Glad you had an enjoyable trip. As far as I know, the Sarracenia purpurea
plants at Volo are "natural" at least according to the park naturalist.
There used to be a pretty good population of plants, but as you found, most
were poached long ago. The bull frogs have been super abundant for some
time now, and actually its a fascinating study in population dynamics to
see what happens as the summer progresses and the food begins to run out.
The big guys start cannibalizing their smaller relations, and the biggest
at the end of the season survive to burrow into the peat for the winter.
Did you see any of the small fish that occassionally enter the open pool
during spring floods? They usually die out over the winter, but can be
seen in the shallow water overlying the false bottom during the spring and
summer.
I was surprised to here about the shoddy maintenance at Pike Marsh -
probably reflects the state of the budget in Illinois. Not much money left
for keeping up the natural areas. Fortunately, Volo Bog has had a major
input of money recently, and it shows. The visitor center is new, and
there is a major prairie restoration underway. Despite several threats by
developers, we've managed to hold onto this "jewel", although the increased
use over the last ten years has brought its own set of problems.
Having done quite a bit of research at Volo and at a U of Wisconsin field
station called Cedarburg Bog, I too have felt like the side show at the
circus all decked out in my mosquito net, toting my field gear, and making
strange sounds as I collect and record data. But it is rewarding to impart
a little ecology to those who gather, and to get a few more souls motivated
to protect these beautiful areas. Having broken through the peat mat at
Cedarburg, I whole heartedly agree with your evaluation of the dangerous
soils. I had nightmares about that incident for several days. But, like I
told my husband, if I hadn't been able to pull myself out, at least I'd
have been preserved for posterity, and some future anthropologist could dig
me out and try to figure out what strange ritual had been carried out ;)
If you ever get a chance, you should see Volo in the fall - beautiful
colors and smells. The winter bog is great after a heavy wet snow - the
snow-laden shrubs and tamaracks frame the boardwalk and the silence is
deafening. As you can see, Volo Bog is probably my favorite natural area
in the entire northeast part of the state.
Liane Cochran-Stafira