Vernal Pool Restoration Success at Ticknor Woodlands
The Ticknor Woodlands Parcel was conserved at the end of 2017 in a three-way collaboration between the Upper Valley Land Trust, the City of Lebanon, and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and with funding from the Lebanon Open Space Trust and the NH Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund. The 110 acre parcel of land is nestled between Dulac Street and Slayton Hill Road, with frontage along the Mascoma River.
The vernal pool started as a wet, rutted area on an old woods road. UVLT staff noted that in the spring the ruts were full of Wood Frog eggs.
Close up shot of wood frog egg masses in the ruts before the pool was restored.
In the fall of 2018 the wet area was excavated to an appropriate depth and partially filled with woody debris.
Wood frog egg masses photographed on April 22nd.
This property, which was once a part of Lebanon’s agricultural community, was at high risk for development before it was conserved. Now it serves as an undeveloped natural area that offers the city the benefits of flood resiliency and habitat protection in an area that has struggled with storm water runoff and flood damage. UVLT will be holding an educational event on the property on May 23rd at 6pm to take the short walk to the pool, check the egg masses/tadpoles, look for frogs and salamanders, and talk about the importance of vernal pools as habitat. Event details can be found here.
Wood frog egg mass on May 6th. The tadpoles are beginning to hatch and feed on the algae growing on the outside of the egg casings.
