Saturday morning brought a break in the rain showers and the perfect conditions to find spring Frogs, Newts and Salamanders on the first of Blue Hill Heritage Trust’s (BHHT) 2007 Walk and Talks. Almost 30 people attended the event held at BHHT’s recently expanded 878 acre Kingdom Woods Conservation Area (KWCA). KWCA, located between Kingdom Road and Mines Road in Blue Hill, proved to be an exceptional place to investigate vernal pools and look for frogs, newts and salamanders.
The guide, Enoch Albert, who has a Master’s degree in zoology and wrote the chapter on Eastern Newts in the 1999 edition of “Maine Amphibians and Reptiles”, explained that vernal pools are generally seasonal pools, typically holding water for three to five months during the early spring and are free from predatory fish populations. To be classified as a vernal pool, these temporary pools must also provide breeding habitat for one or more of the following indicator species: blue spotted salamanders, four-toed salamanders, wood frogs or fairy shrimp (also known as sea-monkeys). Vernal pools are also often home to a number of other reptiles and amphibians including eastern newts, yellow spotted salamanders, spring peepers and turtles.
Albert helped participants identify a vernal pool, find amphibians and determine that this pool contained clear evidence of breeding. While carefully standing on the edge of the vernal pool, found off the north loop of the KWCA trail, Albert used a dip net to gently pick up salamander spermatophores. Spermatophores are sperm packets left on leaves or sticks in the water by the male for the female to scoop up. Albert also helped participants identify a large wood frog egg mass, fairy shrimp and with the help of 6 year old Samuel Cowan found a red-backed salamander.
Participants later ventured down to Forth Pond, a 50 acre pond at the heart of KWCA, and used a dip net to find tadpoles, dragonfly larvae and caddisfly larvae.
Albert explained that vernal pools and small wetlands contribute significantly to the wellbeing of many plant and animal populations, including small mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles that use these wetlands for resting, feeding and/or reproduction. He impressed on participants that protection of these areas was crucial to the long term survival of many species.
This was the first workshop in BHHT’s ninth season of ‘Walks and Talks’—an annual series of educational programs and field trips on the Trust’s conservation properties. These family-friendly events are free and open to the public. The 2007 schedule can be viewed at www.bhht.org.
Blue Hill Heritage Trust is a private, community based, not or profit, land conservation organization founded in 1985 by citizens of the Blue Hill Peninsula. For more information, or if you would like to become a member or volunteer, please call 374-5118
