On a spring hike in the woods, one sure way to amaze a child (or a grownup!) is to discover a red eft along the trail. Glowing red-orange in the leaf litter, these tiny creatures light up the forest ...

Vernal pools are seasonal bodies of water that provide critical breeding habitat for amphibians and insects. These pools cycle through wet, flowering, and dry phases, supporting a diverse range of ...

Puddle or vernal pool? Take a closer look to find out. Vernal pools, Michigan’s fantastical temporary wetlands, are teeming with life. They’ve earned the nickname, “powerhouse puddles” from the state ...

One of my favorite memories was when we first moved to Maine, over 30 years ago, and discovered vernal pools (our house was surrounded by them). Vernal pools are seasonal forested wetlands that fill ...

On a rainy spring morning in Strafford, Steve Faccio stood thigh-deep in water, holding what looked like four globes of translucent white jelly speckled with black seeds. Around him, a small group of ...

When the Northwoods begin to thaw, whimsical creatures like fairy shrimp and spotted salamanders quietly come to life in Michigan’s vernal pools. It’s on us to keep it that way. The water is still—a ...

SOUTHWICK — Vernal pools serve as important incubators for the reproduction of a variety of amphibians and because this is the time of year they spring to life, Conservation Commission Coordinator ...

You may walk by these watery oases each spring and never know the hundreds of lives inside—from tadpoles to fairy shrimp. Vernal pools fill with spring rain or melting snow and dry out by late summer.

These fleeting woodland ponds teeming with wonderous, rarely seen creatures are an essential feature of Michigan’s forests. Fairy shrimp, fingernail clams and blue-spotted salamanders are among the ...

Interested in learning about and protecting one of our most enchanting ecosystems? Training starts this week to become part of the statewide Vernal Pool Patrol program. As the sun warms the forest ...

Thank you for your ongoing coverage July 25 of the proposed Stonegate residential development on Bruce Road and 20th Street. I first objected to the 2018 approved and then legally challenged project ...