Sphagnum Moss on the Boreal Life Trail

Walking down the long Boreal Life Trail at the Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) belonging to Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondacks of New York state, you eventually come down to the water of Barnum Brook. Here the nice wooden boardwalk allows you to walk right across the marsh and the floating sphagnum moss. This is a thick layer of living moss that floats and grows plants and even trees over the watery marsh. There were pitcher plants there and wild orchids all over. Here is a close up of the top of the mossy layer. You can see the pitcher plant is filled with water and has backward facing hair like bristles to help trap insects.