Explore Natural Communities Audio

• Invasive Species Spotlight: Bush & Vine Honeysuckles

  
  

  Honeysuckle is invading Rock Creek Park! Find out how this "sweet" problem plant came to Rock Creek and what the Park is doing about it.

  Credit / Author:

  Erin Ziegler

  Audio Transcript

  A familiar scent may bring you back to your childhood days when you picked the white-and-yellow flowers off this sweet-smelling vine or bush to eat the "honey." But, the fragrant honeysuckle you may be so fond of could be the non-native invasive Japanese honeysuckle vine (Lonicera japonica), or one of several exotic bush honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.). If left unchecked, this beautiful but menacing plant could continue invading the native habitat in Rock Creek Park.

  Honeysuckles are characterized by their yellow and white, tubular flowers containing a drop of sweet nectar near their base, and by the paired leaves that grow along their stems. Though they now grow wild in Rock Creek Park, these honeysuckles are from southern Asia and western Europe. They were planted as ornamentals in the U.S. in the 17- and 1800’s, and later on for erosion control. Now growing in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, they destroy native habitat in forests and wetlands, and are considered some of the most troublesome non-native invasive species.

  People aren't the only ones to blame for this invasion, however. Birds act as carriers for the seeds, by eating the black or red fruits, and spreading them as they fly through Rock Creek Park. As a result, non-native invasive honeysuckle has sprouted all over the park and pushed out native species.

  This invasion causes big problems for the forests. The Japanese honeysuckle vines wrap around and kill young trees, while the bush honeysuckle grows in dense patches. The honeysuckle blocks out the sunlight that tree seedlings and other plants need to get started. Without new trees to replace the old ones as they die, this will lead to bare patches in the canopy and plenty of sunshine for the honeysuckle to soak up.

  You can help fight the invasive honeysuckle by joining a volunteer event with Rock Creek Park, or by not planting honeysuckles and removing it from your yard or garden. Maybe consider planting the native coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens). Be aware of the sweet-smelling-problem plants and help protect this park's native plants and natural communities.

• Invasive Species Spotlight: English Ivy

  
  

  English ivy doesn’t belong in Rock Creek Park! Thanks to an army of volunteers, there’s hope of reversing its centuries-old invasion.

  Credit / Author:

  Erin Ziegler

  Audio Transcript

  Voice 1:

  It's in your park, it's in your forests—it might even be in your front yard!

  English ivy is a ground cover that is causing big problems all over Rock Creek Park. English ivy (Hedera helix) originated in Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, but it spread to North America with the colonial settlers in 1727 when it began its invasion of the natural communities here.

  English ivy got its start when people planted the vine in their gardens to fill in shaded areas. However, once English ivy starts to climb, it doesn't stay put in the garden. As soon as it is allowed to grow vertically, the ivy produces flowers and berry-like fruits. Birds eat the fruit and soon start spreading seeds everywhere as they fly. Before you know it, little English ivy patches spring up everywhere, making their way into natural communities and outcompeting local plants for sunlight, nutrients, and space.

  As it grows, English ivy can cover whole trees in its search for light, arborizing—or becoming its vertically growing form—as it climbs. Biological Science Technician Ana Chuquín from the Division of Resource Management works to protect Rock Creek Park from problem plants like English ivy.

  Ana Chuquín:

  According to our vegetation surveys, about 19% of the park is covered by English ivy. When English ivy arborizes it starts growing thick hair-like structures and getting water and nutrients from the area right underneath the bark of trees. As a result, this behavior damages the trees and can end up killing the tree.

  Voice 1:

  The English ivy grows up trees, making them top-heavy and prone to collapsing in the wind. Even though some birds love English ivy for its dark purple fruit, others, like wood peckers and owls, can't find nesting sites in hollow trees as this troublesome vine topples the dead trees they need.

  Things may look pretty bleak for native species because of a simple garden plant, but it's not too late! You can help the National Park Service by finding patches of English ivy and alerting park staff about it or by joining a volunteer event to help pull invasive species from Rock Creek Park.

  Even at home, you can help stop the spread by planting native species like Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia – [beware: also a vigorous grower!]) or trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) in your garden, or by making sure that your English ivy never climbs or blooms. It'll take a lot of work, but we can keep our parks and natural communities weed-free.

• Invasive Species: The Unwelcome Plant Guests

  
  

  Some of the plants living in parks and natural areas have worn out their welcome.

