Earth Day was wet. It rained a lot. But a few of us intrepid members of our garden club braved the chilly rain to tour a special place we only learned about recently from an article in the Sunday Magazine section of the Seattle Times.
Shadow Lake Bog, part of Shadow Lake Preserve, is an area of about 22 acres salvaged from construction and years of dumping to reveal an 8 to 10 thousand year old sphagnum moss-hemlock peat bog hidden in a semi-rural neighborhood east of Renton, WA.
The small lake and area were renamed Shadow to stand for Save Habitat And Diversity Of Wetlands. Our guide was a young woman Environmental Scientist. The area is privately owned by a benefactor with support from King County.
It was a wonderful experience to be able to see and learn about this treasure of nature being conserved for all to enjoy and learn about.
We did a little more trail walking in the preserve before we succumbed to the rain and met up for lunch and conversation at a local restaurant.
It was a memorable Earth Day.
What a lovely place! The trees and moss are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWet lands are interesting areas as they have plants that most of us don't ordinarily see. Wetlands need more protection than other areas as people think they are waste lands. Good on you for working to protect them.
ReplyDelete80 feet deep! Is it like a mattress? Amazing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty place so green!
ReplyDeleteIt's so wonderful that you have so much nature to walk through. Here on Oahu, you have to drive a while to get to any place with a lot of trees. It's very crowded here, sadly.
ReplyDeleteIt looks beautiful and at the same time I was happy to be in my warm home while touring with you . . . that damp weather chills me to the bone :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating, weird, beautiful and wondrous place. Perfect for an Earth Day outing. Back in the '60s the wholesale greenhouse attached to the floral shop where I worked imported a lot a sphagnum moss to line outdoor planters for cemeteries and handing baskets. Never gave a thought about where it came from.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the pictures, looks like a fascinating place. I've always been intrigued by the unique habitat of bogs and fens.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a very nice place to walk and observe nature! You did a lot of walk before a good restaurant!
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