Overall, however, this is a necessary book with incredible information about peat, fens, bogs, etc.