Northland Nature: Vernal ponds appear briefly in spring

Northland Nature: Vernal ponds appear briefly in spring

Each spring, usually during April, my walking takes me on a route where I visit about 10 vernal ponds. Often called "vernal pools," they tend to be small and shallow and show up in spring. "Vernal" means "spring," but they could also be called "ephemeral ponds." This term means that they are usually temporary. At this time in April, all are holding water from the recent melting of the snowpack. Water content of snow varies, and in some years in …