Take a slight detour down this short path to a bench that overlooks this prime example of a freshwater marsh. The most noticeable color is evident in the warmer months when the brilliant pink and white flowers of the swamp rose mallow bloom profusely. A freshwater wetland is an area where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. This habitat in inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater long enough to support vegetation that is adapted to wet soils. Some of the more conspicuous animals that visit or inhabit the marsh are muskrat, herons, egrets, osprey and various other hawks.