The Great Swamp Conservancy's purpose is to foster environmental education, to preserve biological diversity, and to manage natural resources in the Oneida Lake and lake Ontario Watersheds. A swamp is a wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a substantial number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or forest swamps and "transitional" or shrub swamps. The water of a swamp may be either fresh water or salt water.
In North America, swamps are usually regarded as including a large amount of woody vegetation, but elsewhere this may not necessarily apply, such as in African swamps dominated by papyrus. By contrast, a marsh in North America is a wetland without woody vegetation, or elsewhere, a wetland without woody vegetation which is shallower and has less open water surface than a swamp.
A mire (or quagmire) is a low-lying wetland of deep, soft soil or mud that sinks underfoot with large algae covering the water's surface. A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally. Such areas may also be covered partially or completely by shallow pools of water. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, and bogs, among others. The water found in wetlands can be saltwater, freshwater, or brackish. Wetlands are considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems. Plant life found in wetlands includes mangrove, water lilies, cattails, sedges, tamarack, black spruce, cypress, gum, and many others. Animal life includes many different amphibians, reptiles, birds, and furbearers.
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous (non-woody) plants. However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica. In temperate latitudes, such as northwest Europe, grasslands are dominated by perennial species, whereas in warmer climates annual species form a greater component of the vegetation. Grasslands are found in most terrestrial climates. Grassland vegetation can vary in height from very short, as in chalk downland where the vegetation may be less than 30 cm (12 in) high, to quite tall, as in the case of North American tallgrass prairie, South American grasslands and African savanna. Woody plants, shrubs or trees, may occur on some grasslands - forming savannas, scrubby grassland or semi-wooded grassland, such as the African savannas or the Iberian dehesa. Such grasslands are sometimes referred to as wood-pasture or woodland
To claim this cache, walk along the the bluebird trail then turn right on the the wetland trail, crossing over the boardwalk. When you leave the boardwalk, the trail can be rather muddy. Contiue to follow the trail, turning left at the T. Read the educational signs along the way and answer the following questions:
1) How has loosestrife affected the habitat?
2) What birds benefit from the establishment of nest boxes?
3) What is an interesting fact about the osprey?
4) List 4 benefits of wetlands.
5) Take a picture while standing on the boardwalk. Include at least a glimpse of the boardwalk, but also show the water level on the day of your visit. Although faces are not required, some part of you or your GPS should be included in the picture. We will be able to see how the water level fluctuates during the different seasons.
6) What animal can be found here that is in decline? What has led to it being listed as a species of "Special Concern"?
7) List three benefits of tussuck sedge to the environment.
8) Does poison ivy have a plus side?
9) What do ducklings eat? What changes in their diet after about 6 weeks?
10) Wetlands help clean, filter and purify water. What threatens water purity?