In the 1870s, the wetland here was known as “Randall’s Fly”—an anglicization of the Dutch word for marsh, “vlei”—and it was lush with unique peatland plants, many of which are now very hard to find in our region. When you walk the land today, you will notice a bog-like area known as the floating fen. Fens are richer in nutrients than bogs because they are fed by groundwater and rain. This particular fen is a floating mat of peat moss. The crown jewel of this special place, the floating fen reaches an astonishing eight acres in size and is home to an array of native plants. These include beautiful sundews—carnivorous plants that sparkle in the sunlight—awe-inspiring colonies of blue flag iris, highbush blueberry, and mountain holly. Small blackgum trees dot the fen, and beautiful orchids are scattered throughout the forest. The land sits on the crest of an escarpment. On one side of the land, water drains towards Lake Erie, goes over Niagara Falls to Lake Ontario, then through the St. Lawrence, while on the other side, it flows through the Allegheny, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers into the Gulf of Mexico.