Inside a Cypress Swamp

There are a few cypress swamps throughout Dupuis Wildlife Management Area, but drive about five miles along the main road and you'll come to a parking area where a short boardwalk takes you into the heart of a swamp. This photo, taken in late December, shows the "swamp" to be on the dry side. Pond cypress as well as its cousin, the bald cypress, need wet soil to thrive, but they also need a period when it's dry in order to set new seedlings. Also note how open both the floor and the canopy are. Come back in midsummer and this place will have an entirely different look, something that might remind you of Jurassic Park but without the terrible lizards.

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