76: Non-Descript
H I A W A S E E, G A At the intersection of Georgia state highway 75 and Mull Road in Hiawassee is a seemingly non-descript field akin to most others along similar country roads. It’s a triangle-shaped five acres with two sides cornered in by barbed wire and the shore of Lake Chatuge as the third. But when viewed more scientifically, and with deeper understanding, this little slice of land is quite special and a botanists’ delight. It’s known as a mountain seepage bog, a rare geology where thin soil sits atop bedrock. In such bogs, water seeps from underground oozing over the rock saturating the thin soil. Sprouting from this moist habitat are several rare plants not normally found in the mountains of Georgia including the federally-endangered bug eating, horn shaped green pitcher plant. Scientists at The Nature Conservancy recognized the uniqueness of this property. In the 1990’s they acquired and began protecting this non-des...