Clark Reservation State Park, Park in Janesville, New York.
Clark Reservation State Park is a nature reserve in New York centered on Glacier Lake, which has stratified layers of water that do not mix. The park features five trails winding through forests and rocky terrain, with over 80 tree species, more than 100 moss types, and 26 different fern varieties.
The park originated when Mary Clark Thompson acquired land around the lake in the early 1900s to protect it from limestone quarrying. She donated the property to New York State to preserve the rare plants and unique meromictic lake environment for future generations.
The park honors Mary Clark Thompson, a conservation pioneer who acquired the land to protect rare plants from being collected. Visitors can observe the hart's tongue ferns that were historically hunted during the Victorian era and now thrive here in the world's largest population.
The park is open year-round from sunrise to sunset, with the Nature Center operating from mid-May through Labor Day. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes and be cautious on rough terrain, as some trails can become wet or flooded.
The park holds the world's largest population of American hart's tongue ferns, after around a thousand of these rare plants were relocated here in the early 1900s to save them from extinction. This population represents a living legacy from the era of intensive plant collecting.
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