A year in the life of a vernal pool from the Northampton Wildlife Committee and the Nonotuck Land Fund

by | Apr 8, 2008

From John Body:

Hello Everyone,
Well, even though it doesn’t look like spring out there today, things are happening! Ducks are migrating back, chipmunks are yelling at hikers from off the trails, and it seems some salamanders have moved to the vernal pools. As Steve Retchin says, this year we may have a number of "little big nights" instead of one Big Night. There’s lots going on in April, the list is below.

To get you psyched about vernal pools, The Northampton Wildlife Committee and Nonotuck Land Fund invite you to view a video on YouTube documenting A Year in the Life of a Vernal Pool in the Sawmill Hills:

Here are some hikes and workshops planned for April:

VERNAL POOLS – REFUGE FOR WILDLIFE

Broad Brook Coalition (BBC) will sponsor:
Heather Ruel- US Fish and Wildlife Services-Div. of Reality
April 12
10 a.m. Forbes Library, Northampton – Community Room
11: 30 FitzgeraldLake Conservation Area (FLCA)N. Farms Rd. entrance
Heather will start this program with a short visual presentation on vernal pools and the certification program in MA, and then we will meet at FLCA for a walk to our vernal pools. Attend both or either segments. Vernal pools are temporary wetlands that provide critical habitat for invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians such as spotted salamanders, wood frogs, fairy shrimp and spring peepers who are probably best known for their sharp peeping calls heard in chorus from wetlands in early spring. These habitats and their upland forests are essential for the survival of many of these species. For more information on Broad Brook Coalition, visit their website at: http://www.broadbrookcoalition.org/

Ecosystem Hike

Broad Brook Coaltion (BBC),Valley Land Fund (VLF), Northampton Wildlife Committee sponsor:
Mike Wojtech, Timothy Brown, and John Body
Sunday, April 13. 1-3pm
Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (FLCA)N. Farms Rd. entrance
It’s all about Habitat! Mike, Timothy, and John will welcome the spring with a hike to explore some of the habitats at the FLCA. Forest ecosystems, vernal pools, lake, and old orchard systems will be explored. Hopefully there will be time to get out to Cooke’s Pasture, our restored and managed shrub land that is the focus of much effort on the part of the management team of the BBC.

For more information on Valley Land Fund, visit their website at: http://www.valleylandfund.org/

Earth Day Hike into the Sawmill Hills
Northampton Wildlife Committee and Nonotuck Land Fund sponsors.
Sunday, April 20, 1-3
Meet at the parking lot behind the Arts and Industries Building and we’ll carpool up to the Avis Circle Trailhead

Come celebrate Earth Day with the Wildlife Committee and Nonotuck as we check the three substantial vernal pools and do some trail maintanence along the way. We’ll get to see lots of vernal pool activity and maybe the Pileated Woodpeckers will make an appearance!

Vernal Pool Certification
Mass Audubon at Arcadia Sanctuary hosts:
Nancy Childs, instuctor
Saturday, April 26, 10-noon

Nancy Childs, naturalist and Arcadia Nursery School lead teacher will be walking people through the steps of certifying a vernal pool. You will learn how to identify a pool with obligate species and vegitation, do the required mapping and documentation, and process the forms to have a vernal pool certified by the state. This certification brings added protections to the pool. Members: $10; non-Members: $15. Call the Sanctuary for more details and registeration, 584-3009. For more hikes and workshops at Arcadia, check out their website at:
http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Arcadia/index.php

John