Photo Journal: The Beauty of A Swamp in Fall

We're really lucky - here in Nova Scotia, there aren't any poisonous creatures or plants in our swamps! So I was able to go into our local one the other day, squishing along in my rubber boots, and got some photos showing the beauty of our swampland/wetlands in the early autumn. (It's still a little creepy in there though, there's a lot of weird noises in there, in the ground under your feet...clicking noises, and squeeking noises...I didn't go in as far as I had planned!) :D Fall always comes first to the swamp areas, so the leaves are already starting to turn there.

The best fall leaf viewing for Nova Scotia (outside of swamps) comes around the 2nd to 3rd week of October, so plan your visits for that time of year to get the best show! It's pretty amazing. :)

These first few shots just show the abundance of plant life in the swamp area - some evergreen fir trees on the periphery, with tall bullrushes' leaves starting to brown on the tips. The gorgeous ferns are showing their autumn colors in full, in deep oranges and reddish-browns. Beautiful! There's a million other plants in there, too - thick mosses cover most of the ground, and many different bushes and small trees that enjoy the wet ground. There isn't an inch of bare ground, everything is covered with vegetation!



These following two shots show a common sight in wet soil in Nova Scotia: the pitcher plant. I think it's called that because the leaves act as a pitcher, collecting water. The first pic shows the flower, and down below you can see a closeup of it's "pitcher" action, with water filling up the leaves. Neat! :D

So you see? You can even find great beauty in a place with a name like "swamp"! :)