Calendar of Events

Vernal pools are an important wetland habitat found throughout Connecticut. Often overlooked and undervalued, they provide essential breeding habitat for numerous amphibian and invertebrate species. This workshop will introduce vernal pools, what they are, how they function, and what species are dependent upon them for survival. With over 60 years of combined experience with local land use commissions, Denise Savageau and Michael Aurelia will review the role Conservation and Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commissions play in protecting this special resource.

No animal does more to change the landscape than beavers, and they are extremely important in habitat succession. Beaver ponds provide critical habitat for fish and amphibians, and as they drain, they turn into meadows and early successional forests for birds and mammals. We’ll search for evidence of beavers and how they change their surroundings, as well as the birds that rely on beaver modified habitats in the Ames Open Space property in Old Lyme.