I had the opportunity this summer to work in Chicago, and while I love the city, it did mean I was away from my carnivorous plant garden. So after 9 weeks without seeing any carnivores (with the exception of scraggly Nepenthes at Chicago's conservatory), I decided to head out to Volo Bog. I read about the bog from Barry Rice's FAQ page, and I may as well give it a try. Because of the train schedule, I did not have too much time to wonder the trails so I stuck to the boardwalk. I saw a single, large clump of S. purpurea but it was neat to see growing in the sphagnum amongst tamarack trees. Utricularia gibba grew in the kettle lake in the middle of the bog. Other carnivores like Drosera rotundifolia and Utricularia vulgaris are reported to grow here as well. Next time I am in the area, I will try to devote more time to finding more plants; perhaps in the early summer when the bog orchids flower. Until then I am very excited to have finally seen S. purpurea in the wild! Here are some pics; sorry they are not too great as I left my camera in my roommates car and only had my Ipod to take pictures. Enjoy!