Right now, in the quiet corners of the woods and wetlands of Ohio, our vernal pools are filling. Vernal pools are low points and basins that fill with snowmelt and spring rain. They are only around for a short time, but are vital parts of our ecosystem

Because these pools dry up by late summer, they are fish-free zones, making them the ultimate "nursery" for amphibians and invertebrates like the spotted salamander and fairy shrimp. Without the protection of the surrounding forest canopy and undisturbed soil, these high-energy hubs of biodiversity would vanish.