It is the middle of March as I write this and 67 degrees! Weather enthusiasts would call this a false spring yet signs of the season are all around. In the widening circles of soggy brown earth, tree bark is radiating warmth as it absorbs the sunshine and melts the surrounding snow.
I’ll know spring has truly sprung when I hear the chorus of spring peepers in early April. This happens across the street near the McLean Game Refuge parking lot, where a vernal pool (also known as an ephemeral pool) forms in a shallow depression. These tiny spring frogs (only half an inch) are the most vocal inhabitants of vernal pools and their chorus can be heard up to a quarter mile away.
Wood frogs add to the racket with their quacking and can be identified by their dark masks. On rainy spring nights they migrate to vernal pools to breed. The Marsh Billings–Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vt. has a pond called The Pogue, where I first heard the mating ritual of these tiny amphibians. Approaching the pond it was loud at 90 decibels, and sound levels can reach 120db when you are surrounded by them.
Here in northern Connecticut, you can listen to the sounds of spring at a vernal pool on the Granby Land Trust’s Seth and Lucy Holcombe Preserve in North Granby. Visit the GLT website for additional information about their properties: granbylandtrust.org
It was too cold for salad this past winter, instead I craved warm comfort food like stews, soups and pasta. Now that spring has arrived, I find leafy greens appealing once again. Try this colorful spinach and strawberry salad to celebrate the season!
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup thinly sliced strawberries
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- Toasted pecans, to taste
- ¼ small red onion, sliced
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Creamy dressing of your choice (Ranch, Green Goddess, etc.)
Directions
Toss together the spinach, strawberries and onion. Add the toasted pecans and the goat cheese crumbles. Season with sea salt and black pepper and toss with the dressing. Serve immediately.