Floating Trees and Ephemeral Wetlands with Jason Kissel

In Episode 21 of The Lake Doctor Podcast, Jason Kissel, Executive Director of ACRES Land Trust, joins us for a fascinating conversation about forested wetlands and ephemeral wetlands. Jason's lifelong passion for trees was sparked at age five while standing on a mountaintop with his U.S. Forest Service father. Jason also shares why northeast Indiana is special as a crossroads of prairie, forest, wetland, and boreal systems.The discussion dives into forested wetlands—places where trees thrive in seasonally flooded soils—along with rare bogs like Glenwood Bog, where trees grow atop floating sphagnum mats. Jason describes ephemeral (temporary) pools that appear briefly each spring, serving as critical breeding grounds for amphibians like spring peepers because they lack predators. He also covers ACRES Land Trust’s work protecting nearly 9,000 acres, restoring wetlands, managing invasives, and using mitigation projects to create larger, connected natural areas.Practical and inspiring, this episode highlights how protecting trees and wetlands improves water quality, supports biodiversity, and benefits the lakes and streams we all enjoy in Kosciusko County and beyond.Learn more about the Lilly Center's work at https://lakes.grace.edu/.Have a question we could answer on the podcast? Send an email to [email protected] or submit a comment below.Help us improve the podcast by filling out this short survey: https://forms.gle/MzGSXHcnkEQC8T74A.