The wetlands are my favorite parts of the Indiana Dunes park. Not the actual sand dunes, nor the beaches, the wetlands. Marshes, swamps, fens, bogs and pannes… The biodiversity in these areas is insane, with a seemingly endless variety of plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles and birds. As a volunteer I have had multiple opportunities to go into these areas with park restoration staff and work on various restoration projects.
So what is is like to work in a wetland?
This photo shows one end of an innerdunal wetland in Miller Woods, near the national parks nature center. I worked in this wetland recently as part of an effort to help control the spread of purple loosestrife, an invasive plant that has been spreading in this area. The above photo was taken from the edge of the wetland prior to entering. It is mid summer and it does not look all that wet from the trail.
This is what the area shown in the previous photo looks like from a vantage point down in the wetland. Yes it is wet and the foliage is both dense and tall, frequently well over my head.
Down here you are anywhere from ankle to knee deep in muck and water, or more. More than once I stepped into a deep spot and water overflowed the top of my knee high boots, yes my socks were very soggy by the end of the day. This brings up a fun aspect of working in a wetland, footing. You cannot see what you are stepping onto or into. The bottom is very uneven, in places it is slick as ice, there are foot deep holes, tree trunks and branches, large rocks, etc. Lots and lots of tripping hazards, completely unstable footing. You really have to pay attention to what you feel as your foot moves forward and you absolutely cannot lurch from one spot to another, that is a recipe for disaster. It can be quite a workout moving through this terrain, especially in hot weather wearing heavy rubber muck boots.
Avoiding falling face first into the muck is not the only consideration when moving around in this environment. I highly recommend wearing a long sleeve shirt, which as you can see I did not on this occasion. You are pushing your way through a lot of vegetation, and sawgrass is very aptly named let me tell you what.
These challenges however just contribute to making this environment special. You are deep in the foliage, surrounded by nature. Actually that is not correct, you are WITH nature on its home turf. Everywhere you look there is splendor aplenty. You are far from alone here, have you spotted the deer in the above photograph? Two of them actually. They were head down feeding while I was working in this area, and I had no clue they were there. I heard a some rustling noises, but that could have been anything. I was probably only 30ft from the closer one when they perked up at my presence. Up they popped, they looked at me and I looked at them. They did not flee, I was just another part of the natural environment as far as they were concerned and when I went back to clipping flower heads they went back to their foraging. I was no threat to them and they were comfortable with my presence.
As you push your way deeper into the wetland you have the opportunity to hear and see wonderful things. But you must do so with respect for nature, here you move slowly, deliberately. Gently pushing your way past the the plants, pausing every now and then to just look and listen. I saw and heard many things on this day. The plop of a frog jumping into the water as I approach, the call of a blackbird that was unhappy with how close I was, grasshoppers leaping from one leaf to another, bees moving among the flowers in search of nectar, dragonflies taking flight when I got too close, hoverflies hovering all around me… so many things. But if you are respectful and move with care, you will spot creatures before they vanish into the greenery. Creatures like this little tree frog, perched ready to leap as it senses my approach. Since I was here to work I did not have my usual assortment of cameras nor did I want to stop constantly to fish my phone out of my pocket. But occasionally I did, and this little fella waited patiently as I stowed my clipper and gloves, took out my phone and got a photo.
Sure, it was hot and humid, there were lots of mosquitos and ticks. It seemed like half of the foliage was either sharp edged or thorny. After a few hours you are soaking wet from sweat and covered in muck. And it is one of the most fun and enjoyable things I have ever done in life.
I cannot wait to go back!
Leave a Reply