  Credit / Author:

  Abby Cox

  Audio Transcript

  Voice 1:

  Unwelcome plant guests are found all over Rock Creek Park. Some arrived from around the world, while others came from across the United States. You may have seen them crawling down the side of a hill, silently climbing or winding their way up a tree, or blooming in dense patches. Maybe you thought the vine or flowers were beautiful and unique. These trespassing plants are known as non-native invasive species.

  A non-native invasive plant grows out of control when it reproduces rapidly, or has fast-growing or aggressive roots or stems / vines. A lack of natural controls, such as disease or herbivores in its new home, also contributes to an invasive species’ spread.

  They act like an invading army, taking over the habitat and outcompeting the native plants for resources. The invader may block out the sunlight, use up the minerals and nutrients in the soil, or guzzle all the available water.

  Ana Chuquín, Biological Science Technician at the Division of Resource Management in Rock Creek Park explains how invasive species could have gotten into the park in a number of ways…..

  Ana Chuquín:

  "They are introduced by different means: such as Humans introduce them for erosion control or for gardening purposes. Or maybe they are introduced by birds or just introduced by the environment itself."

  Voice 1:

  The “environment itself” can bring in invasive plants when wind or floods carry the seeds or plants into the park.

  Regardless of how they arrived, the park now has to protect its natural communities by fighting against this invading army of non-native invasive plant species. Check out the park's website to find out how to help stop the invaders by preventing their spread and reporting new infestations. (Become a NPS volunteer! and Make a difference!)

• Monarchs in the Meadow

  
  

  Pollinators like monarch butterflies get a boost with habitat preservation.

  Credit / Author:

  Alison Shapiro

  Audio Transcript

  Far away in Mexico, something very important is happening. Spring is coming and the monarch butterflies know it's time to move. Flying out on delicate orange wings, they travel for hundreds of miles from their warm and sunny winter homes to eastern North America where they find their beloved wildflowers. But there's one plant in particular that the monarchs are looking for and it isn't so easy to find anymore—milkweed.

  In Rock Creek Park, land use has changed dramatically over time. Fires that once spread periodically throughout the forest are suppressed. And in the shade of big trees, some of the smaller plants, like milkweed, have trouble getting the sun they need. So what is a monarch to do without the milkweed that their eggs will need?

  Quickly, to the meadow!

  Without fires to naturally clear spaces in the forest, Rock Creek Park staff have set up a series of "managed meadows." Kept open by planned mowing, these open spaces give sun-loving grasses and wildflowers like milkweed the opportunity to grow.

  Pollinators of all kinds get the nectar and pollen they need from the wildflowers in these meadows. Not just butterflies like the monarch, but bees and hummingbirds, too.

  The Presidential Memo creating the Pollinator Health Strategy is just one way people are coming together to save the pollinators. National Parks are restoring pollinator habitats and promoting conservation of this important group of animals worldwide.

  Even as the monarchs find safe places to lay their eggs and flower nectar to eat, they will soon be on their way again. But maybe they will hang around Rock Creek Park a little while longer, enjoying the meadows the park provides, and give us a chance to enjoy the pollinator show.

• Natural Community: Basic Mesic Hardwood Forest

  
  

  This community grows in nutrient-rich soils, and may have a lush look compared to nearby natural communities.

  Credit / Author:

  Abby Cox

  Audio Transcript

  Lush greenery and biodiversity as far as the eye can see. Deep, fertile soil and wildflowers dotting the hills. You must be in the Basic Mesic Hardwood Forest in spring!

  The rich, moist soil along the ravines and lower parts of slopes host a large variety of vegetation, including the majestic tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), straight and tall. The tuliptree, also called tulip poplar, is a special part of this natural community, valued for its timber and nectar prized by bees and hummingbirds. Make sure to take the time to see if you can spot a tuliptree. Some people might say their unusual leaves look a bit like the outline of a tulip flower or even a crown! Just remember that the Park asks you to stay on the trail!

  Beneath your feet is more than just dirt. The soil here hosts nutrients and water, and provides a good home for many plants. It is packed with basic elements like calcium, making it super nutritious for trees in this community like the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and red oak (Quercus rubra).

  You'll see a greater diversity of native plants here in the spring than in almost any other natural community at Rock Creek Park. From the forest floor with ferns and wildflowers to the canopy filled with trees like red oak and tuliptree, the Basic Mesic Hardwood Forest is a feast for the eyes.

