August Conservation Corner

This month has brought some much-needed rainstorms, but despite the rainfall, the vernal pools and puddles haven't lasted. They disappear almost as quickly as they form, draining back into an already too-low water table.

Meanwhile, the Land Management team has been busy (and admittedly a bit distracted!) tending the conservation plant nursery. A few buckets filled with clay-rich soil have been sitting nearby, receiving little attention beyond their monthly Mosquito Dunk. To our surprise, they've become unintentional vernal pools. The only difference between these buckets and the natural pools throughout our preserves? These are actually holding water.

As a result, the Lower Garden is now teeming with tadpoles, and as of late July, we discovered a fresh batch of frog eggs—left by determined frogs simply searching for a place where their young can develop in water that actually stays wet. We've documented at least three different frog species using these makeshift habitats, and it's been a privilege to help them along. (Pictured is one of our renovated "Tadpole Villas," possibly occupied by gray tree frogs often spotted around the nursery, complete with a native Eastern Rose Mallow planting and a slate ramp.)

On another note, we held an early morning Garden Hours session to beat the heatwave. Thanks to our incredible volunteers, we removed more than 80 Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) saplings of all sizes. Oddly enough, this drought seems to have given this invasive species an extra advantage, making its fecundity even more persistent and more frustrating than ever to manage this season.