Join us at a vernal pool in northern Baltimore County! We will spend the evening searching for critters that leave their comfortable winter hideouts to engage in their spring nuptials. They include Wood Frogs, Spotted Salamanders, Red-spotted Newts, and of course, Spring Peepers. And there are plenty of other species to see at night in the spring. Let’s hope for lots more spring rains to fill the vernal pools!
While we want everyone to have a great experience, we don’t want to damage the habitat, and we certainly don’t want to hurt the little critters we love so much. So we ask participants not to enter the vernal pools. We will have nets to collect from the edge and aquariums to observe everything we find. Please help us out by listening to the trip leaders!
(And we don’t care what the calendar says, spring starts when the frogs start calling!)
Leaders: Don Forester, Tom Scollins, Nick Spero, and more incredible local experts!
Dates: Friday March 9, Saturday March 17, and Friday March 23 (potentially more dates may be added after this!)
Difficulty: Easy! The Vernal Pool is very close to the road.
What to wear: Dress for the cold, wear shoes/boots that you don’t mind getting muddy.
What to bring: Water, flashlight.
Location: We’ll meet in the Big Falls Road parking lot just south and west of where the road crosses the Gunpowder River. You can put 17500 Big Falls Road in your GPS.
Coming from Monkton Road, park on the left side of the road just before you cross the Gunpowder River. Walk across the bridge to the dirt road going back into the park. Please do not park at the entrance to the dirt road.
Cost: Free to all! but please consider donating to us!! The leaders are volunteers, so your donation will go directly to support the programs, our building, and our natural history collections. All proceeds go to the Natural History Society of Maryland.
BUT, because there is a limit, PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE AT http://marylandnature.org/events/
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Our amazing leaders, like most of the other people leading NHSM are volunteers! Please consider donating or becoming a member of the Natural History Society of Maryland to support our programs. Visit www.marylandnature.org for more information. Thank you for your support!