Mentor Marsh: I Recall a Visit to an American Wetland on the Fourth of July
Walking on the Wake Robin Boardwalk Trail at Mentor Marsh revealed the area’s attractiveness after its restoration and caused me to reflect on the song, “America, the Beautiful.” The boardwalk and marsh are pictured on July 4, 2023. By Anna Krejci In recent years, I have not watched a fireworks display on the Fourth of July. I desire to be patriotic, but being in nature calls me more strongly. About three years ago, I visited Mentor Marsh, which is a state nature preserve, on a gorgeous, sunny and warm Independence Day. I walked on a boardwalk to see the green plants overstretching themselves and pressing in along both edges. As a layperson in natural sciences, I meandered above the still, glassy water and breathed in the air. To me, the marsh looked as stunning as all the multiplicity there would allow – from insects, to plants, to birds, to the very people coming to look. In an awe-inspiring display of biodiversity, I stood and admired it. The country’s natural landscape has in...
