Sun 3/19 @ 6:30-8:30PM
Aptly named “ephemeral” or vernal pools are fleeting, shallow pools with no outlets that pop up in fields and woodlands in the early spring, created by rain and melting snow. They soon disappear, but before they do, they provide a breeding ground for amphibians such as salamanders and frogs, whose young are specially adapted to this environment. And some of the sunny pools offer a habitat for plants such as ferns, mosses and bulrushes to take hold. Others offer decaying tree leaves and branches that provide for a variety of tiny creatures.
You can observe directly what’s going on in these temporary environments at Summit Metro Park’s Liberty Park Pond Brook Conservation Area in Twinsburg. There a park naturalist will guide you to some of these pools to look for frogs, worms, leeches and salamanders and explain how their lifecycles interact with these temporary pools. Boots and flashlights are recommended. For more information, call 330-865-8065.