COLUMBUS, OH -- A new boardwalk allowing greater public access to one of Ohio's most distinctive wetland habitats opened today at the Jackson Bog State Nature Preserve in Stark County. Made of recycled plastic lumber, the nearly one-mile boardwalk was constructed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) using $250,000 in state NatureWorks funds.
Jackson Bog is one of Ohio's truly unique natural places, said ODNR Director Sam Speck. This new boardwalk will reveal the preserve's abundant meadows and spring waters to students, scientists and visitors, while protecting the fragile ecosystem from potential harm.
Complete with benches and an observation deck, the new boardwalk brings the ancient alkaline bog's spring seeps and meadows into closer view for the preserve's 10,000 yearly visitors as it winds past a dozen different fen meadows, an eight-acre lake, and numerous trickling streams.
Along the pathway, visitors will find carnivorous pitcher-plants and round-leaved sundew. Unusual plants such as queen-of-the-prairie, Kalm's lobelia, and grass-of-Parnassus thrive in the fen, as do swamp thistle, Canadian burnet, and shrubby cinquefoil. It is also home to the rare false asphodel.
Jackson Bog is known as a true fen - an alkaline peatland fed by natural springs whose waters remain a constant 54 degrees year round. The highly-alkaline, oxygen-poor spring waters spill out into the sunny flat areas (known as fen meadows), creating a home for a unique assemblage of plants.
Jackson Bog State Nature Preserve's 57 acres are jointly owned by ODNR, Jackson Township and Jackson Local School District. The ODNR Division of Natural Areas & Preserves manages the facility, which is open year round during daylight hours.