LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 47 er plants, whose trumpet-like shape captures insects for sustenance. Lichens also appear in abundance in the Preserve in a variety of species, including the sprawling, coral-like reindeer lichen and the charming British soldier (Cladonia cristatella), which looks like miniscule matchsticks with bright red tops. Looking profoundly delicate, these plantlike organisms speak to the seemingly infinite complexity and microscopic beauty in the Adirondacks. Even the smallest species can be among the most beautiful, despite being over- shadowed by bigger, bolder plants and animals. As spring lengthens, temperatures warm, and days grow longer, life in the preserve continues to thrive and bloom. Looking closely, one might find a number of flowers among the mosses and lichens, such as the dainty pink bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia), a plant which features several small, bright pink flowers on a tall, thin stalk. The sheep laurel can be profuse along the boardwalk, particularly amid the white cedar swamp. Nestling low in the moss in the area where the bog meets the hardwood forest, visitors may see wood sorrel (Oxalis Montana), a petite flower with five pale pink petals with stripes of a darker, yet still delicate pink. The wood sorrel is another good lesson that the bog offers: one has to look down, practically at their own feet, in order to see it. A casual walker or hiker might miss it altogether. It is often only by sitting down on the boardwalk and leaning over that one may be able to observe the delicate stripes on the flower petals. A visit to the Silver Lake Bog Preserve does not feature a lengthy, leg-burning hike, or the challenge of receiving a patch at the end of the day. What it offers is something far more tranquil and sublime. This is a delicately lively location, where nature has full reign to thrive without overzealous human influence, where the pileated woodpeckers stay busy, the wood frogs lounge in tiny pools, and swallowtail butterflies flit through dappled sunlight. That visitors are able to enjoy the bog, swamp and forest is fortunate, for it allows visitors to observe, appreciate, and be a part of nature without inflicting damage on the fragile plant life or disturbing wildlife. When walking through the Preserve, one understands that this is a place where we are merely guests. One leaves with an appreciation for the natural world and a joy that we are privileged to be a part of it. e dynamic ecosystem at the bog includes bog cranberry. A close view of lichen reveals a nubby texture and talon-like growth.

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