The 39-acre Bog property is the only sizeable bog found in Simsbury. Although a common habitat in parts of northern New England and Canada, bogs are much less common in Connecticut than the marshes or shrub swamps found throughout southern New England.
The bog was formed relatively recently when, in the 1970s, the construction of Lenora Drive blocked a drainage outlet, raising the water table. Unlike a swamp that has flowing water, a bog is often fed only by rainwater or groundwater and has no inlet or outlet. As the water in the bog is stagnant, nutrient-poor and acidic, only specially adapted plants can grow there. Visitors to the bog will find leatherleaf, sheep laurel, highbush blueberry, swamp azalea, bog laurel, Labrador tea, and various sedges as well as a thick floating mat of sphagnum moss.
Few animals live in the bog, although many pass through it in search of food or shelter. Because of the acidic water, fish are usually absent. As fish are significant predators of dragonfly larvae, bogs are good dragonfly breeding sites and one of the the best places to find dragonflies. Permanent residents of the bog may include insect-eating birds, garter snakes, frogs and turtles. The bog can also provide important habitat for deer, black bear, beaver, bobcat, and fishers.
The Simsbury Land Trust's Bog is bordered on its northern edge by an esker. An esker is a mound of sand and gravel, an ancient riverbed that is thought to have formed on, in or under a glacier. The presence of this esker affects the flow of water in this area and has helped to create the red maple swamp to the north of the esker and the bog to the south.
An elevated walkway and observation deck constructed by Simsbury Land Trust volunteers affords visitors an opportunity to enter the bog and appreciate the geology, plants and animals of this unique wildlife habitat. |
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Photos
Photos by Ray Padron
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