Vernal Pools March 27, 2007
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in nature.trackback
I first learned about vernal pools when my boss called one night to leave a mysterious voice message on my answering machine: “Meet me at the nature center at 9pm. Wear a raincoat and boots. Bring a good flashlight.” We walked out around the Big Field to the far side of Big Pond, into the woods a ways, then off the trail to a pond surrounded by trees.
All along the way, the spring peepers were deafening. Mixed with their song was the half quacking, half barking call of the wood frog. When we got to the pond and Ruth shone her flashlight into the water, my jaw dropped. I had never seen one spotted salamander before this, let alone the hundreds that were performing on this night. It remains for me the most bizzare nature event I have ever witnessed.
Ever since that night, spring just isn’t spring without a pilgrimage to a vernal pool to see the salamanders, woodfrogs, and spring peepers. Last night, I headed down to Sarah’s to check out the pools on the top of the hill behind her house. I took tons of pictures… As you can see, I still have plenty to learn about how to get the best out of this camera at night.
Here is a view of the pool taken last November when the water was at a normal level. In spring, the woods around the pool are often completely flooded. That is the case today, making it hard to get to the pool to see if the salamanders have arrived…
Learn more. Google “Vernal Pools”.
This is why reading blogs is so great–I had never heard of vernal pools, but now–thanks to your blog, I am a little more aware.
This is such a wonderful post on your visit to Vernal Pools! Glad you make the pilgrimage every year to see them, I wouldn’t want to miss the big event.
Amazing, Jennifer! And believe me, I don’t know in which way you could use your camera better.
I was convinced that I was hearing ducks of some sort before I learned that I was hearing wood frogs.-I knew of a guy who was a throwback to the 60′s era that once managed to stop a builder from developing.-The developer claimed that it was not vernal pools he was building over-just puddles.-The conservationist-named Larry-took his shoes off, rolled up his pants and came out of that vernal pool with an endangered Salamander in his hands-mission accomplished!