Located near the eastern shore of Lake Memphremagog, on Davis Road in the municipality of Ogden, Marlington Bog is a rare sphagnum wetland, or peat bog, of about 30 acres (12 hectares) in area.
In the early 1990s, the property was donated by Joel Andress, a former local man, to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Protected in this manner from future development (by the peat moss industry, for example), the bog is home to a number of rare species, including several types of orchid and a rarely-seen species of salamander, as well as snapping turtles, pitcher plants, and a host of bird and insect species.
Marlington Bog was for years the driving passion of Albert Elliot, a local naturalist dedicated to its preservation. Elliot, who lived in nearby Griffin, earned the nickname “Bog Man” for his devotion to this little ecosystem.
Elliot spent untold hundreds of hours working to preserve the bog, building a trail and boardwalk so that it could be appreciated first-hand by more people, and educating visitors about the plant and animal species found within its borders.
Elliot passed away in 2001. The boardwalk through the bog, the “Albert J. Elliot Boardwalk,” is named in his honour. A lichen-covered boulder, located in a quiet spot at the end of a trail on the far side of the bog, is dedicated to his memory. Its simple inscription reads: “In memory of Albert Elliot, 1917-2001, the Bog Man.”
Today, Marlington Bog is administered by Conservation Elliandress on behalf of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Access is free to the public, but visitors must keep to the trail and exercise great care to respect the natural environment. Use of motorized vehicles, hunting, and picking flowers are all forbidden.