Hidden Gem

Please pardon the distorted pano.  The one I wanted to load was apparently too big.  (Bummer!) 

Snow Lake in the Lucia S. Nash Preserve, Geauga County, OH.
Owned by The Nature Conservancy.  650 acres of glacial woodlands with vernal pools and a kettle lake, the most pristine in the state of Ohio.  Open April - November.  20 minutes from home!  Never heard of it.  Wasn't expecting all of this.

After hiking the trail in the woods, we headed out on the long floating boardwalk that ends on a rectangular platform.  There, we were later joined by Tom, who lives just outside the preserve in an old gray and white farmhouse.  He told us about the history of the area and the wildlife he sees on his daily visits.  Part of the property was once a fishing and hunting club established by German immigrants.

We saw a beaver, fish, geese, ducks, blue heron, and heard a kerfuffle among sandhill cranes.  The variety of plant and animal life is amazing.  It appears to get few visitors because we saw no litter and the trails had only light foot traffic.

I was delighted to capture the yellow warbler in the extra, even though the pictures aren't the best.