Community Lens for Jan. 25

Kenric Belsak submitted this photo of the Okefenokee Swamp. “It’s often difficult to tell which way is up on the photo,” he wrote. According to the New Georgia Encyclopedia, it’s the largest swamp in North America covering roughly 700 square miles. Located in the southeastern corner of Georgia, cypress swamps, winding waterways and floating peat mats are a major part of the Okefenokee’s habitat mosaic. The swamp has a distinctive and fascinating natural history. Wet and dry prairies, swamps dominated by shrubs, and forests of black gum and bay trees intersperse the array of other habitats. A high ridge of sand known as Trail Ridge forms the eastern edge of the swamp. Wildlife abound; more than 400 species of vertebrates, including more than 200 varieties of birds and more than 60 kinds of reptiles, are known to inhabit the swamp.