• Natural Community: Chestnut Oak / Mountain Laurel Forest

  
  

  Rugged survivalists on a hilltop.

  Credit / Author:

  Abby Cox

  Audio Transcript

  Voice 1 [parody of a movie trailer]: In a world where only the tough remain and only the strongest survive, live two species.

  Voice 2: Two unique and resilient plants: the hardy chestnut oak and the twisted mountain laurel.

  Voice 1: Located on a flat hilltop where the soils are dry and acidic.

  Voice 2: Not many trees or shrubs can survive the harsh, unfriendly environment of this natural community with its bone dry, nutrient-poor soils on rocky hilltops. These two prominent species have adapted to life here, where biodiversity is quite low compared to other natural communities in Rock Creek Park.

  Voice 1: This. is. The Chestnut Oak / Mountain Laurel Forest.

  Voice 2: Despite the adverse conditions found in this rugged natural community, the tough plants here still provide for wildlife. Chestnut oak (Quercus prinus) has the largest acorns of any eastern U.S. oak tree. Many animals, including deer, munch on the acorns while species like birds and squirrels make their home in these giant trees. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) shows its true beauty when it blooms pink and white flowers in the spring. Throughout the winter, this evergreen shrub shows its grit by holding onto its leathery green leaves.

  Voice 1: Now growing on a hilltop near you—A forest of survivors!!

• Natural Community: Coastal Plain Oak Forest

  
  

  If you trace the historic Civil War defenses circling Washington, D.C., you will find this forest east of Rock Creek.

  Credit / Author:

  Alison Shapiro

  Audio Transcript

  Through the brush, you spot a flash of gunfire. Across the horizon, enemies make their way toward your forts, bayonets swinging.

  During the Civil War, the Union army cleared the forests to build a ring of defensive forts around D.C. and to maintain open sight lines. But the Coastal Plain Oak Forest has since advanced, with tall oaks reclaiming their territory and vines growing up in a sneak attack of their own. Urban neighborhoods have also sprung up all around these former forts.

  On the flat to rolling terrain of this natural community, located east of the Rock Creek Valley, grow willow oaks (Quercus phellos), as well as southern red oak (Quercus falcata), white oak (Quercus alba), and pine trees (Pinus spp.). Native greenbriers (Smilax spp.) and poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) are also common here.

  Native birds like the red-bellied woodpecker can also be seen in these trees. You may spot the occasional red-shouldered hawk at the edge of the forest. This natural community is usually found near wetlands, but in this case is found near urban neighborhoods and on hillsides along the old Civil War forts of D.C.

  With such life and dense greenery, it can be easy to forget the war that reshaped this natural community long ago.

• Natural Community: Tuliptree Small-Stream Floodplain Forest

  
  

  Rising water and changing stream beds aren't enough to stop this natural community. It thrives on the shifting landscape that Rock Creek brings!

  Credit / Author:

  Erin Ziegler

  Audio Transcript

  Rock Creek isn't always the calm stream you see on a bright sunny day. Rain from all parts of the watershed flow into the creek, swelling over the banks and flooding the surrounding land. It may sound like a hard place for plants to grow, but in fact this very event is what makes the Tuliptree Small-Stream Floodplain Forest so special.

  This natural community appears along the banks and floodplains of the park where the vegetation doesn't mind temporary flooding. The American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), with camouflage-patterned bark can be found here, along with river birch (Betula nigra), tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera, also called tulip poplar), and spicebush (Lindera benzoin).

  In the spring you'll find a carpet of early wildflowers and in late summer, a lush growth of new blooms such as jewelweed (Impatiens spp.) covering the banks. You might see wood ducks swimming in the creek, and other migratory or resident birds bathing in slow, shallow areas of water. If you're lucky, you might even hear the rattling call of the belted kingfisher bird as it flies down the creek looking for a bite to eat.

  The changing nature of the creek continues to shape this community, from shifting sand bars to new sediment layers, and seeds brought in from upstream during floods. Thanks to the fine-textured, nutrient-rich sediment continually deposited here, the soils of the Tuliptree Small-Stream Floodplain Forest are some of the most fertile in Rock Creek Park.

• Removal of Invasive Species

  
  

  It takes a small army, but there’s hope yet in the fight against non-native, invasive species in Rock Creek Park—and YOU can help, too!

