Camosun Bog Characteristics

There are numerous characteristics that make the Camosun Bog a special place. At the first glance, the bog is open and sunlit. As one walks deeper, it is evident that Camosun Bog supports rare plants; it is home to many specialized bog plants such as sundew, Labrador tea, cloudberry, bog laurel, and bog cranberry. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about this bog is the large body of sphagnum moss – an absorbent and acidic moss that acts as the bog’s building block and has many beneficial uses. Furthermore, the bog also contains many different types resources such as moss, twigs, and berries: these resources give animals and wildlife a food source and help them create shelters. In addition to the bog’s fascinating history (taking hundreds of years to form), its many characteristics make the Camosun bog a special place.

Since the bog is home to many types of rare plants, its ecological strucuture is quite unique and special. In particular, the sphagnum moss absorbs and holds moisture that is slowly released into the atmosphere. Because sphagnum is very water absorvant, acidic, and antiseptic, it has had many significant benefits to the Musqueam People, such as using the moss to disinfectant bandages and baby diapers. Of particular notice is the importance of water in the bog: water released in the bog is acidic, and it acts like a solution that prevents bacterial growth, slows decomposition, and reduces nutrition availability. In addition, dead/decayed plants create carbon sink: a natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period. Environmentally, the bog itself filters the air, and it can humidify and cool the local atmosphere and climate as the environment is so