We have about 50 acres of wetland at the south end of our farm. Little Waumandee Creek runs through it from east to west, and numerous springs feed into the creek. (Here’s a link to a page about the creek.)
This is a drone photo of the wetland with our driveway crossing it in the middle. The creek runs from right to left (east to west) in the photo.
Here are photos and stories from each year documenting things we’ve seen and projects we’ve done:
2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000/2001
This is looking down from Sumac Prairie.
This is an aerial that shows the wetland.
The creek flows through a culvert under the driveway.
Over the years we’ve had lots of beaver activity in the creek. Their dams create ponds where we see beavers, muskrats, minks, otters, bears, herons, ducks, trout and deer.
The creek floods during the snow-melt every spring, and sometimes after heavy rainstorms.
We have several large springs.
The springs make streams where they run down to join the creek.
Along the driveway are several old fields which were mostly Reed Canary Grass and Wild Parsnip when we bought our land. I’ve been working to get rid of the weeds and plant with native wet prairie.
We have two large sedge meadows – one west of the driveway, and one east of the driveway.
There’s one big patch of Fringed Gentian in an area which was never plowed, and probably never grazed.
The western edge of the wetland, with Joe Pye Weed, Turks Cap Lily, Swamp Milkweed, and Turtlehead.
Baltimore Checkerspots are some of the most beautiful of the butterflies that live in our wetland.
We also see Bronze Coppers
And Eyed Browns
A few more recent finds are:
and Turtlehead Borer
Click Here for a list of plants I’ve found in the wetland