Vernal Pool Exploration with Bryan Windmiller
Event Details:
April 26, 2023
2:00 – 3:30 pm: Family-friendly Walk*
3:30 – 5:00 pm: Adult-only Walk
Gowing’s Swamp, Concord
Free. Member event. Space is limited. Register here.
*Best for elementary-aged chidlren and older. Children should be able to walk approximately a half a mile round trip.
Please, no dogs or pets. Thank you.
This event will take place in light rain. In case of inclement weather, call the Land Trust office for further direction: 978-369-6526. Dress for weather conditions. Long pants and boots, or sturdy shoes, are recommended. Terrain is uneven in some places.
About the Program
Each spring an amazing mass migration of salamanders, wood frogs, and spring peepers takes place. The amphibians leave their winter burrows in upland forests and embark on a journey to a vernal pool, where they will breed and begin a new life cycle. These ephemeral bodies of water are critical breeding grounds for many amphibians and invertebrates, including fairy shrimp, caddisflies, springtails and many others! Come hear the chorus and check out these interesting and fun creatures with herpetologist, Bryan Windmiller!
Walk Guide Bio
Dr. Bryan Windmiller is the Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, where he oversees the Zoo’s local wildlife conservation programs and its support of international conservation efforts. He is the founder of a 20 year head start program for Blanding’s turtles in Concord. Bryan earned a PhD in biology and a Master’s degree in Environmental Policy, both from Tufts University and he has worked in various roles as a conservation biologist since 1987, specializing in the restoration of rare turtle, frog, and salamander species in Massachusetts. Bryan is an adjunct professor at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and has taught at several Massachusetts universities.
