On the first rainy night in late winter or early spring, when the ground is thawing and the temperature hovers around 45, spotted salamanders burrowed under the forest floor wake from their winter rest and begin their annual migration to vernal pools to lay their eggs. All over the country, folks help these salamanders to safety when their migratory path includes crossing a roadway.
NHCS StoryCrafters heard all about this annual event when they listened to
Big Night for Salamanders by Sarah Marwil Lamstein. There were many questions as we read this work of fiction that is peppered with actual facts about spotted salamanders. We learned about vernal pools, what they are and how they're formed, and why they are safe places for developing salamander eggs. We looked at a few photographs of spotted salamanders on the web. Then we set to work making our own replica of a salamander from black paper artfully folded and cut. Can you see his segmented body?
As we worked, it rained outside the windows, and we wondered if Big Night might even be tonight! But we decided the ground is probably still too cold. Maybe the next warm rainy night will be the Big Night for Salamanders!
2 comments:
I love this craft! What a clever idea, we will most certainly try this out soon!
I wondered if tonight might be the Big Night for salamanders - temperature's around 50°, it's raining, and I think the ground is thawing...could be!
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