(MD) (Nature Forward) When the first warm rains of the season come, the amphibian world explodes into activity. Starting in late winter, temporary pools of shallow water, known as vernal pools, come alive with the kickoff of the annual amphibian migration. Since vernal pools dry up with the heat of summer and are not wet year-round, fish populations can’t survive. This makes vernal pools the ideal habitat for frogs, salamanders, and other organisms to raise their young.

On this walk, Wildlife Biologist Jeffrey Popp will introduce the group to a vernal pond, and share about the life cycles, reproductive strategies, conservation threats, and phenology of these “masters of two worlds,” the amphibians.