George George Vernal Pond EarthCache
George George Vernal Pond
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This EarthCache is located in Clinton Township's George George Park. Parking is available off Moravian Road south of Cass Avenue. The path to the listed coordinates is wheelchair accessable.
Educational Info - Simple Description
Vernal pools are seasonal depressional wetlands that occur under the Mediterranean climate conditions of the West Coast. They are covered by shallow water for variable periods from winter to spring, but may be completely dry for most of the summer and fall. These wetlands range in size from small puddles to shallow lakes and are usually found in a gently sloping plain of grassland. Although generally isolated, they are sometimes connected to each other by small drainages known as vernal swales. Beneath vernal pools lies either bedrock or a hard clay layer in the soil that helps keep water in the pool.
Climatic changes associated with each season cause dramatic changes in the appearance of vernal pools. The pools collect water during winter and spring rains, changing in volume in response to varying weather patterns. During a single season, pools may fill and dry several times. In years of drought, some pools may not fill at all.
In the spring, wildflowers often bloom in brilliant circles of color that follow the receding shoreline of the pools. By early summer, the water has evaporated, and the clay pools appear brown, barren, and cracked.
Functions & Values
However, appearances may be deceiving. The unique environment of vernal pools provides habitat for numerous rare plants and animals that are able to survive and thrive in these harsh conditions. Many of these plants and animals spend the dry season as seeds, eggs, or cysts, and then grow and reproduce when the ponds are again filled with water. In addition, birds such as egrets, ducks, and hawks use vernal pools as a seasonal source of food and water.
Status
Vernal pools are a valuable and increasingly threatened ecosystem, often smaller than the bulldozer that threatens to destroy them. More than 90% of California's vernal pools have already been lost. Great efforts are being made to protect the remaining vernal pools, as their disappearance marks the loss of rare and important habitat and some of the associated plant and animal species as well.
The Vernal Pond
The vernal pond located in George George Park is a part of the Clinton River Watershed. The Clinton River watershed covers approximately 760 square miles in 4 Southeast Michigan counties. The Clinton River Watershed was formed by the glaciers that once covered the region. The glacier was not only instrumental in forming the Clinton River Watershed, it also formed the impervious bottom of the vernal pond. This vernal pond is located within yards of the main branch of the Clinton River which flows through the park. You will be able to see there is not an outlet for the water that gets trapped in the vernal pond. Additionally, this vernal pond is located in a low point of the Clinton River floodplane so it fills and evaporates several times during the warmer months. The design of George George Park, and its path/boardwalk system, has kept the natural configurations in tact. The river basin is home to a variety of wetland and other ecosystem types, from open marshes rich with waterfowl to hardwood forests sheltering rare wildflowers.
To log this EarthCache:
At the posted coordinates you will find yourself on a footbridge with the Vernal Pond to the east. To log this EarthCache provide the following information.
1) Looking at this pond, describe in your email what is the makeup of the bottom of the pond or, if there is water in the pond, estimate its depth. If you can see an exposed area where the water has receeded describe the exposed area.
2) Calculate the area of pond by multiplying its length by its width. Include the area, in square feet, in your email.
3) Take a photo of your team with your gpsr at the overlook with the Vernal Pond in the background and post it on the log page.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)