This past summer I was able to explore a few bogs, but didn’t really know too much about them. There was a lot to absorb in this book and, hopefully, I retained some of it. The book will also serve as a good source of reference in the future.
One thing I learned is that the proper term for these types of wetlands is peatlands, and that there are two types of peatlands – bogs and fens. A large fen in the Boston area was drained for development many years ago and is now the site of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. I’ve been a baseball fan almost all my life and never knew the origin of the stadium’s name until now
The book also has great sections covering the flora and fauna of peatlands, as well as uses of peat, both past and present. The last chapter is titled “Preservation or Obliteration?” In it, the author presents his thoughts on the future of peatlands and society’s role in preserving the ones that remain. Since the book was published in 1985, I’d be interested in how he feels we’ve done in the (almost) quarter century since then.
Bogs of the Northeast also contains a listing of selected peatlands that can be visited.
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