Shadow Lake Bog

Shelf fungus

We had a wonderful trip to the Shadow Lake Bog. The skies parted as the bus left Lake Wilderness and the sun shone upon us on our entire field trip. This trip allowed students to see how they are connected to their environment and to the community as we begin to learn about the sustainability of natural resources. The sphagnum at the bog is a non-renewable resource. We learned that the peat moss at the bog is approximately 65 feet deep. However, what is so amazing is that it only grows about one to two millimeters a year. If the moss is harvested and sold as peat moss, bogs such as the Shadow Lake Bog are forever destroyed. Peat moss is also used as fuel in European countries. And, of course, they have been drained to make room for more houses. We also learned that there are only 3% of the bogs remaining in King County. In class, we looked at the important benefits the bog offers to our local community. Visit the link on this blog to learn more about the S.H.A.D.O.W. organization. I highly recommend the tab "Learn" to find out the following information: What is a bog? Why is it important? and Who live in the Bog?



Skunk cabbage




Hummocks of sphagnum moss



More hummocks of sphagnum moss

A well-dress twig of a tree