Wetlands
The damp earth is where water seems to congregate, but not so much that there's a lake or ocean or anything like that. Just damp. This is a wetlands.
しっち
This is a jukugo word that uses the on'yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.
確か、北海道には湿地が多いんだよね？
If I am not mistaken, there are a lot of wetlands in Hokkaido, right?