Landis Arboretum & New York Power Authority

Continuing a Tradition of Environmental Education and Free, Family Fun

Picturesque Route 30 connects Catskill State Park to the Adirondack Mountains. This same historic, scenic byway also links two Schoharie County landmarks—the New York Power Authority in North Blenheim and the Landis Arboretum in Esperance—and a world of picture perfect country in between (see www.FuelingTheFun.com and www.Schohariechamber.com).

Both of these environmentally focused favorites find common ground in the sheer span and beauty of their spectacular properties, in the natural sanctuary that each provides for area wildlife, and in a shared penchant for edu-tainment: the creation of a wide and varied array of family-focused educational events that are fun, often free, and designed to heighten awareness of the natural splendor of these northern Catskill Mountain estates. This season is no exception. But what will visitors find when they arrive?

For Guide readers,
• Ed Miller, Guilderland, NY, resident and curator of the Landis Arboretum’s Native Plant Collection, shares his experience and insight on the natural wonders of life associated with the lesser known bog gardens at the Arboretum and other area sites.

• Award-winning wildlife photographer and recent Schoharie Valley arrival Bill Combs Jr. reveals the magnificence of a birds-eye view of these beautiful sites in arresting images.

• And selected highlights from both the Arboretum and NYPA websites provide relevant details to excite any individual or family planning a daytrip or overnight stay to the area.

Beauty and the Bogs
By Ed Miller
The 548 acres of the Landis Arboretum comprise a national treasure which includes 40 acres of cultivated and native plants on the site of a 19th century farm, the home of Fred Lape, the Arboretum’s founder. Central to New York State Wine and Spa Trails and in close proximity to historic Sharon Springs, the Arboretum is a natural stop for those traveling to the high-volume tourist attractions between the Albany, Cooperstown and Finger Lakes regions. The Arboretum offers much that would appeal to a family: eight miles of hiking and walking trails overlooking Schoharie Valley near Esperance; and acres of plantings, trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials from around the world. The Landis Arboretum includes a nationally recognized collection of oaks and is registered with the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC).

The Arboretum also is included in the New York State Route 20 Bluebird Trail, bringing even more birdwatchers to the site. The Arboretum’s vast dark sky and wide horizons attract area astronomers to its meeting house and parking field for sky-watching events. The remainder of the property consists of woodlands, and open fields, and natural areas including bogs.

To me, bogs are by far the most interesting of the three kinds of wetlands of upstate New York. Swamps, of course, have their champions; but except when they are flooded to allow passage by canoe or dried up in the summer, they are often inaccessible. Marshes, too, attract enthusiasts and admittedly, I have canoed many enjoyable miles through marshes, listening and watching for birds and flowers. But walking in the deep grass of a marsh is hard work.

Bogs, however, generally are easy to access in all seasons, full of interesting plants and birds, and contrary to myths, have very few insects and never, in my experience, a poisonous snake. These distinctive wetlands with no underground spring of fresh water to feed them are characterized by spongy peat deposits, acidic waters and a moss-covered floor. To me, they always arouse curiosity and wonder.

A few years ago, I introduced some long-time friends to a quaking bog north of historic Caroga Lake. Both had heard of the bog but had never experienced it, and were excited to do so. This one, which we visited by canoe, was quite shaky, indicating that it was a mat of tangled roots floating on the edge of a lake. One has to be careful where one steps, as there are weak spots that will not support a person. Grace Niles, a renowned botanist of the early 1900s, was known to carry a long pole when she explored bogs near the town of Pownal, in Bennington County, Vermont, in her search for orchids. (see Niles, Grace Greylock. Bog-Trotting for Orchids. New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1904).

Plants that one sees no place else often are common in bogs. That day near Caroga Lake, I showed my friends the amazing Pitcher Plant. Its tubular evergreen leaves fill with water, trapping insects that the plant digestive juices turn into nutrients. The Pitcher Plant has a distinctive flower; it dries and usually persists over the winter, and shows where the plants are getting ready to blossom again. The inside of its leaves reveal downward slanting hairs and a very smooth area near the lip. Perhaps there is a fragrance that encourages insects to explore the leaf, but as they venture downward they can not return against the barrier of hairs. It must be effective because old Pitcher Plant leaves often contain deep sediment of indigestible insect parts.

Sundews and bladderworts are two other insect-eating plants common to Adirondack bogs. Both use a completely different method of trapping insects. The edges of Sundew leaves have hairs with globules of a glue-like substance at their ends. When an unwary insect visits, it gets entrapped as the leaf and its hairs close around it until digestive juices have done their deed. There, too, one can see the undigested parts on the older leaves. And since the leaves are often less than a quarter-inch in diameter, think small insects—the kind that would be interesting viewed with a hand lens.

