BURRILLVILLE – The Burrillville Land Trust will be 25-years-old in April and upcoming free events to mark the occasion kick off this week, with a chance for the public to explore a private property while viewing unique wildlife phenomenon of the season.
The anniversary celebration kick-off will be a nighttime walk in the woods on Sunday, March 30, starting at 8:30 p.m.
The trust will lead attendees on a short hike on a 25-acre property at 310 Eagle Peak Road. The lot holds the Eagle Peak Schoolhouse, a stone structure that historically served as a one room school. The Land Trust has a conservation easement on the private property, which is home to both the owners and hundreds of creatures, ensuring it will remain forested in perpetuity.
Hikers will travel a quarter of a mile into the woods, in the dark and possibly in the rain, over some rocky terrain while the guides discuss the wildlife found on the land, with a focus on wood frogs and spotted salamanders. The group will visit a vernal pool, a shallow and temporary body of water created annually during the spring thaw from snowmelt.
Salamanders and frogs spend winter buried in the mud at the bottom of a pond, waiting for ice to thaw and temperature to rise. On warm, rainy nights in late March or early April, the creatures migrate from their hibernation spots to vernal pools and wetlands to breed.
The amphibians spend a few days or weeks at the pools, where they court mates through song and dance. After mating, the females lay their eggs and the adults return to the forest. The eggs will hatch before the warmer weather dries up the vernal pool, allowing the larvae to grow into fully formed frogs and salamanders.
Migration to the pools is widely known as Big Night, and each year conservationists keep an eye out for the phenomenon, with the goal of helping the creatures as they cross roadways to their mating destinations. Spotted salamanders can live for more than 20 years, and some have been recorded to live as long as 30 years.
The Land Trust announced the walk last week initially minus the date while watching for the ideal weather. On Wednesday morning, March 26, President Paul Roselli confirmed that the walk would take place on Sunday, and noted that attendees are advised to dress for cool and wet weather and wear bright colored clothing, and bring a flashlight or headlamp. Safety vests will be on hand for anyone who needs one, as well as hot chocolate and snacks for those interested.
“We are grateful to the owners of for this opportunity to walk their property and enjoy the sights and sounds of spring,” said Roselli. “If we happen to get a rainy night we may even be able to help a few salamanders out of the road.”
The event is free and open to the public, and parking is available in front of the schoolhouse, as well as along Knibb Road across from the pond. Participants will be asked to sign a liability waiver releasing both the Burrillville Land Trust and the owners of the property from liability for anything that happens as a result of the walk.
Editor’s note: The above story initially did not include the date of the event, which was subject to change. It has since been updated.
