As a warm-up to the 2014 #iheartestuaries campaign, I asked all of our staff to fill in the blank in this sentence: "I love estuaries because __________." Here are the responses…

…they're beautiful places that attract beautiful birds. – Scott

…they provide vital habitat for so many plants and animals. – Suzanne

…of the diversity of life that can be found in them. It's where marine, marsh and upland critters can all be seen on a short 10 minute walk. It's impossible to get bored :) – Kate

…they're mysterious, because there the waters of the river and the sea co-mingle to become a wellspring of life. – Karen

…because they’re the dynamic edge, the line between two worlds, where opposing forces and flavors meet, where fish are born, and where life is flooded twice a day, a necessary reminder of the future’s rising seas. – Nik

…they are where I learned how to collect sound, scientific data. – Jeremy

…the hot humid odor of mud and vegetation reminds me of my childhood vacations spent camping next to a salt marsh. – Tin

…they are full of life, they smell of rotten eggs, they're muddy and squishy, every time out they can surprise you, they're full of mystery, they're peaceful. – Kristin

...they are huge nurseries and who doesn't love babies — even if they are fish babies or crab babies or snail babies, they are very scenic to kayak on, they help protect us from storm surge, they smell GREAT! – Sue

And if that wasn't enough, Karen even wrote a poem!

Merry, merry, estuary,
how do your life forms grow?
With salted water and with fresh
and pretty grasses all sweet and low.

Update: John came in later with this…

My love of estuaries, and working with education within them, can be as simple as the word itself. Estuarine. Familiar to some, acquainted to others, unknown to groups as well. It's mere pronunciation is a great ice-breaker out and about. An Estuarine Reserve… Really… so what do you do with it?

Why do you love estuaries? Tell us below or join the campaign.