Drone-based multispectral mapping of vernal pools in California, Scholar Farms
Marvel at the vernal pool wildflowers at Jepson Prairie Reserve from above thanks to aerial drone flights that can map the subtle topography of the mima mounds and pools with RGB and multispectral imagery
Jepson Prairie’s California tiger salamander, Mardi025
Jepson Prairie has been the site of research critical to the conservation of the California tiger salamander. Chris Searcy worked with UC Davis Professor Brad Shaffer to understand where adult salamanders go after breeding in vernal pools, helping biologists grasp how much land is needed to protect populations of this endangered amphibian.
The Plants of Jepson Prairie, Bay Nature
Jepson Prairie docents Celia Zavatsky and Russ Huddleston introduce the mima mounds and native wildflowers that make the vernal pool habitats here unique.
Wildlife of Jepson Prairie, Bay Nature
Jepson Prairie docent Russ Huddleston shows off the rare tadpole shrimp, predatory beetles, and California tiger salamander larvae that live in the ephemeral waters of Olcott Lake, the state’s largest vernal pool.