The Wrack

He's just a fool in love [with a new amphibious species]

A new story walk is installed on the Saw-whet Owl Trail for the spring season!

I had a very busy weekend. I led vernal pool walks for both the Kittery Land Trust and the Great Works Regional Land Trusts on conserved properties known for their vernal pool habitats. But not only was I busy, so were the inhabitants of these very cool pools.

all photos: Brenna Crothers

Yankee Woodlot video series: Home sweet home for plants and animals.

Music, fun, education, & stewardship converged during April school vacation week at the Reserve! Roughly 150 people celebrated Earth Day with us on Tuesday, families learned lots from whale enthusiast Tony Viehmann on Wednesday, and an excited group of day campers explored vernal pools on Thursday.

Lisa Judd came with her kids on Earth Day and had this to say:

The Earth Day function was fantastic! The kids had a great time with all the activities and walked through every tide pool on the beach. They ended the day soaked and smiling! Perfect!

Lots more programming for children, families, and adults is on the horizon for the spring and summer!

Photos (below):

1. Matt Loosigan of Earth Jams sings to the crowd
2. Parachute fun on the lawn
3. Giving the Earth a hug
4. Walking to Laudholm Beach for the beach clean-up
5. Tony Viehmann with narwhal whale tusk tooth
6. Learning whale anatomy with a clam shell toss
7. Searching for stream critters
8. Dressing up like a water critter
9. Making friends with a Spring Azure butterfly

Last week, UMaine Ph.D. candidate Jared Homola and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Krista Capps visited three vernal pools at the reserve as part of Jared's research into how urbanization affects vernal pools and influences the organisms within them. He is especially interested in how abrupt climate change can impact the persistence of ecologically important species and the genetic basis for the ecosystem services they provide.

Last week, five local families participated in the Preschool Story Hour featuring Sarah Marwil Lamstein's Big Night for Salamanders. The "Big Night" is the first warm and rainy night in the spring when salamanders and frogs migrate to the vernal pool where they were born, to breed and lay their eggs.

Lamstein's story follows a young boy and his family as they set out on the Big Night to help spotted salamanders cross a nearby road. They stop cars, encourage drivers to slow down, and carefully pick up salamanders and place them close to the vernal pool where they are headed. The story provides a wonderful stewardship message, and encourages all of us to be mindful of wildlife crossing our roadways.