In “Fen, Bog and Swamp,”  Annie Proulx brings her witness and research to the subject of wetlands and the vitally important role they play in preserving the environment — by storing the carbon emissions that accelerate climate change.

Fens, bogs, swamps, and marine estuaries are crucial to the earth’s survival, and in four illuminating parts, Proulx documents their systemic destruction in pursuit of profit.

In a vivid and revelatory journey through history, Proulx describes the fens of 16th-century England, Canada’s Hudson Bay lowlands, Russia’s Great Vasyugan Mire, and America’s Okeefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.