Vernal Pool Public Tours
We are joining the effort to slow the spread of Covid-19. *2020 Flower Walks Have Been Canceled* If you were registered, please check your email for more information. Thank you, everyone, and stay tuned for online updates of the vernal pools.
On select Sundays during the months of March and April, Splash field guides and volunteer docents will lead people into the vernal pool preserve at Mather. Register for either a Critter or a Flower Walk to learn about this fascinating habitat. We look forward to welcoming you at Splash!
Critter Walks in March
Please note: The March 15 Critter Walks have been canceled in accordance with statewide requests for all nonessential public gatherings. If you were registered, please check our email we sent to all attendees. Thank you!
During the wet phase, the Mather Field Vernal Pools in the Illa M. Collin Preserve host dozens of species of aquatic invertebrates. Half of them have not even been named yet! Watching and wondering about them draws us deeper into their ancient, mysterious world. Bigger critters who eat them come to the pools to dine: frogs, snakes, shore birds, wading birds, and more. If you want to meet them, along with their famous pool mates the Fairy Shrimp and Tadpole Shrimp, join us for a Critter Walk!
Sunday, March 1, 10:00 AM
Sunday, March 1, 1:00 PM
Sunday, March 15, 10:00 AM This tour has been canceled.
Sunday, March 15, 1:00 PM This tour has been canceled.
NOTE: Vernal Pool Walks do sell out quickly. If your desired tour selection is sold out, please join the waiting list. We will fill cancellations on a first-come, first-served basis.
Flower Walks in April
Even after a dry winter, there will be moisture in the earth and spring flowers shall bloom! It will be an interesting year, though, to see which flowers bloom after such a dry season.
Typically, as the spring sun warms the earth and the pools evaporate, the wet phase gives way to the flowering phase. During the month of April, flowers bloom in an ever-changing abundance of colorful rings and patches. The uplands (in between the pools) host their own suite of species, while the wetlands provide habitat for dozens of flowers that only bloom in vernal pools. Each pool has its own assortment of flowers depending upon the soil, hydrology and many factors we don’t yet understand.
To discover what’s blooming while learning about the wildlife that calls this natural treasure home, come explore with us!
Sunday, April 5, 10 AM
Sunday, April 5, 1 PM
Sunday, April 26, 10 AM
Sunday, April 26, 1 PM
NOTE: Vernal Pool Walks do sell out quickly. If your desired tour selection is sold out, please join the waiting list. We will fill cancellations on a first-come, first-served basis.
