Ohio Vernal Pool Partnership

Vernal Pool Facts .:·

Vernal pool conservation in Ohio

Ohio has lost over 90% of its original wetlands over the past several centuries.

Ninety-five percent of Ohio used to be covered by forests. Forest cover dropped to just 10% in the early 1900’s. Currently, 30% of the state is forested, mostly in the hill country.

Over 90% of all trees in Ohio are on private land, and therefore private landowners are a critical component of our effort to save vernal pool habitats.

Some woodlots in agricultural areas were spared because they were too wet to farm. These will be key areas to locate and protect before they are impacted through urban development.

Salamanders and frogs breeding in vernal pools need the surrounding forest to survive. Most of them use an area up to 200 meters from the pond as feeding and overwintering grounds, and for this reason forest and wetland protection need to be integrated.

The distribution of species adapted to vernal pools, such as wood frogs and spotted salamanders, has decreased recently in agricultural and urban areas. It could be only a matter of time before many denizens of vernal pools are on the Ohio endangered species list.

Spring is not too far away! And that will mean the return of our friends to Ohio’s wondrous vernal pools.

To learn more about these special places, and how to help monitor them, please join the Ohio Environmental Council & Ohio Vernal Pool Partnership for two Vernal Pool Workshops in 2010.

Central Ohio
Saturday, March 6
Blacklick MetroParks (Directions)
Beech Maple Lodge
10:30-4:00pm
6975 E. Livingston Avenue
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068

Limited to 60 participants. RSVP by March 1.

Northeast Ohio
Saturday, April 17
Summit County - Brushwood Pavilion (Directions)
10:30-4:00pm
4955 Townsend Road
Richfield, OH 44286

Limited to 70 participants. RSVP by April 12.

Registration and agendas: http://www.theoec.org/VP2010.htm

In partnership with: Franklin County Metro Parks, Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, Friends of Big Walnut, Friends of Wetlands, New Albany Community Nature Preserve, Northeast Ohio Watershed Council, Ohio EPA, Ohio Vernal Pool Partnership, Sierra Club-Ohio Chapter, Summit County Metro Parks.

OH Reptile Research & Conservation Conference

Registration is now open for the Ohio Reptile Research and Conservation Conference to be held on Saturday, March 13, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. Sponsored by the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the Ohio Biological Survey, invited speakers from the Midwest will present findings of recent research and conservation projects involving Ohio’s snakes, turtles, and lizards.

The conference’s keynote speaker is Dr. Mike Plummer of Harding University in Arkansas. Dr. Plummer’s research focuses on the ecology of reptiles, including Green Snakes, Hog-nosed Snakes, and Softshell Turtles, for which he has published 49 articles and notes. He has also contributed to numerous books and co-authored the Amphibians and Reptiles of Arkansas. As with so many herpetologists, Dr. Plummer’s interest in reptiles blossomed in the buckeye state, when he moved to Massillon, Ohio at the age of 11.

If you are interested in learning more about Ohio’s reptiles and networking with other herpetologists and naturalists, then be sure to reserve this date and register for this meeting. A limited number of spaces are available for those wishing to present posters relevant to the conference topic.

The Conference will start with setup and registration from 8:30-9:00 AM. Paper presentations will commence at 9:00 AM. Lunch will be provided as part of the regular registration fee of $35 ($25 for students). All registrants to the conference will also receive an inaugural Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp (a $15 value). On-site registration fees are the same, but with no lunch. The conference concludes at 5 PM.

For more information, including registration materials and a draft program, visit: http://ohioamphibians.com/reptile/

http://OVPP.org/calendar.html