Magic in the mud

If April showers bring May flowers, then what does mud bring?

The answer may surprise you.

Mud is more than a messy nuisance glopping up your boots after a hike. It’s part of springtime’s ecological reset.

Melting snow carries essential nutrients to the soil and replenishes wetlands and streams. 

To get a fresh take on what to watch for in Lake County, Mimi caught up with Naturalist Anthony Gazso of Lake Metroparks.

“Snowmelt is crucial to recreating habitats for animals return to,” he says. “In addition to lakes, ponds and streams, vernal pools in forests support a host of species. Everything is interconnected.”

With nature, each moment has its purpose. Anthony says that since fish don’t live in them, vernal pools provides safer haven for frogs and salamanders to lay their eggs. By the time the pools dry up in the summer, the eggs have hatched and the season’s next inhabitants are on their own.

“And if you see a salamander while hiking, it may be returning to the exact location where it was born to lay its own eggs,” he says. “They can travel up to a mile on their return.”

We are also in migration season for birds. Look for songbirds, which arrived in mid-March, to barn swallows up from the Caribbean and broad-winged hawks from Argentina this month.

Lake Metroparks offers a host of free birding programs. Visit LakeMetroparks.com to check out all of the offerings. 

“One of my favorite birding events is the 100 Bird Quest,” he says. “The goal is to identify 100 different species of birds. This is a fun event for those who are new to birding or seasoned birders.” It takes place Saturday, May 9, at Chagrin River Park from 8 a.m. to noon.

Lake Metroparks provides more than 4 million visitors each year with educational and recreational programs and activities. For more information, visit LakeMetroparks.com.