As if there wasn't already enough to think about in our sometimes frenetic, hectic lives, there is now one more thing, thanks to Linda Madsen -- local town resident and submitter of a letter to the editor in my town's newspaper. The vernal pool season is once again upon us!
What on earth is a "vernal pool" you might ask? And who is Linda Madsen? Well, a vernal pool is a wetland area that fills with water in the spring. It is sort of like a temporary pond that only exists during the months of March or April, depending on your region of the country.
Each year, on the first warm and rainy night of spring, millions of frogs and salamanders migrate to vernal pools to breed. That is what's called the vernal pool season. The salamanders and frogs come out of their winter habitat and travel through woods and fields to get to their breeding pools. Unfortunately, large numbers of these amphibians are destroyed by vehicles, and several species are on the verge of becoming endangered because of this.
Linda is an older woman in town who works 10-hour days, but still finds time to venture into the woods in hip boots in her spare time to identify vernal pools to help protect the environment. She closed her letter by suggesting that readers try not to drive on rainy nights at least until mid-April. And if we do have to drive, Linda implored, please go out of our way to avoid amphibian crossings.
The news of the day has unsettled many of us, and perhaps rightly so. There is concern for our global economy, rising unemployment, trillion-dollar budget deficits, diminishing retirement savings, uncertain and tumultuous financial markets, not to mention wars, famines, and not a few natural disasters. Add to that school and school activities, home improvement projects, bills, and housework. For most of us, the plight of frogs and salamanders does not place very high on this list.
And yet, something about Linda's letter struck me not as tragic, but importantly hopeful.
While it may be difficult for us to restructure much of our lives to take into account the migration of these creatures, it is hard not to be pulling for them. Linda's letter reminds us that this rite of passage will take place this year as it has for thousands of years before it. In God's economy, even these small and seemingly insignificant creatures hold a highly consequential place in our eco-system. They will get through this. If frogs and salamanders can do it, how much more so can we?
Thank you, Linda, for helping to remind us of this. I look forward to this harbinger of spring and the promise of renewal it brings.
What on earth is a "vernal pool" you might ask? And who is Linda Madsen? Well, a vernal pool is a wetland area that fills with water in the spring. It is sort of like a temporary pond that only exists during the months of March or April, depending on your region of the country.
Each year, on the first warm and rainy night of spring, millions of frogs and salamanders migrate to vernal pools to breed. That is what's called the vernal pool season. The salamanders and frogs come out of their winter habitat and travel through woods and fields to get to their breeding pools. Unfortunately, large numbers of these amphibians are destroyed by vehicles, and several species are on the verge of becoming endangered because of this.
Linda is an older woman in town who works 10-hour days, but still finds time to venture into the woods in hip boots in her spare time to identify vernal pools to help protect the environment. She closed her letter by suggesting that readers try not to drive on rainy nights at least until mid-April. And if we do have to drive, Linda implored, please go out of our way to avoid amphibian crossings.
The news of the day has unsettled many of us, and perhaps rightly so. There is concern for our global economy, rising unemployment, trillion-dollar budget deficits, diminishing retirement savings, uncertain and tumultuous financial markets, not to mention wars, famines, and not a few natural disasters. Add to that school and school activities, home improvement projects, bills, and housework. For most of us, the plight of frogs and salamanders does not place very high on this list.
And yet, something about Linda's letter struck me not as tragic, but importantly hopeful.
While it may be difficult for us to restructure much of our lives to take into account the migration of these creatures, it is hard not to be pulling for them. Linda's letter reminds us that this rite of passage will take place this year as it has for thousands of years before it. In God's economy, even these small and seemingly insignificant creatures hold a highly consequential place in our eco-system. They will get through this. If frogs and salamanders can do it, how much more so can we?
Thank you, Linda, for helping to remind us of this. I look forward to this harbinger of spring and the promise of renewal it brings.
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