Boglands

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, author of AN IMMENSE WORLD and I CONTAIN MULTITUDES
Full of enchantment and drama … Turetsky makes the case for bogs as protective forces against climate change, as repositories of history, as zones of freedom and safety…[in] a transporting book and a persuasive call to action – Lauren Redniss * New York Times *
Boglands is one of those rare and exciting books that can change bad situations. A rich and loving appreciation of the world-wide kingdom of sphagnum bogs. Turetsky asks readers to help her support and rescue the world’s endangered boglands. If you enjoy breathing, you should answer the call – Annie Proulx, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of FEN, BOG AND SWAMP
Arresting … Turetsky finds beauty in dank, soggy places … This is one of those books which takes what might seem a byway of nature and demonstrates how it can change not just lives, but your life – Maggie Fergusson * Spectator *
We usually value landscapes for what we can see, but, as Turetsky shows, much of the richness and mystery of boglands is underground … [she] offers a tour of her favorite boglands from across the globe, guiding readers through the intricate science of these ecosystems and helping us understand the resilience of the plant, animal and human life there. [This] book is an urgent call to save our remaining boglands. – Karin Altenberg * Wall Street Journal *
The ecologist Turetsky transports readers deep into the mysterious terrain of the bog - somewhere between land and water - to explore its rich history and ecological importance. From Borneo to Greece to Greenland, Turetsky makes a passionate case for these wetlands as both eerie preservers of the human past and models of symbiotic existence * New York Times *
A beautiful ode to one of Earth’s most overlooked environments, Merritt Turetsky reveals the rich histories and ecological wonders buried in bogs around the world – 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 – Anna Chilvers, co-editor of THE BOOK OF BOGS
A beguiling invitation to challenge how you see the natural world – Best New Popular Science Books of 2026 * New Scientist *

Dr. Merritt Turetsky is an internationally renowned ecologist. She is a founding member of the International Permafrost Carbon Network and an advisor to NASA’s Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment. Dr. Turetsky has published hundreds of scientific articles and provides counsel to governments, research boards, and professional networks globally to better understand the importance of bogs to the global climate. In addition to her research publications, she serves as the science advisor to EOS and regularly appears on CNN, PBS Newshour, and the BBC.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.