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By Lisa Moore
For many Wellesley residents, maintaining the North 40 forest property as undeveloped “green space” is essential to maintaining the quality of life in town for its residents and all of the creatures that thrive in the green spaces. Under the direction of the Natural Resources Commission, whose mission is to provide stewardship, education, and advocacy of the Town of Wellesley’s park, conservation and open space systems, a group of volunteers have begun conducting a long-term study of the vernal pool that sits on the North Forty property off of Turner Road.
In the woods of the North Forty property, a few feet off of Weston Road by Turner Road, sits vernal pool #032. It is one of several vernal pools in Wellesley and though its name may lack sparkle, it is still a gem in Wellesley’s “emerald necklace.” A vernal pool is a shallow pond that is subject to large seasonal water fluctuations. During the winter and spring, a vernal pool fills with snow, rain, and seasonally high groundwater, then typically dries out during the summer and fall. Due to the periods of drying out, a vernal pool is devoid of fish species. This unique habitat is home to many specialized species that have adapted to live and breed in and around the vernal pool.
Delicate fairy shrimp, for example, complete their life cycle in the vernal pool. Their eggs lay at the pool bottom as it dries out in summer and fills with water and snow in fall and winter, finally hatching the following spring when the pool is full and warm again. Wood frogs and salamanders rely on the vernal pools for breeding. The lack of fish as predators allow for more of the eggs to develop and young to survive.
The NRC study looks to assess the overall health of the vernal pool habitat as determined by water quality tests and identification of species inhabiting the pool. The group hopes to restore a balance between native and invasive species, removing invasive ones that threaten native species. In addition, the NRC hopes to expand community outreach for Wellesley School students, providing opportunities to learn about this unique habitat.
These distinctive habitats are vulnerable to development and are often overlooked due to the seasonal nature of water levels, but changes to the upland, removal of forest during construction, dumping yard waste and garbage, and changing the grade of the land, can all disrupt this fragile habitat and life cycles of its resident species. If a vernal pool lies within a recognized wetland, like the one on Turner Road, it is protected habitat under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. For the past several months, volunteers conducted water quality tests, removed garbage dumped in the pool and surrounding woodland area, and began the first phase study of identifying which species are inhabiting the vernal pool.
Initial water quality tests were inconclusive, however, the presence of wood frogs and caddis fly larvae in the pool suggest the water quality is good. The study will further assess what species inhabit the pool and how street runoff from Weston and Turner Roads are impacting the pool and the species within. Moving forward, the NRC will be looking at improving the upland area around the pool with the removal of invasive plant species and, if necessary, reintroducing native flora and fauna if they are found to be absent, all in an effort to help maintain a healthy ecosystem and protect this special habitat.
For anyone interested in volunteering in subsequent phases of the study of this important habitat, contact Stephanie Hawkinson, Environmental Education and Outreach Coordinator for the NRC, at nrc@wellesleyma.gov.
