Tenth Annual Vernal Pools Day
Join the Bolton Conservation Commission (BCC) on Sunday, March 26, 2023, and celebrate the tenth annual Vernal Pools Day in Bolton on a short hike to a very picturesque vernal pool in the Nathan Hale Greenway.
Our special guest Hank Gruner from Andover, CT will lead us on a vernal pool adventure. Hank is the former vice president of programs at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford and has more than 30 years of experience in the field of herpetology and conservation biology. He is also one of four authors of “Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut”. See Book Link
Search for wood frogs, spring peepers, spotted, marbled, and spring salamanders, and even fairy shrimp. Learn all about what makes a vernal pool so unique. Hank will help us identify the obligate species in the vernal pool adjacent to a Nathan Hale Greenway trail.
According to the Vernal Pool Association, vernal pools are important inland wetlands or seasonal forest ponds that usually dry out at some point in the year. They are at their fullest level in the early spring as snow and ice melt. These temporary and sometimes small pocket wetlands have no inlet or outlet and therefore cannot sustain a fish population. They are a host to a wide variety of aquatic organisms that would not successfully reproduce when subjected to fish predation. These organisms with an aquatic stage in their life cycle are sometimes known as "obligate" vernal pool species. Obligate species begin their spring migration in Mid-March and are now heading towards vernal pools in Bolton.
Meet at 1:00 PM in the upper parking lot of Munson’s Chocolates, 174 Hop River Rd. Bolton, CT 06043 See Google Maps for directions.
The one-mile round-trip hike has some hills and uneven terrain and sturdy footwear is recommended. No dogs, please. Heavy precipitation cancels. Trail conditions determine the route. Registration is required by emailing TOBCC@aol.com with the name, address, and number of participants.
For more information contact Rod Parlee, BCC Chair at Town Hall, 860-649-8066 extension 6110 and leave a message or e-mail TOBCC@aol.com
