Path to the North Pond

At the far end of the bog, turn onto the dirt road that travels by an abandoned cranberry bog on your right. Look carefully through the bushes and you will see the old ditched sections and remnants of an old flume. This was a productive bog at one time, now in the process of reverting back to the wild. The plant species here are making the successional change from bog plants to shrub swamp to wooded swamp. Look for dominant species of the shrub swamp community including sweet pepper bush, blueberry, sumac, sheep laurel and leatherleaf. Also notice the bog plants being squeezed out, including cranberry vines. Make note of the invading red maple trees from the wooded swamp community. This area is particularly attractive to wildlife because it offers such a diversity of plant communities. It is an excellent place to watch for birds.