Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Brodhead Watershed Assn. Journey To Vernal Pools April 18 In Monroe County

The Brodhead Watershed Association is hosting a walk to a ridgetop vernal pool adjacent to Paradise Township’s recently purchased Swiftwater Forest Preserve in Monroe County on April 18.
Located between Swiftwater Creek and Forest Hills Run, this short Saturday afternoon walk, led by Carol Hillestad and Ellen Davis, is geared toward families. The walk will start at 1 p.m. and conclude by 3 p.m.
The large and active vernal pool should be teeming with life as frogs and salamanders have made this their “birthing” pool for many years. A vernal pool is an area that is wet in the spring and usually dries up in the summer.
Photo: A red eft is one of many creatures that can be found in vernal pool.
Frogs and salamanders move from the adjacent woods to the pool to lay their eggs. The young leave the pool in the summer and spend most of their lives in the woods.
On the 98-acre Swiftwater Forest Preserve, see beautifully crafted old stone walls from the days when the area was actively farmed, old woods trails, and 70-year-old forests.
Along the easy trail to the pool, turn over logs and rocks in the hope of finding many interesting creatures. Birds fill the spring woods, and participants should be able to find spring wildflowers such as trillium and trout lily, too.
Bring your camera. The walk starts at the cul-de-sac on Donaldson Road off Lower Swiftwater Road in Paradise Township.
Where in the Watershed walks are sponsored by Brodhead Watershed Association and Pocono Heritage Land Trust. Suggested walk donation is $10 for nonmembers; $5 for BWA and PHLT members; children under 12 walk for free.  Proceeds from WitW walks support PHLT Preserve Stewardship projects and BWA Streamwatch programs.
To register, call BWA at 570-839-1120 or PHLT at 570-424-1514, or send email to: info@phlt.org. Pre-registration is suggested, especially where weather conditions may change event times.

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