Across the Seasons

Peatlands are constantly changing. The Northern Peatlands Project seeks to document this change, and to follow these places through the seasons. This photo essay highlights examples of compositions that have been repeated across seasons. What seasonal changes do you notice? What surprises you? Reach out with your questions as you toggle between fall and summer scenes in our northern peatlands.

Above: toggle between July, October, and November to see how the color of the sphagnum moss shifts from summer to fall.

Above: notice the shift from the height of summer growth in July compared to the magenta hues of November.

Above: November/July comparison of a spring surrounded by a vast peatland. Look for the wildlife trails cutting through the peatland, most noticeable on the fall image at the bottom/center of the frame.

Above: Documenting a trail in July/October/November on the edge of a peatland. The yellow needles of the tamarack trees help identify the October photograph.

Above: November/July comparison of peatland vegetation on the edge of a spring. The yellow dots in the water on the November image are lily pads.

Above: a thin layer of ice forms on the surface of sphagnum moss, November 2024.