Vernal Pool

A vernal pool is a seasonal pool of water that provides habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are called “vernal” (meaning of or relating to spring) because they are often at the highest depth during the spring months. Because they usually lack fish, they allow for the safe development of amphibian and insect species, such as spotted salamanders, wood frogs, peeper frogs and fairy shrimp. Vernal pools are good for the forest for a few different reasons. First, they’re the forests’ food source. It works like this: small bugs eat the fallen leaves, frogs and salamanders eat the bugs, turtles and snakes eat the frogs, birds eat the snakes, foxes eat the birds, eagles eat the foxes, and so on! Without vernal pools, we would have forests full of old leaves and many animals would starve. Secondly, between the time the vernal pool floods in the spring and evaporates in the summer months, the flowers of a variety of robust native species attract pollinators and influence seed distribution patterns. Vernal pools favor native species because non-natives can’t handle the conditions of the water staying on the landscape for as long as it does.

If you look across the road, just beyond where you can see some sandy soil, this is likely the spot where the Tuttle house and barn were before they were moved.

We are coming up to the last stop on this tour, and this is one I find to be particularly amazing.