Press release from The Nature Conservancy, North Carolina Chapter:
Asheville – Asheville Photographer Michael Oppenheim spent a year documenting life in a rare mountain bog. Visitors to the North Carolina Arboretum will see what Oppenheim saw as he visited The Nature Conservancy’s Preserve in Henderson County. The Nature Conservancy will host an open house at the Arboretum from (11:00-2:00) on September 22 to see the images, meet bog experts, and learn more about the Conservancy’s bog restoration.
“Because bogs are so incredibly sensitive and very rare, most people will never visit one,” explains the Conservancy’s Adam Warwick, who is leading efforts to protect and restore mountain bogs. “Michael’s exhibit gives them a chance to see the bog through his amazing nature photography.”
“I had no idea what I would find when I started this project,” says Oppenheim. “What I found is that mountain bogs are fascinating places – filled with incredibly beautiful and interesting plants and insects. As I worked on the project, I grew to appreciate these special places as well as the work that The Nature Conservancy does in protecting and restoring bogs.”
The Conservancy purchased this site in 1992. It was home to rare pitcher plants as well as bog turtles, which are North America’s smallest turtle. Sadly, poachers stole the bog turtles from the site as well as a rare yellow variant of the pitcher plant. Because of the risk posed by poachers, the Conservancy doesn’t publicize the bog’s location. But the Conservancy has worked to restore the bog, which had been overrun with invasive plants that were blocking sunlight from reaching the ground. Without sunlight, the pitcher plants and other interesting plants weren’t faring well.
“Thanks to our work, the bog is looking really good these days,” says Warwick. “The pitcher plants are particularly beautiful. Michael’s photos really document this beauty. We’re hoping that plant lovers will take this opportunity to see our bog through his camera lens.”
The Conservancy has ramped up its efforts to protect and restore mountain bogs in the past few years. That work culminated on Earth Day 2015 when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the creation of the Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge. The Conservancy donated an easement on another of its bogs in Ashe County to kick start the creation of that refuge.
“A Year in the Life of a Mountain Bog” will be on display at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville through October 1. The Arboretum is open daily 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and located at 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way. There is no fee for admission, but there is a $14 parking fee (free for members).
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