  Credit / Author:

  Alison Shapiro, Abby Cox

  Audio Transcript

  Voice 1:

  Invasive species are more pervasive than ever, but there ARE ways that the National Park Service is helping to combat them and even ways that YOU can make a difference.

  The National Park Service uses their own professional plant removal strategies at Rock Creek Park. They support Exotic Plant Management Teams who employ highly trained individuals with specialized knowledge and experience in invasive plant management.

  Using a program called "Early Detection, Rapid Response," the Park works to locate invasive species in the early stages of invasion and quickly treats the infestation. Stopping an invasive non-native plant before it has a chance to spread out of control prevents the need for further removal, saves money, and protects natural communities at risk.

  The National Park Service also partners with local communities and other public groups to prevent the introduction of invasive species and to develop management strategies, including training volunteers. Volunteers working with Rock Creek Park's permission pull up aggressive, non-native invasive plants, like English ivy, that compete with native vegetation for survival.

  Ana Chuquín, Biological Science Technician in the Division of Resource Management at Rock Creek Park, emphasized the importance of citizen involvement in tackling invasives.

  Ana Chuquín:

  Only authorized volunteers are allowed to remove invasive species in the park. We hold several group events, and people can learn about the dates and times of when these take place via the conservancies or the park website.

  Voice 1:

  Help restore the natural communities in the national parks by planting native seeds in your garden, in place of non-native plants. Volunteer at your local national park to catch these invasive species before they grow out of control. Go online and find out how YOU can become a weed warrior and identify invasive non-native plants in Rock Creek Park.

• Species Spotlight: American Chestnut

  
  

  Eastern North American forests are profoundly changed because of a fungus that attacks the American chestnut tree.

  Credit / Author:

  Grace Novak and Abby Cox

  Audio Transcript

  "A disease of devastating proportions has swept the nation!"

  Such were the headlines in the early 1900's as the chestnut blight fungus worked its way across eastern North America, leaving only the dead and dying of its tree victims behind. The fungus was accidentally introduced to the forest through Japanese chestnut tree shipments to the United States. This deadly fungus dramatically transformed the composition of eastern and mid-Atlantic forests.

  Native to Rock Creek Park, the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) is now rare as a mature tree due to this disease. Previously a dominant tree in the forests of the eastern United States, the American chestnut was known for its rot-resistant lumber and production of wildlife-supporting chestnuts. It was an essential component of eastern U.S. forest ecosystems, providing food for a wide variety of wildlife, like bears, deer, and the now extinct passenger pigeon. People harvested the chestnuts for food and built cabins from the logs. It is even speculated that chestnuts were eaten at the first Thanksgiving!

  It's estimated that the chestnut blight killed about 4 billion trees. Because the root system of the tree has some resistance against the infection and there are viruses that attack the fungus, you may see the American chestnut as a young shoot growing from root crowns or bases in Rock Creek Park. Unfortunately, few of these shoots reach the reproductive stage to produce chestnuts before being killed by the fungus.

  While the restoration of the American chestnut to our forests is still a far-off goal, some organizations like the American Chestnut Foundation work to seek out and create hybrid, blight-resistant American chestnut trees. Maybe one day, this proud tree will thrive in our nation's parks once again.

• Species Spotlight: Northern Long-Eared Bat

  
  

  Rock Creek Park has quite the nightlife, but not the kind you may be thinking of. There are bugs to catch out there and the Northern long-eared bat is on the job!

  Credit / Author:

  Erin Ziegler

  Audio Transcript

  Voice 1:

  A flash in the night! Flapping wings overhead! You whip your head around—not a monster, but one of Rock Creek Park's nighttime residents.

  While you are walking around Rock Creek Park you might see squirrels, birds, or maybe even a deer or two. But there are some residents of the park that you might miss, ones that only come out after the park closes at sundown. In the night, the nocturnal, or nighttime, animals make their move to begin hunting prey and other activities.

  Micaela Jemison, Bat Ecologist and Communications Manager for Bat Conservation International, knows a lot about why bats are an important part of the ecosystem.

  Micaela Jemison:

  Many people don't think about bats in urban areas. Or you think, you know, out in the forest and out in the wild; but we actually do have lots of different species in our urban areas. And, one of the things that we often forget is that green spaces in cities are very important.

  Rock Creek Parkway for example has a fair amount of light, but [the park] also has darker areas and more vegetated areas, which are more suitable for bats.

