Wetlands play an essential role in the environment and the Taieri and its surrounds are home to some of the most significant such areas in the region.
The Department of Conservation is encouraging young people to visit wetlands during the next few weeks and photograph them for the World Wetlands' Day youth photo competition.
Photographers aged between 15 and 24 can win international travel by uploading their favourite photograph of a wetland to the World Wetlands' website before March 2.
The winner will receive a free flight to a famous wetland of their choice anywhere in the world.
Wetlands are broadly defined as areas where the presence of water is the primary factor controlling the environment and associated plant and animal life.
World Wetlands' Day was on Monday and marked the adoption of the International Convention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar.
Doc conservation services ranger Daniel Jack said wetlands played an essential role in the environment including filtering and cleansing water and providing critical habitat for many plants and animals.
They also acted as a natural shield to protect the landscape through absorbing water runoff and providing a controlled release of water to lakes, rivers and the coast.
''They are biodiversity hotspots and provide many recreational opportunities.''
Some of the most significant wetlands in the region included the Lake Waihola-Waipori wetlands and Sinclair Wetlands about 33km south of Dunedin.
They made up the most significant area of wetland habitat in Otago, he said.
''The area is nationally and internationally recognised as a precious refuge for many threatened and endangered species of plant, fish and birds.''
There was also the Taieri River Scroll Plain in the Maniototo and Styx Basins which was the only example of that wetland type in New Zealand.
Another example was Lake Tuakitoto north of the Clutha River, which hosted a diverse range of vegetation types and wildlife habitats, and was the best remaining example of a previously widespread wetland type.
Te Papanui Conservation Area, west of Dunedin was an example of tussock grassland, he said.
