Yesterday my classmates and I went on a botanizing trip to the New Jersey Pine Barrens with our fab Hort. instructor Jeff Jabco. The area is reputed to be the largest undeveloped area on the East Coast and we were going to see some awesome plants in their native habitats. It was something we had been looking forward to all summer long.
Gavin was so excited, he couldn't wait to get there
When we arrived, Jeff had us pose for this the "Before" photo. Before what?
Then we all climbed this super tall fire tower...
And had this amazing view of the Philadelphia skyline...
Looking down was kind of scary...
And I liked the view from the ground much better...
Obi Wan Jabco: "Just imagine how long it takes to prune these things!?"
Greg spots a wild blueberry bush
On our way down the hill we stop to sample the local fare
Emma to Shannon: "Should we tell him there's poison ivy in there?"
Then we continued on to the Pygmy Forest
Where the pines weren't quite so tall
Emma to herself: "Where'd everybody go?"
Shannon to Steven: "You know, what if those weren't blueberries?"
And then it was on to The Bog...
"I don't know if we want to do this", says Deb...
Greg to Suzanne: "Where is Jeff taking us, anyway?"
To a picturesque bog
With carnivorous plants
Sundews and Saracenias and Sphagnum, oh my!
Ewww....I don't want to get my feet wet...
Greg: "Come on in, the water's fine!"
Gavin, to no one in particular: "Which way out? How did I get in here?"
Hudson cleverly discovers the deep spot
Nate makes a discovery
Nate to Emma: "Over here is the orchid I was telling you about."
"I'm sure glad I wore white clothes!"
A group shot in the bog...before...
...it was every man for himself...
And Shannon is still cleaner than the rest of us!
Hudson, on the other hand...
We couldn't understand why no one would offer us a ride...
A quick dip in the ocean on the NJ shore and we were clean again. It was the best day ever! Thank you, Jeff!!!
*special thanks to Gavin, Nate, Emma, and Jeff for sharing their photos since I had just returned from LA and forgot to take my camera out of my suitcase! And thanks, Jeff, for some of the inspiring commentary!
2 comments:
So did you run across any hobbits in the bog, led by a tall, dark, sinister-looking man named Strider? Were there neek-breekers?
I could swear I saw a neekerbreeker - or something - forced out of the sphagnum then it scrambled back down again...right next to my leg...
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