We are super excited to be offering our public tours again! We hope you’re equally as excited to join us! Splash will be running public tours in the vernal pool grasslands at Mather Field in both March and April. We might even schedule a day in early May, depending on how the season progresses.
The tours coming up in March will focus on the wet phase of the vernal pools, when they are teeming with tiny aquatic invertebrates, many of which are only found in vernal pools. The tours in April will place a greater emphasis on the flower phase of the vernal pools, when the pools are surrounded by or filled with a kaleidoscope of colorful vernal pool flowers.
With all the rain we’ve received this season, the vernal pools are very full of water and the soil throughout the surrounding grasslands remains well saturated. This bodes well for our public tours in March, as you will be able to witness the pools in all their wet-phase glory!
We’ll lead small groups into the field to investigate the amazing vernal pools during the wet phase, when the pools are teeming with tiny aquatic invertebrates! You’ll get to see fairy shrimp, water fleas, flatworms, copepods, predatory aquatic beetle larvae, aquatic snails, beautiful damselfly larvae, bright red water mites, and lots more! We also might catch a glimpse of some of the grassland residents, such as snakes, CA voles, pocket gophers, black-tailed jack rabbits, hawks, herons, meadowlarks, blackbirds, and maybe even a coyote!
We’ll lead small groups into the field to investigate the amazing vernal pools during the wet phase, when the pools are teeming with tiny aquatic invertebrates! You’ll get to see fairy shrimp, water fleas, flatworms, copepods, predatory aquatic beetle larvae, aquatic snails, beautiful damselfly larvae, bright red water mites, and lots more! We also might catch a glimpse of some of the grassland residents, such as CA voles, pocket gophers, hawks, herons, meadowlarks, blackbirds, and maybe even a coyote!
We run the tours rain or shine! They last about two hours each and are led by Splash staff and experienced volunteer docents. Please come prepared with sturdy walking shoes, long pants, rain gear, and/or sunscreen & sun hats.
Tickets are now on sale for the Splash Vernal Pool Critter Walks in March, which will be held at 10:00am & 1:00pm on March 5th and March 19th. Tickets for adults (age 16+) are only $10.00, kids (age 6-15) are $5.00, and kids younger than 6 years old are free. Tickets for the flower phase tours in April will be available soon! Visit our Eventbrite registration page to secure your Vernal Pool Critter Walk tickets now! We can’t wait to see you in March!