Bladderworts use a mechanical trap to capture insects and again, use digestive juices to nourish the plant. These traps are located along their aquatic roots. Bog explorers should look for small, bright yellow, irregular flowers in the wetter parts of a bog. Use caution when approaching, because in bogs, “wetter” often equates to increased danger of falling through. If you can find a plant growing in the water, you will be able to examine the bladder traps growing along its roots. They will be about an eighth of an inch in diameter. The older ones will be black from indigestible insect parts. The new ones will be green and smaller. The trigger mechanism that sets the trap may be visible with a hand lens but more magnification is better.

My friends were less interested in the shrubs and trees that provide most of the root mass that holds the bog together. The most common bog shrub is leatherleaf, which for many bogs, constitute close to 90 percent of the vegetation.

Another shrub, Sweet Gale, is one of my favorites; it is related to the bayberry which grows along the coast. Crush the leaves and experience a delightful scent. Bog and sheep laurel add their color in flowers that look very much like the blossoms of mountain laurel, a close relative. Bog Rosemary and Labrador Tea are bog shrubs that exhibit an unexpected characteristic. With all the water around, one wouldn’t expect that bog shrubs would skimp on their water usage. Yes! There is lots of water but it is acidic— and plants must process this water before they can use it. Labrador Tea employs the hairy covering under its leaves to reduce evaporation. Bog Rosemary has glossy leaves whose edges curl under to save water. Other bog shrubs have their own adaptations.

Only two trees are common in Adirondack region bogs: Tamarack, the conifer that sheds its leaves in autumn, and black spruce. Neither species get very big in bogs. Black spruce clone young trees that encircle the original seedling and increase the roots mass and help the tree get larger than would otherwise be possible.

Although my friends were not as interested as I am in the bog trees and shrubs, they—and everyone else it seems—are interested in the orchids that inhabit our bogs. Some are quite common, others beautiful, and still others, rare and with flowers that only an orchidphile could love. If you are lucky in your bog visits to find orchids, please never pick or try to transplant them. Not only are they protected by law, but they require the special habitat of the bog to survive.

EnCon (The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) in Paul Smiths, NY (near Saranac Lake), has a boardwalk that enables visitors to get close to bog plants, including orchids. Much closer to New York State’s Capital District, though, is a bog garden I have helped create at the Landis Arboretum in Esperance, NY. In addition to its proximity, and ease of access, the plants of this bog garden are labeled and, in spite of its relatively small size, it contains almost all of the native bog trees and shrubs I have mentioned as well as a variety of herbaceous plants such as orchids, monkey flower and buckbean.

Several species of sphagnum moss provide the bulk of the garden and give support to the other bog plants. Purposely, at the Landis Arboretum, we have kept the garden free of grassy plants, which we found to be super aggressive and which completely thwarted our initial attempt at creating a bog garden.

My own experience is that visitors to our bog at the Arboretum learn to appreciate them and visit often, throughout the year. Several bogs in the North Country have boardwalks that help visitors more closely observe the special plants that have evolved to inhabit a difficult environment. Field guides and books on bogs will help you identify the plants you observe. Better yet, visit the Landis Arboretum in Esperance, NY, and see bog plants in our bog garden, up-close and labeled. Be sure to bring your hand lens to see the tiny sundews and the intricate parts of the flowers that may be in bloom for your visit.

Although formally trained as an engineer, Ed Miller has always had an interest in nature. Following retirement nearly 22 years ago, he studied plants seriously with Ruth Schottman, Jerry Jenkins, Nan and Sue Williams, and others. He has twice served as the chairman of the Northeastern section of the Botanical Society of America.

Keeping Track of Fun and Birds
Bird watching is easy—and fun. And, it offers an instant way for a family to share in a day’s free outing anyplace. Seasoned birders like to record what they’ve seen and where. Long-time bird lovers Barbara and Stephen Brabetz have created an up-to-date list of birds that one can expect to find over 125 species keyed to the season. The colorful checklist fits easily into a hip or back pocket for bird-spotting ventures. “It’s been a labor of love,” says Ms. Brabetz who is President of the Arboretum and chair of the Natural Sciences Department at SUNY Cobleskill. The Brabetz Bird Checklist, published this month by the Landis Arboretum, is available at the Arboretum Acorn Gift Shop or via mail. Cost: $2+ postage. Families are encouraged to stop by the Arboretum and sign out the family friendly daypacks, complete with kid-sized binoculars, the bird list and more to make your trip a nature-loving adventure.