Vernal Pools: Spring to Summer

A vernal pool is a place that is wet in the spring. Vernal pools of Pennsylvania are home to many different kinds of creatures, including wood frogs, fairy shrimp, and salamanders.

In the late winter and early spring, vernal pools are filled with many different creatures!

What happens to vernal pools in the summer? They dry up! The salamanders and frogs leave the pools and go into the forest. Look at the same vernal pool in early June compared to early July:

It's fun to walk in the same place in each season to see how it changes. What can you notice?