The natural history of Brown’s Lake Bog
Brown’s Lake Bog, located on Brown Road just west of Shreve, is one of only a handful of sites in Ohio that still exists with a naturally formed kettle lake.
Although life as we know it has been turned upside down, the timeless rhythms of the seasons continue right on schedule.
The program to teach how Brown’s Lake Bog was created, however, has been postponed until 2021. The program, part of a series presented by the County Line Historical Society at the Shreve Presbyterian Church was supposed to be held on Saturday, June 20 from 1-3 p.m., with Denny Jordan, chairman of the Wayne County park board, as the featured speaker.
Brown’s Lake Bog, located on Brown Road just west of Shreve, is one of only a handful of sites in Ohio that still exists with a naturally formed kettle lake. This preserve lies in the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau region of Northeastern Ohio. The bog and lake are glacial remnants, and the knolls in the northeast corner and southern part of the property are glacially formed hills called kames.
Kettle lakes were formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters from blocks of ice sloughed off from retreating glaciers. They were then surrounded by sediment deposited by meltwater streams. If water in a kettle became acidic due to decomposing organic plant matter, it becomes a kettle bog. Kettle bogs are closed ecosystems because they have no water source other than precipitation. These bogs are an important ecological niche for some symbiotic species of plants.
The Nature Conservancy owns Brown’s Lake Bog, and the volunteer organization that works with it is Friends of Brown’s Lake Bog. The annual meeting that was to be held on March 14 was canceled, but volunteers pull garlic mustard and other invasive plants, pick up trash, and repair the boardwalk.
“As a carnivorous plant enthusiast, I’ve long enjoyed Brown’s Bog for its unique plants. It really is a special place," Friends member Julie Weisenberg said. "The Friends group was founded to support conservation and awareness about the bog, and I serve as coordinator between the Nature Conservancy, who owns and manages the property, and the Friends volunteers.”
“The Nature Conservancy calls me a 'site monitor.' Basically I just visit the bog regularly and report if there are any issues, like trees across the trail. I also pick up trash and do routine maintenance," said Cheryl Gordon, another member of the Friends group. "I am fascinated by the changes in the bog from week to week. As the seasons change, there is always something new to see. The ferns along the boardwalk and the big, old oak trees on the kame are some of my favorites.”
There is no charge to visit the bog, and membership in the Friends group is free.
For more information on joining Friends of Brown’s Lake Bog, call 330-464-0624.