An American toad basks in the sun in Shohola, PA. These toads can be found away from water, but are returning to wetlands now in order to mate.
Spring is hopping: the arrival of the frogs
Spring arrived in March, but as in most years, winter seemed to take its time leaving. The true arrival of spring is marked by the call of the spring peepers in the wetlands.
On Saturday, May 4, the Upper Delaware Chapter of Trout Unlimited planted native willow slips along the banks of Hankins Brook. These slips had been cut in the bitter cold of December and then stored in Tom Brown’s basement. In the intervening months, these slips produced well-developed root systems. Digging a hole 14 inches deep in the gravelly banks of Hankins Brook is not for the faint hearted. At some point you hit a rock too big to dig out using a hoe or an entrenching tool. That is when a small pry bar is needed.
