BROCTON, N.Y. (WKBW) — A new 2-mile hiking trail in Chautauqua County offers visitors a chance to explore one of nature's rarest habitats: a floating fen.
The Western New York Land Conservancy recently opened the trail to the Floating Fen Preserve, a project that has been in development for several years. It aims to preserve the unique floating fen ecosystem while making it accessible to the public.
"A fen is a type of wetland, and we call it a floating fen because it's a type of wetland that has a peat mat," said Josh Balisteri, stewardship director with the Western New York Land Conservancy. "It's basically a floating layer of soil that is sitting on top of an aquatic layer of water."
WATCH: New hiking trail in Chautauqua County leads to rare floating fen preserve
Balisteri manages all protected land for the conservancy, handling ecological work, natural resource management and designing hiking trails and recreational facilities.
The floating fen hosts several unique plant species, including carnivorous round-leaved sundews.
"They're little sticky, have kind of sticky fingers on the ends of these little plants that grow out of the peat mat, and they actually capture insects in those," Balisteri said.
The trail offers more than just the floating fen experience. Hikers can observe beaver activity throughout the wetland complex, including beaver lodges, dams and trees gnawed by the animals.
While the hike involves climbing up and down hills and navigating muddy wetland areas, Balisteri describes it as manageable for most visitors.
"It's a nice hiking trail that's not super difficult," Balisteri said. "It's a wetland complex, so you're gonna get your boots a little muddy, which is OK."
Safety remains a priority on the preserve. Visitors must stay on marked trails at all times and avoid getting too close to water areas.
The floating fen represents a rare natural feature that many Western New Yorkers have never experienced.
"A lot of Western New Yorkers, I'm sure, haven't seen a fen or a fen mat, a peat mat, so that's really cool," Balisteri said. "We've got a great view of that, and definitely I think it's a unique hiking experience in Western New York."
The trail is now open to the public.
It can be accessed from 7994 Chautauqua Road in Brocton.
You can find a map of the trail and more information about the floating fen preserve at the Western New York Land Conservancy's website.
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