The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust is pleased to welcome Professor Aram Calhoun from the University of Maine for an online lecture on Thursday, May 20 at 6 p.m. Join us to learn about vernal pools, the landscapes that make it possible for them to exist, and how we can steward and support these important habitats.

Each spring, water pools in areas of Maine’s landscape, creating vernal pools. This habitat makes it possible for wood frogs, spotted and blue-spotted salamanders, and fairy shrimp to survive and brings the joyful sound of frog calls with the disappearing snow. These unique habitats and the creatures that live in them are an important part of Maine’s forest ecosystems. Right now, the wood frog and salamander eggs in pools across the state are hatching, and the young salamanders and frogs are starting to journey out into the nearby forests. The presentation will touch on the ecology of these systems as well as actions that we can take at the individual property owner, land trust, and community level to support vernal pools and the creatures that live in them.

Registration is free and required in order to receive the Zoom link for the presentation. The Zoom link will be sent out to registrants before the event. For more information and to sign-up, visit KELT’s website at www.kennebecestuary.org/upcoming-events or call (207) 442-8400.

Aram Calhoun is a professor of Wetland Ecology in the University of Maine’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology and has been researching, teaching, and sharing information about vernal pools for more than 25 years. Her work focuses on the importance of conserving these habitats and the species that live in them on private lands by addressing both human and ecosystem needs for land use and conservation. As a result of this focus on both people and nature, her work has blended research and outreach. You can read more about her research and Maine’s vernal pools at http://www.vernalpools.me/