The Wetlands Institute was founded in 1969 under the leadership of Herbert Mills, Executive Director of World Wildlife Fund, at a time when vast tracts of wetlands were being lost to development before the early 1970s environmental movement. Mills, WWF, and concerned citizens arranged the purchase of 6,000 acres of marshland for permanent protection, then transferred the marshes to the state while retaining 34 acres for a center devoted to studying wetlands and educating the public about their importance. He chose this site, already filled for a failed housing project that included a road to Scotch Bonnet Creek, and engaged architect Malcolm Wells to design a welcoming, environmentally conscious building. The institute was dedicated in 1972 by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, global director of the World Wildlife Fund. From 1972 until 1986, it was managed as a biological field station for Lehigh University faculty, with early work in fisheries and wildlife surveys, research into salt marsh dynamics and ecology, development of Osprey platforms to aid their recovery, and hands-on educational programs for learners of all ages. Its educational programs and research expanded dramatically in the late 1980s. In 1989, it established its Terrapin Research and Conservation Program, becoming a leader in terrapin conservation, and also launched a student internship program that began a formal commitment to undergraduate training and mentoring and continues to provide early career preparation for future environmental scientists and educators. In 2011, the Board of Trustees adopted the Plan for the Future, beginning a period of growth and expansion that included the Seven Mile Island Innovation Lab, a collaboration with state and federal partners and other organizations on techniques to help marshes respond to climate change. Throughout its history, the institute has worked with people of all ages through research, conservation, and education to help wetlands thrive and to connect people with nature and inspire them to protect it.