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WHITE HAVEN — Tucked away deep in the woods is a well-kept secret of peace and tranquility in the form of a wildlife sanctuary. Sunday afternoon at the natural respite, however, was quite a splash!

Hosted by the North Branch Land Trust, naturalist Charlene Wildes led a hands-on expedition into the woods at the George and Lillian Picton Wildlife Sanctuary off Pond Creek Road in White Haven.

Wildes’ expedition focused on a “short-lived gem of nature” — the vernal pool.

“A vernal pool is a specialized, short-lived phenomenon of an environment,” said Wildes. “They are naturally occurring pools of water, usually triggered by the snow melt in spring, and they last only through the mid-summer months.”

To many, vernal pools might look like merely large, pungent, stagnant pools of water. But to amphibians and water insects, they are a critical part of the life cycle.

“Vernal pools are the only place in nature where most amphibians can lay their eggs,” added Wildes. “They are free of fish, and full of the perfect type of environment to allow frogs, toads, salamanders and newts to grow.”

The other main tenet surround the vernal pool is its vulnerability.

“Due to its temporary nature, vernal pools aren’t protected by law,” she said. “Often, due to this, they wind up filled in, run over or destroyed.”

The North Branch Land Trust hopes by exploring the secret worlds of vernal pool activity, the public will become more aware and educated about their importance to the natural ecosystem.

“This is such an important thing, and such a perfectly quiet contemplative place, we wanted to be able to share it to some degree with the public,” said Barb Romanansky, membership and outreach coordinator for the land trust.

“We handle this land, as it was entrusted to us, as a sanctuary — leaving it as nature intended,” Romanansky said. “We wanted to open it up for the public to see and use it, especially with our programs, to raise awareness of not only its beauty, but also importance.”

The land trust owns 10 properties throughout the greater Wyoming Valley, extending from Noxen to Hazleton. Their intent is to preserve the properties as a means of conservation — and public programs and awareness help achieve that goal.

“A huge portion of our new memberships come directly from these programs,” she added. “Once people come out and see the beautiful places in nature, they get involved.”

Sunday’s program began with a brief video preparing the program goers for what they’ll be seeing inside the vernal pools — a lively mix of tree frogs, toads, tadpoles, insects and more.

During the video, the participants had a surprise visitor: an American toad.

“Toads are extremely difficult to come by, especially during the day,” exclaimed Wildes, as she held the toad for the group to examine.

“He must’ve been sleeping in the leaf pile near the door, which we disturbed briefly, so he came in to check out the show,” she laughed.

After the encounter, the group of nearly 12 trekked down to “Lillian’s Pond,” and began examining the wildlife that inhabits such vernal pools.

“I always jump on a chance to come to these programs,” said Tim Boyle, of Hazleton. “I’m a member of the Trust, and I always find their programs and offerings to be particularly interesting and informative.”

“This one has been just great,” he said with a smile.

Tim Boyle, of Hazleton, listens to Charlene Wildes talk about vernal pools Sunday at the George and Lillian Picton Wildlife Sanctuary in White Haven.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL041816VernalPools1.jpg.optimal.jpgTim Boyle, of Hazleton, listens to Charlene Wildes talk about vernal pools Sunday at the George and Lillian Picton Wildlife Sanctuary in White Haven. Sean McKeag | Times Leader

Naturalist Charlene Wildes holds an American toad that hopped inside a building at the George and Lillian Picton Wildlife Sanctuary in White Haven on Sunday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL041816VernalPools2.jpg.optimal.jpgNaturalist Charlene Wildes holds an American toad that hopped inside a building at the George and Lillian Picton Wildlife Sanctuary in White Haven on Sunday. Sean McKeag | Times Leader

Nature lovers study the ecosystem of the vernal pool Sunday at the George and Lillian Picton Wildlife Sanctuary in White Haven.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL041816VernalPools3.jpg.optimal.jpgNature lovers study the ecosystem of the vernal pool Sunday at the George and Lillian Picton Wildlife Sanctuary in White Haven. Sean McKeag | Times Leader

Charlene Wildes scoops up a spring peeper from a vernal pool Sunday at the George and Lillian Picton Wildlife Sanctuary in White Haven.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL041816VernalPools4.jpg.optimal.jpgCharlene Wildes scoops up a spring peeper from a vernal pool Sunday at the George and Lillian Picton Wildlife Sanctuary in White Haven. Sean McKeag | Times Leader
Nature lovers get to explore vernal pools

By Rachel Holly

For Times Leader

ON THE NET

Find a link to a video from the nature walk attached to this story at timesleader.com. Learn more about the North Branch Land Trust at www.nblt.org.

Reach the Times Leader newsroom at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.

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Video Caption: Discovering Vernal Pools
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