  These particular bats do a lot of beneficial things for us in terms of eating a lot of bugs, and all sorts of beetles and things.

  Voice 1:

  There are six different species of bat in Rock Creek Park. One of them, the northern long-eared bat, was the park's most common bat species in a 2003 and 2004 inventory. Sadly, the northern long-eared bat has started to decline in numbers and is now federally listed as a Threatened Species.

  Micaela Jemison:

  So White Nose Syndrome is a fungus that has been, we think, introduced by humans—we're not 100% sure. But, this fungus actually comes from Europe.

  One of the species that has been really affected by this is the northern long-eared bat, and in most places it's been devastated; up to 99% of a population in a cave, unfortunately, have succumbed to the disease.

  Voice 1:

  Even with Rock Creek Park's bats in trouble, there are ways we can help like protecting forests, which are the summer maternity habitat for the bats.

  Micaela Jemison:

  If you come across a bat for any reason, don't disturb it.

  Another thing that you can also do is build a bat house, have a bat house out in your back yard. We do have a lack of roosting places for a lot of these bats because unfortunately we humans like to cut down forests.

  Voice 1:

  Just because the sun has gone down, and the Park has closed, doesn't mean the whole forest has gone to sleep. We can rest assured knowing that the bats have the night shift at Rock Creek Park covered.

• Species Spotlight: Tent Caterpillars

  
  

  Native caterpillars munching on tree leaves are just one more player in a healthy natural community.

  Credit / Author:

  Erin Ziegler

  Audio Transcript

  Look out! The caterpillars are on the march!

  Eastern tent caterpillars build their white silk tents at the base of tree branches, in trees like black cherry. Go outside in spring and take a look around for the nests, each one filled with the fuzzy little caterpillars, each growing over two inches long with a white strip down their backs. We might think they're cute, but to the trees they're a real nuisance. A colony of these little guys can eat a tree bare in matter of weeks, forcing it to grow a whole new set of leaves! So what's a tree to do?

  Here comes the air support!

  Birds like the Carolina chickadee love to eat up the caterpillars, saving the trees from the ravenous larvae. Eastern tent caterpillars aren't just an important food source for the local birds. Migratory species like black-throated green warblers and yellow-billed cuckoos fly in to help. Even the ruby-throated hummingbird gets in on the action, ripping into the tents to gather material for their nests and leaving holes in the caterpillar's defenses for other birds to come in for a snack.

  The relationship between the Eastern tent caterpillars, the trees, and the birds is just one example of how different parts of the natural communities work together to keep a healthy dynamic. Too many caterpillars year after year would kill the trees; no caterpillars and the birds will go hungry—but by working together the communities can flourish. So next time you see one of those fuzzy caterpillars or the white tents in the trees, remember how those little guys contribute to the forest.

• Species Spotlight: Tuliptree

  
  

  Trees get wiped out, and what’s an eastern U.S. forest to do? Never fear, the tuliptree is here to fill the sunny gaps!

  Credit / Author:

  Erin Ziegler

  Audio Transcript

  The disturbance is over. The fire has cleared, the loggers have left with their chainsaws, or whatever has caused the trees to die has passed. There are a lot of ways that a forest might lose a patch of trees. While it’s sad to see them fall, things won't stay bleak for long.

  Tuliptrees (Liriodendron tulipifera) love sunlight and can't get their start without plenty of light reaching the forest floor. As a pioneer species, these trees are among the first to spring up whenever something destroys part of the forest and creates an opening for the sunlight.

  The young tuliptrees seize this chance to reclaim the land, and grow a new patch of forest over the disturbance. Tuliptrees, also known as tulip poplar, grow best in moist, rich soils, such as the floodplain along Rock Creek. In Rock Creek Park, tuliptrees are found in plant communities like the Tuliptree Small-Stream Flood-Plain Forest, where disturbances are common.

  As they fill in the disturbed land, the trees begin to live up to their namesake—the tulips. Their tulip-shaped leaves fill in the canopy, while high up in the branches of mature tuliptrees, huge yellow and orange flowers look a bit like tulips, too. The flowers not only fill the canopy with beauty but also supply an important food source for the residents of the forest, like hummingbirds and pollinator bees. The trunk of the tuliptree supplies another kind of food—tasty sap for the drilling yellow-bellied sapsucker.

