New Jersey Pinelands Cedar Swamps

Of all the Pinelands environments, there is nothing like an Atlantic White Cedar swamp. Deep, dark and wet these places are difficult to get into and magical when you do. A heavy forest canopy from the thick usually makes these places dark even on the brightest days. Cedar swamps are usually found at the edge of waterways. Changing water levels in the Pines, originally caused by damming waterway for industry and farming caused some cedars to die off leaving ghost forests. Now the biggest treat to the cedars are beavers whose dams raise the water level.

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The Living Swamps

Cedar Swamp, Lake Oswego, Pine Barrens, Pinelands

The Ghost Forests

Rising water levels from human intervention, beavers and climate change has killed many Atlantic White Cedar forests. The durability of the cedar wood causes these dead forests to remain standing for many years and become the New Jersey Pine Barrens Ghost Forests.

Wharton State Forest, Ghost Forest, Cedar Swamp

Snow Fall On The Mullica In The Pine Barrens

Franklin Parker Preserve, Pinelands, Pine Barrens

The Enlightened Swamp

On recent workshops in Pine Barrens Cedar Swamps, I have been experimenting with the participants in creatively lighting these Atlantic White Cedar trees after the sun goes down.