Breaking ground on Hamlet vernal pool

Chris Grose and the crew of The Hamlet, a cottage community in Flat Rock, were out in the cold breaking ground on a vernal pool. These wetland features experience seasonal drying and shallow flooding that prevents establishment of fish populations, making them critical breeding areas for amphibians predated by fish. Some amphibian species - such as spotted salamanders, marbled salamanders, and wood frogs - must migrate to a vernal pool each spring in order to breed, but many of these pools are lost to development.

This vernal pool project was made possible by a conscientious neighborhood developer, who wanted a trail system that allowed residents to enjoy nearby natural features. The trail system (designed by Osgood Landscape Architecture) loops around former farmland along Dunn Creek

The pool will change with the seasons and become an even more interesting stop on the trail as the plants mature and amphibians, birds, and insects find their way to this habitat. We hope residents enjoy blooms and sounds of spring peepers here for years to come!