So what? Valgesoo

From Valgesoo

I had my first marsh experience this weekend in southern Estonia near Põlva at Valgesoo (direct English translation: White Marsh). Although I initially wasn't very keen on walking around in a wet marsh on a chilly day, I really liked it and I learned so much!



First of all, we strapped on snow shoes, gaiters, and poles for our walk to help keep us dry, above water/snow/slush, and to make us look really cool.

Then, we went through one of the only pine forests growing in such a tough marsh environment. Believe it or not, some of the small trees were over 200 years old. Talk about stunted growth!



We stopped for a snack of cranberries nestled underneath the shallow snow. My first tasting of cranberries in the wild -- Yummy!



This is an ant hill! Estonia has some really interesting marsh animal and plant life. We learned about these large ants and their colonies, plants that eat bugs (and small Estonian children?), and also an intoxicating flowering plant that causes people to sometimes fall asleep while collecting mushrooms (sounds like Oz, doesn't it?).



We climbed up this tower when were done to see where we had been. Whew! What a great view.



And that is how it is in an Estonian marsh on a Saturday afternoon. Just lovely.