Summer 1999

Bog is a National Natural Landmark, features a floating boardwalk

Lake County, Illinois

Volo Bog near Ingleside in Lake County is a blessing left behind by the southernmost reaches of the Wisconsin Glacier. "It's really like stepping into another world," said Greg Behm, site superintendent of the nature preserve.

Volo Bog was a 50-acre lake some 6,000 years ago. With time the lake began to fill in with sphagnum moss. Now, it is the only quaking bog with an open-water center in Illinois, with about half an acre of open water remaining.

Its unique characteristics earned it status as a Nature Preserve on the state level in 1970. The US Department of Interior recognized its importance three years later, naming it a National Natural Landmark.

A floating boardwalk leads a full half mile through the bog, taking visitors first to a swamp area. Then, tall shrubs rise up all around. Soon, the shrubs become significantly shorter. Finally, foreign terrain that seemingly doesn't belong in Illinois. Sphagnum moss appears, rolling in mounds called hummocks toward the open-water center of the bog. Deciduous conifers called tamaracks also appear.

"Most people come in the summer," said park secretary Debbie Kloss, "because the flowers are in bloom and there are a lot of birds, frogs, and tadpoles to be seen." A second, two-and-a-half mile trail leads hikers or cross-country skiers around the perimeter of the bog. Behm plans to install another three miles of trail this summer.

Volo is habitat to some 180 bird species, including many that are endangered or threatened. Great egrets, yellow-crowned night herons, Cooper's hawks, pied-billed grebes, sandhill cranes, American bitterns, and sharp-shinned hawks can all be spotted in the preserve. For the plant enthusiast, look for such rarities as the carnivorous pitcher plant, high-bush blueberry, large cranberry, leather leaf, and many orchids.

As with most wetlands, invasive species are a problem at Volo. The "dark side" in this case is represented by the dreaded purple loosestrife and glossy buckthorn. Beetles that feed exclusively on the loosestrife have been introduced, but results have yet to be seen, according to Behm. Park workers also have used herbicides to help control the invaders.

A converted dairy barn serves as the Visitor Center, containing the park offices, restrooms, program room, a hands-on discovery area, and reference library. Visitors can also pick up season-specific park brochures for self-guided tours that include species checklists to help make the experience more interactive. Picnic areas are also available, including a covered shelter.

Park naturalist Stacey Miller and volunteer naturalists conduct numerous programs each season. Summer offerings include a bat program complete with a visit to the bat barn, which houses the largest bat maternity program in the area, bird walks, a web of life program, bog botany for adults, and two night programs. The evening prowl is designed for exploration of the preserve at night and the other is an astronomy program. Guided tours are offered on the weekends and group tours can also be accommodated.

An easy-paced tour along the floating boardwalk takes about an hour. Across from Volo is Pistakee Bog Nature Preserve, home to two more bogs.

For more information, call (815) 344-1294 or check out the Volo Bog Web page.

— Benjamin Cox