Rithet's bog is a 42 hectare Nature Sanctuary that was donated to the people of Saanich in 1994. It is the last of seven large bogs on the Saanich Peninsula. It was previously drained for agricultural use but is now being conserved and restored for the benefit of present and future generations. Rithet’s Bog Conservation Society (RBCS) is a registered non-profit Society dedicated to the care of Rithet’s Bog Conservation Area, which contains the last remaining peat bog on the Saanich Peninsula. It is an accessible park with a 2.8km perimeter trail with several informational signs outlining the importance of the area. Wetlands, creeks and rivers are critical components of our environment. They serve as sources of water and as habitat for fish and wildlife. They provide us with clean air as the growing plants use up carbon dioxide and release large amounts of oxygen. It is a fragile environment and its health depends upon the quality of runoff water from surrounding urban areas.
What is a bog?
A bog is a mire that accumulates peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses, and in a majority of cases, sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, quagmire and muskeg; alkaline mires are called fens.
Types of Bogs
Bog habitats may develop in various situations, depending on the climate and topography. One way of classifying them is based upon their location in the landscape, and their source of water.
Valley bog
These develop in gently sloping valleys or hollows. A layer of peat fills the deepest part of the valley, and a stream may run through the surface of the bog. Valley bogs may develop in relatively dry and warm climates, but because they rely on ground or surface water, they only occur on acidic substrates.
Raised bog
These develop from a lake or flat marshy area, over either non-acidic or acidic substrates. Over centuries there is a progression from open lake, to marsh, then fen (or on acidic substrates, valley bog) and carr, as silt or peat fills the lake. Eventually peat builds up to a level where the land surface is too flat for ground or surface water to reach the centre of the wetland. This part therefore becomes wholly rain-fed, and the resulting acidic conditions allow the development of bog (even if the substrate is non-acidic). The bog continues to form peat, and over time a shallow dome of bog peat develops: a raised bog. The dome is typically a few metres high in the centre, and is often surrounded by strips of fen or other wetland vegetation at the edges or along streamsides, where ground water can filter into the wetland.
Blanket bog
In cool climates with consistently high rainfall, the ground surface may remain waterlogged for much of the time, providing conditions for the development of bog vegetation. In these circumstances bog develops as a layer "blanketing" much of the land, including hilltops and slopes. Although blanket bog is more common on acidic substrates, under some conditions it may also develop on neutral or even alkaline ones, if abundant acidic rainwater predominates over the ground water. Blanket bog cannot occur in drier or warmer climates, because under those conditions hilltops and sloping ground dry out too often for peat to form – in intermediate climates blanket bog may be limited to areas which are shaded from direct sunshine. In periglacial climates a patterned form of blanket bog may occur, known as string bog.
Quaking bog
Quaking bog or schwingmoor is a form of bog occurring in wetter parts of valley bogs and raised bogs, and sometimes around the edges of acidic lakes. The bog vegetation, mostly sphagnum moss anchored by sedges (such as Carex lasiocarpa), forms a mat half a meter or so thick, floating over water or very wet peat. White spruces are also common in this type of bog. Walking on this surface causes it to move – larger movements may cause visible ripples of the surface, or they may even make trees sway. In the absence of disturbance from waves, the bog mat may eventually cover entire bays, or even entire small lakes.
Cataract bog
A cataract bog is a rare ecological community formed where a permanent stream flows over a granite outcropping. The sheeting of water keeps the edges of the rock wet without eroding the soil, but in this precarious location no trees or large shrubs can maintain a roothold. The result is a narrow, permanently wet habitat.
Rithet's Bog has several access points and is a dog friendly park (on leash). The best access point is near the corner of Dalewood Lane and Chatterton Way. There are bike racks as well as a bus stop. The coordinates take you to a large informational sign for your first question. The second question can be answered by walking half way around the bog to another sign. Stay on the perimeter trail - there is no need to step off into sensitive areas. It is a beautiful trail and wheelchair accessible. Please email the answers and do not include them in your log. We hope you enjoy the area and appreciate the conservation efforts that are ongoing.
Question #1 - How many habitat zones are contained within Rithet's bog? Name two of them
Question #2 - According to the sign, what type of bog is Rithet's? What is another name for the natural moat - formed by rainfall and other surface water?
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bog
http://www.rithetsbog.org/
http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Rithet-Bog-Park-near-Victoria-BC-1512
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