Splash’s public flower walks are almost here! We were quite fortunate to have received lots of rain this winter, and the vernal pools are still full and teeming with tiny vernal pool invertebrates. With more rain on the horizon, we’re definitely grateful for every drop we can get! As the season progresses and the vernal pools dry up, they will enter their flower phase, when the pools will be surrounded or filled with a kaleidoscope of color!
Vernal pools in California are renowned for the unique plants that grow in and around them. Many of these plant species are endemic to vernal pools, meaning they grow nowhere else – only around vernal pools! With the loss of so much vernal pool habitat over the decades here in California, many of the special plants and animals that only associate with vernal pools have become threatened and endangered.
This is your chance to experience the vernal pools at Mather Field in all their glory during the flowering phase and learn about the unique vernal pool plants and their amazing adaptations to survive in these ephemeral wetlands. Each of these amazing plant species has a story of survival to share with us. Come discover these remarkable vernal pool flowers and their roles in the vernal pool grassland ecosystem!
Stop and smell the White-tipped Clover! Get the latest buzz about native Solitary Bees and their relationship with Downingia! Enjoy the Fremont’s Tidytips! Learn about the Vernal Pool Monkey Flower’s special relationship with the Botta’s Pocket Gopher!
We hope you can join us on a Splash Vernal Pool Flower Walk! Join us for one of the following flower walks:
● Sunday, April 2 @ 10 am
● Sunday, April 2 @ 1 pm
● Sunday, April 23 @ 10 am
● Sunday, April 23 @ 1 pm