  The tuliptree's flowers produce hundreds of seeds, each with one wing. Seeds are arranged in a tight spiral until the wind blows them free, spinning them away to lie in wait for a new patch of sunlight on the forest floor.

  The forest is recovering, new trees are coming in, and the animals are coming home. As the land becomes lush and green again, look up at the towering tuliptrees and enjoy the pioneer that's brought beauty to this once-disturbed land.

• Unleashed: the Dogs

  
  

  Let Fido tell you all about why it's important to keep your dog on a leash when in a park!

  Credit / Author:

  Abby Cox

  Audio Transcript

  Fido: Hi there! Dogs like me love going for walks. We especially love all the smells and adventures in Rock Creek Park. My owner takes me on hikes here and I get so excited! Since we aren't near the roads or in the city, she even lets me off the leash!

  I run around and see tons of birds, smell all the wildflowers growing, and eat grass. Sometimes I even roll in the leaves and play fetch.

  One day, a park ranger saw me and my owner and came over to talk to us. He scratched my ears and said,

  Ranger: Hey Fido, I know you love the park and your owner loves to hike but we have a problem. When you are off the leash and you run around, you scare our birds and other animals like squirrels and deer. They think you are here to hurt them.

  Fido: What?? But I'm a nice dog and I just want to play with them.

  Ranger: I know that Fido, but the birds aren't used to seeing you and it scares them. And when you run off the trails and roll around in the leaves you crush nests and other homes that the animals here have made for themselves. It’s especially terrifying when you chase other animals!

  Fido: Oh no! But I just want to PLAY! I love my home and I would never want to mess up someone else's.

  Ranger: One more thing, big guy. When you are out there, you spread seeds of plants that get on your fur. You roll around and drop the seeds, and we don’t want hitchhiker plants to be growing in our park. Some are called invasive non-native species and they cause problems for the native plants that call Rock Creek Park home.

  Fido: Oh man! I love Rock Creek Park and I want it to stay awesome forever! What can I do Mr. Ranger?

  Ranger: All you have to do is stay on your leash, make sure you and your owner stay on the trails, and that she cleans up after you. That’s all we ask and we love to have you here!

  Fido: We can do that! Thanks for talking to me! Now I know what I can do to help and I will tell all my other friends too!

  Voice 1: (click of leash) Let's go, Fido!

  Fido: (bark bark!)

• Vernal Pools

  
  

  These shallow bodies of water provide habitat for animals and plants during springtime, before drying up in the warm temperatures of summer.

  Credit / Author:

  Kerry Skiff

  Date created:

  08/01/2017

  Audio Transcript

  [music and nature sounds start] While many natural habitats are visible all year, some exist only for a short time. In a way, it’s like the state fair, which only comes around once a year. While it lasts, it's a hive of activity with wonderful things to see, snacks to eat, and games to play. Then, it's gone. Nature has its own seasonal "fairs." These temporary, or ephemeral, habitats include seasonal wetlands, creeks, and pools. Ephemeral habitats provide an important service to many plant and animal species. They are a place for amphibians and invertebrates to breed and lay eggs, a feeding spot for predators, and a great location for flowers to deposit seeds. Perhaps the easiest type of ephemeral habitat to recognize is a vernal pool, which means "springtime pool." When snow melts and rain falls, small, shallow bodies of water form within sunken pockets of earth. These pools are fed by groundwater, and they catch water and sediment from spring rains, helping to prevent flooding and erosion. They also host plants that filter pollutants out of the water. While vernal pools last, they attract frogs, salamanders, turtles, and a host of insects. These critters set up shop, lay their eggs, and enjoy the cool moisture of the water, where hungry fish can't live. However, predators like snakes, birds, bats, and bears love vernal pools because they provide a good snack. The water is teeming with insects and young amphibians such as tadpoles. It's able to serve as a reliable source of food, at least for a little while. But when the pool dries up, it's time to look elsewhere. As spring turns into summer and the sun grows hotter, vernal pools begin to evaporate. Amphibians find another home, predators look for new food sources, and flowers disappear into the drying earth. Things start to look pretty barren when the moisture disappears, but there's a good purpose for this. The dried pool is still a habitat, but now it's resting and dormant. The cracked mud holds the seeds of plants and the hard-shelled winter eggs of invertebrates that need a period of drying before germinating or hatching. Just like the return of the state fair with its many exhibits and food, vernal pools draw in the animals year after year. Look for them when the snow melts and spring rains return, and everything begins again.