Natural History Wanderings

California Vernal pools are having an impressive and long season here are a couple of posting and photos from two guest contributors.

Jepson Prairie Vernal Pools and Photos submitted by Celia Zavatsky

On Saturday, May 1, Jepson Prairie was incredible with a whole palette of colors which included a mix of early, mid, and late season flowers and native grasses in the pools themselves — and alien grasses on the mima mounds were still green! Unheard of in May! Mid-season flora especially appeared to be at their peak or just before peak; the vernal pools in the pasture just southwest of the lake have vast and brilliant displays of goldfields, field owl’s clover, and downingias beginning to show their vivid blue. The rare white Baker’s Navarretia should be blooming in the next few days as well. Do try to get there next weekend for a tour as I think the Downingias will be putting on a great display – sheets and rings of blue, surrounded and edged by yellows and whites (or vice versa). There may be small displays here and there on the nature trail in the only pasture open to the public when there is not on a docent-led tour, but by next weekend they may have dried up. The displays south of the lake should still be going strong, but if you are not with a docent, you will have to admire them from the road. Even if we get a heat wave and the grasses and shallower vernal pools dry up, there will be lots of color to see on the south shore of the lake. The tour season ends next Sat and Sun, May 8 and 9; tours begin at 10 am. Go to www.vernalpools.org and click on Jepson Prairie for directions and more photos and information about vernal pools in general.

Slideshow of plants, tadpole shrimp, clam shrimp and tiger salamander larva at Jepson Prairie:

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Mather Field Vernal Pools submitted by Bob Mackler

Things are running pretty late at Mather.  This week is probably the best shot at seeing good flowering at this site.  The weather is heating up.  Directions: Take I 80 to Sacramento and keep following the cues until it becomes Highway 50. Take 50 to Rancho Cordova and take the Sunrise Blvd South exit.  Continue south for 4 miles.Turn right on Douglas road.  After a mile turn left on Eagles Nest Road.  It will become  a dirt road.  The best pools are on the right hand side.  Park at a kiosk and walk the short distance to the pools. Some vernal pool species to expect are:Plagiobothrys stipitatus var. micranthus, Navarretia leucocephala, Limnanthes alba, Castilleja campestris, Lasthenia fremontii, Downingia bicornuta var. picta and Eryngium castense.  Other flowers are blooming in the adjacent grassland, notably Eschscholzia lobbii and Triteleia hyacinthina.

Click “read more” below  for vernal pool websites

Jepson Prairie sites:

http://nrs.ucdavis.edu/jepson.html

http://www.vernalpools.org/JepsonSchedule.htm

http://www.solanolandtrust.org/o_l_jepsonPrairie.php

Jepson Prairie Article in the Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/25/BA311D1OAU.DTL&feed=rss.news

Mather Field vernal pools sites: 
http://www.msa2.saccounty.net/parks/Pages/ParkDetails.aspx?pn=Open%20Spaces&pnd=Mather%20Regional%20Park%20Vernal%20Pools

http://www.vernalpools.org/mather.htm

California Vernal Pools (has information on vernal pools, plants lists and photos): http://www.vernalpools.org/places.htm