Seen in the Bog: Spring Snowstorm | March 16, 2025

Clear skies followed a snowy morning. (Stacy Iwanicki)

Seen in the Bog

To see Volo Bog's animals, plants, and scenery in a different light, visit on a rainy, snowy, or icy day. Sunday was a little of everything. A bog walk in inclement weather never disappoints.

Embarking on the Volo Bog Interpretive Trail in the snow. (Emma Flickinger)

Snow fell steadily throughout the morning.

The water in the bog was sluggish and icy. No creatures could be seen moving under the surface.

Snow on the plants and the boardwalk railing. (Emma Flickinger)

In the restoration areas, where shrubs have been cut back, snow piled up quickly. Sleepy Sphagnum moss peered out from under the white blanket.

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  A habitat restoration area in Volo Bog. (Emma Flickinger)

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  A mossy hummock under the snow. (Emma Flickinger)

Do you associate gray snowy mornings with subdued quiet? The geese of Volo Bog do not.

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Honking geese made a racket in the eye of the bog. (Emma Flickinger)

Most bog plants still wore their winter appearance. The afternoon sun brought out the warm, rich browns of the leatherleaf shrub.

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  Leatherleaf (Stacy Iwanicki)

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  Spores of the sensitive fern (Stacy Iwanicki)

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  Sensitive fern spores seen close up (Stacy Iwanicki)

The familiar shapes of the sensitive fern fronds appeared as crisp silhouettes against the snow. These persistent fronds will remain upright for a while yet, and release their spores in the summer.

Seen Around the Bog

The noisy pair of geese from the eye of the bog eventually moved to the pond to continue their conversation.

Canada geese joined the muted palette of the pond and visitor center in the snow. (Emma Flickinger)

The morning's relentless snowfall blanketed the boardwalk. (Emma Flickinger)

By the afternoon, several mammals had left prints in the fresh snow. Can you identify these tracks? (Click each picture for answers.)

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  Mink tracks appear two by two in a slightly angled pattern. (Stacy Iwanicki)

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  Domestic dog prints show splayed-out toes. Two prints often overlap. (Stacy Iwanicki)

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  Coyote prints are tighter, with all toes pointing forward. (Stacy Iwanicki)

Blackbirds could be heard calling in the marsh all day, no matter the weather—a sign of spring.

A blackbird surveys his frosty domain. (Stacy Iwanicki)