When the Laurentide Ice Sheet started to retreat about 12,000 years ago, there was a tundra climate which warmed to where spruce, fir and tamarack forests first took hold and eventually were followed by mixed-hardwoods. Wetlands, consisting of bogs and fens, formed in low areas of poorly drained soils where it was too wet for most trees to grow.
Bogs: Bogs are wetlands where almost all of the water comes from rain and snow. Water in bogs is acidic and low in oxygen. Robert W. Freckmann, professor emeritus of biology at the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point describes in Along Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail the plant life found in bogs:
“Evergreen shrubs such as leatherleaf, Labrador tea, bog rosemary, and cranberries dominated the bog, with tamarack and black spruce growing to tree size where their roots could gain anchorage in the soil.”
Fens: Fens were also created when glaciers retreated. The main difference with a fen, is the water source comes from groundwater and small streams in addition to rain and snow. Because of the greater water flow they are more alkali and less acidic in addition to containing higher oxygen levels. Freckmann identified the plants often found in fens as follows:
Graphics are from the U.S. Forest Service.
“Especially in the eastern part of Wisconsin where the glacier had moved across the limestone sediments, the glacial till initially contained a large amount of calcium. Here the ponds developed as alkaline fens, with white cedar trees and many wild orchids, including ram’s head, white lady’s slipper and small yellow lady’s-slipper.”
IATCC is the cache designation to highlight a series of EarthCaches along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail grouped into a special category called "ColdCache."
The Ice Age Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails designated by the National Park Service. This unique trail is entirely within the state of Wisconsin and follows along the terminal moraine of the most recent glacier which retreated about 10,000 years ago.
This project is supported by the Ice Age Trail Alliance (IATA). The goal is to bring more visitors to the trail and promote public awareness, appreciation, and understanding of Wisconsin’s glacial landscape.
The IATA has created an awards program to encourage visits to the trail and ColdCache sites. This awards program is separate from, and in addition to, any other Geo- or EarthCache awards program.
A current list of approved ColdCache sites can be found on the “IATCC Bookmark List”. More information on the Ice Age Trail Atlas, the Companion Guide, the ColdCache Project and Awards Program can be found on the “ColdCache Webpage”
DNR Permission
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to Mike Repyak of the Wisconsin DNR. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: www.wi-geocaching.com/hiding
Resources
Geology of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail; by David M. Mickelson, Louis J. Mahler Jr., and Susan L. Simpson
To claim this find:
- By use of a pH strip, measure and report the pH factor of this wetland.
- What species of trees are growing in the wetland?
- Based on your observations and the test results is this wetland a Bog or a Fen?