Spotted Salamander--Photo by Kipp Brown |
Most days, I think I have one of the coolest jobs in the world. I get to help people learn about wild animals. It's fun, rewarding and I thoroughly enjoy it. But once in awhile, even I get amazed at how cool my job is.
I had the good fortune to host a workshop about vernal pools a couple weeks ago down at Shawnee State Park Lodge called Vernalpalooza. We invited around 40 educators from across Ohio to come down for three days to learn about and experience the facinating world that is one of our most unique and, unfortunately, declining habitats in the state.
For those that don't know, vernal pools are small, pocket wetlands that are usually found within woodland areas and only hold water in the spring and early summer, hence the term vernal. They are free of fish, can be ground water or surface water fed, and are the nurseries to dozens of species of frogs, salamanders, aquatic invertebrates, and more. On warm, early spring nights, especially if it's raining, you can find salamanders migrating en mass to these pools to breed. In some parts of the state, roads are closed to traffic to minimize damage to these populations from vehicle traffic.
The objective of the workshop was for the participants to not only learn about vernal pools, but how to construct them in areas that could be used for educational purposes. We had some outstanding and extremely knowledgeable instructors on topics such as vernal pool construction, vernal pool ecology, vernal pool monitoring, funding, collection and monitoring permits, and linkages to state education standards. Overall, I think the participants learned a lot about these fragile and critical habitats and how to use them for education in a safe and ethical manner.
Exploring the pools-Photos by Jim McCormac |
Here are some photos from the workshop. If you'd like more information about our upcoming workshops, sign up for our E-Newsletter online at http://www.wildohio.com/ Be sure to select the Educator Edition.
Wood Frog eggs Photo by Jim McCormac |
The Entire Crew Photo by Kipp Brown |
Spotted Salamander--Photo by Jim McCormac |
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Posted by: Tukiyooo
Vernalpalooza! The Crazy World that Lies Beneath! Updated at :
2:32 PM
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
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