The small beach along the shore of Long Pond Lake is a nexus of activity on Omega's campus. You can swim, take out a boat, lounge in the sun, or rest in a shaded hammock. It's not unusual to see someone practicing tai chi or yoga at the water's edge or to find kids (or adults!) building castles in the sand.
But people aren't the only beings who make use of this natural area. A wide variety of plants and animals make their homes in and around the water. Visitors can now learn something about the lake and its inhabitants from a new sign that sits near the water's edge.
"Water is one of our most precious resources. We've learned so much about water on our campus and beyond since we built the Eco Machine™—our water reclamation system—a decade ago. We wanted to share some of that information with our guests so they could have a better understanding of the specialness of this place and our deep connection to nature," said Laura Weiland, director of the Omega Center for Sustainable Living.
"Omega's lake is an amazing ecosystem. There are several threatened and endangered plants and animals that make their home here among the more typical lake residents like beaver and herons. The lake itself is also interesting in that it's an unusual type of lake for the Hudson Valley—it's a circumneutralbog lake, a lake with peat that is neither acidic nor alkaline," said Weiland.
Next time you're on campus stop by and learn a little bit about the lake and see if you can spot some of its resident creatures.
© 2017 Omega Institute for Holistic Studies