CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N.Y. — An environment is usually not just a stand of trees or a field. Wildlands are made up of various habitats, all of which work together to create a healthy whole.
Hidden deep within Chautauqua County is a microhabitat known as a fen. The 8-acre fen is nestled within a more extensive 220-acre forest. Erik Danielson is Stewardship Coordinator for the WNY Land Conservancy.
"A Fen is a peat land, which means it's a wetland in which basically organic matter, plants, mosses, grasses, and things like that, accumulates faster than it can decompose in the muck. So you get this spongy layer of peat in which all the plants have to grow. "
The fen was formed by the glaciers that sculpted much of New York State.
"It left this deep body of water and this mat of Sphagnum and grasses and rushes started sort of growing out of the top of the water," Danielson explains. "And so because they formed this mat on top of the water, it's open water underneath. So when you walk around on this fen mat, it's kind of like walking on a water bed."
This wetland environment is home to some remarkable species. This time of year, the fen is wild with a field of Blue Flag Irises. It's a striking purple wave unexpectedly bursting from the surrounding forest.
"This is our native Blue Flag Iris, which you can find in a range of different kinds of wetlands throughout Western New York." Says Danielson." But I have never seen such a display as we have in this peat mat."
The Western New York Land Conservancy is in the process of raising funds to purchase the land. It's part of a larger effort to protect and reconnect wild lands in Western New York. Danielson says that the group recently became stewards of College Lodge Forest, a nearby 200-acre forest.
"It's kind of contiguous to the College Lodge property that we recently protected, and it connects on the other end to a large complex of wetlands surrounding Bear Lake. So this property is really vital to connectivity between those habitats."
It's a singular environment that all WNY should be willing to help protect. "There's going to be a trail that goes right along the edge of the fen in the future so folks can come and have a look, and make sure this biodiversity is here for future generations."
If you'd like to learn more about the fen or help the Land Conservancy to raise funds for its purchase, you'll find a link to their website here.
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