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Hi SpaceHey!!
WHOS HERE FOR SOME SWAMP CONTENT???!!
This is a bit on the ramble-y side, so stay with me. I'm going to introduce you to a local biodiversity hotspot, and hopefully convince you to go out and find your own!
Don't worry, there will plenty of pictures to keep you entertained.
About a year ago, I walked off of a path I often walk my dog down. Been living and walking around that path for years, but I decided to walk directly into the woods. It's not a hiking trail, nor any kind of managed wilderness, so it's not exactly an easy walk, but that's kind of the charm.
After walking for a bit, you'll reach a much muddier, swampier area. If you know me, this is exactly what I was hoping to see. The water level fluctuates a lot, and it definitely goes through dry seasons where it functions basically like the surrounding forest, so it's not a real swamp (sorry for clickbaiting).
That said, it's the kind of place where you need mud boots so it's wetland enough for me!
(pic from a dry spell...)
Honestly, it's really peaceful. We don't really find ourselves immersed in just raw wilderness, alone, very often, and that's a shame. When things are getting tough in my life, it's a fantastic escape. I really recommend it. Sometimes, it's nice to come there with a sketchbook and a snack and just hang out.
Moving Along, lets talk Flora and Fauna!
(A Swamp Rose Mallow, Hibiscus moscheutos. and on the right, a Great Egret, Ardea Alba)
This is a fairly healthy ecosystem, and we can tell by the number of large carnivores that it's able to support. I've spotted a few Great Egrets, and I spot this Great Blue Heron nearly every time I visit. Haven't gotten a good picture just yet.
A personal favorite spot of mine was this monster of a Common Snapping Turtle. (About two feet in length). They're also a familiar face.
Fantastically chill guy, too! I decided not to disturb him too much, but he did let me touch and handle him to get measurements and stuff. Also, it's probably a male, since they will be larger on average, and have larger tails, too.
Snapping Turtles have a reputation for being mean, and don't get me wrong, DO NOT handle an angry snapping turtle if you don't know what you're doing. Homie could totally take off a finger. But Snapping Turtles, as a family, are generally omnivorous, and the Common Snapping Turtle eats mostly plants, actually.
We actually don't really know how long a wild snapping turtle can live, but studies indicate it could be over a hundred years.
(A Common Whitetail, Plathemis lydia. And two Silver-spotted Skippers, Epargyreus clarus.)
Lots of fantastic insects in these woods! A very solid population of all manner of dragonflies and damselflies. I've even spotted some Hellgrammites! (Dobsonfly larvae)
I will not post the photo of them because they are pretty horrifying to look at but they're a Fantastic sign of good water quality. Google at your own risk.
though I haven't seen them, there's plenty of deer and racoon tracks. A mammal that I DO see, and FAR TOO OFTEN, is the Wild Boar.
These guys fucking suck. They're invasive, and they totally tear up plants, riverbanks, and anything in their sight. This may or may not include you. I only walk during the day, so I spot them rarely, but there's quite a large population of them, based off of the droppings, tracks, and damage I see. They're also REALLY hard to get rid of, unless you hire like a trained hunter and shit.
Moving on to a more positive topic....
Why you (yes, YOU) should go and find places like this!
1. It's definitely closer than you think.
I live in a rural area, but like, not that rural. And I could find this spot literally within walking distance of my house! Part of that is luck, definitely, but the world is larger than you think. I guarantee you that there is some patch of some gorgeous wilderness that is convenient to you. That's a certified promise.
2. It's not as miserable as you think!
I'm from the south, so I promise you I get the mosquito-phobia. But the swarms that you get outside your house are really not what you'll find in a healthy ecosystem!
A heavy dose of dragonflies and mosquitofish meant that I could practically go without the bug spray. A healthy ecosystem also has lots of greenery, which means lots of transpiration, which means that it's probably wayyy cooler than your yard, too. (In my case, it must've been 10 or more degrees cooler than the outside)
3. These habitats are MASSIVELY important, and they can't be saved if we don't know about them!
This is a big one. Overdevelopment and urban sprawl has claimed millions of square miles of wilderness, and if you care about your local ecosystems, make sure you don't just care about the idea of them. Go and visit them, and then go fight for them. I'll be working to protect this patch from development, that's for sure.
4. They're just fucking great man.
Pretty self-explanatory. Gorgeous wildlife, and just being around them will make you happier and more satisfied than anything else. It's in your best interest to go find them.
So get on with it! Turn off the path and walk into the woods already! ITS LITERALLY COMPLETELY FREE
P. S. What category should I post this nature-related content under? Right now its under "Life" but let me know what you think.
Hope you enjoyed. I want to to post more swamp content all the time. One time soon I'll go in there at night to get the real experience. If I get mauled to death by a wild boar first person to comment can get in my will.
oh also I got my second set of film photos developed I'll post those soon too.
pepddr out
Comments
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Jamboree
Nice waterbirds 🦢🪿 huge fan
Jamboree
Nice waterbirds 🦢🪿 huge fan
PhilBluetelle
Wow, this is great to see! Brings me back to when I still lived in the rural countryside, and with nothing better to do as a kid I'd explore the forest and creek outside my house for hours. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Getting lost in nature is for all ages, so i'm always happy to share
by pepddr; ; Report