Vernal Poolooza 2026 - Field Trip Registration
Thu, Apr 09
|Sauder Village
Evening Events and Site Exploration
Time & Location
Apr 09, 2026, 7:00 PM – Apr 11, 2026, 9:30 PM
Sauder Village, 22611 State Rte 2, Archbold, OH 43502, USA
Guests
About the event
The Vernal Poolooza educational event offers valuable experiences including field exploration, laboratory activities, and additional learning opportunities.
Field trips will take place regardless of most weather conditions. Participants are advised to bring appropriate gear and prepare for varying environmental factors. Recommended items include rain boots, muck boots or waders, a flashlight, a raincoat, and layered clothing.
Due to limited space, early registration is encouraged for the session that best aligns with your interests.
Tickets
Black Light Swamp-Thursday 4/9
Sale ends
Apr 09, 1:00 PM
Join the Division of Natural Areas & Preserves staff at the main parking lot. Discover nocturnal critters attracted to ultraviolet wavelengths! Location: Goll Woods Parking, Archbold, OH 43502 GPS Coordinates: 41.554594, -84.361490 Estimated Drive Time from Sauder Village: 6 minutes west Note: No off trail hiking; designated gravel trail is easily accessible from the main parking lot.
$0.00
Wild at Heart-Thursday 4/9
Sale ends
Apr 09, 6:00 PM
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Ohio: Wild at Heart Film (45 minutes) Founder’s Hall- Sauder Village
$0.00
Mitigation Wetland-Fri 4/10
The area is part of a research project on waterfowl and secretive marsh birds conducted by OSU as a comparison to wetlands built for the H2Ohio Projects. Location: East of pond at Sauder Village Campground GPS coordinates: 41.539275°, -84.294362° Estimated Drive Time from Sauder Village: 1 minute south Notes: Sauder Village Lolly Trolley will be available to transport people if desired for the ~0.5 mile distance to the wetlands.
$0.00
Wild at Heart - Fri 4/10
Sale ends
Apr 10, 6:00 PM
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Ohio: Wild at Heart Film (45 minutes) Founder’s Hall- Sauder Village
$0.00
Wintergarden Trip -Sat 4/11
Sale ends
Apr 11, 9:00 AM
A mosaic of habitats located in what was once the heart of the Great Black Swamp Timing: 9am-11am Location: 615 South Wintergarden Road, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402 GPS Point: 41.365359°, -83.670486° Estimated Drive Time from Sauder Village: 55 minutes southeast Notes: Trails are well groomed and restrooms are on site
$0.00
H2Ohio Project Tour-Sat 4/11
Sale ends
Apr 11, 8:00 AM
Goll Woods Wetland Extension Please join us for a field trip to the H2Ohio Goll Woods Extension project. DNR staff will describe the H2Ohio project funding, design, and construction and give a short tour on one of the trails after. This field trip will run 9-10:30am. Timing: 9am-10:30am Location: Meet at 5800 County Road 26, Archbold parking lot. Carpool to site from there. Estimated Drive Time from Sauder Village: 5 minutes west Note: Maximum of 20 people
$0.00
Bell Woods - Sat 4/11
Sale ends
Apr 11, 8:00 AM
We will also see the many spring ephemerals which blanket the forest floor, as well as the active heron rookery. With this variety of flora and fauna, participants can practice the iNaturalist skills learned at the iNaturalist talk if desired. We'll display the results of our iNaturalist records at the end of the tour.
$0.00
Field Trip with ODOT-Sat 4/11
Sale ends
Apr 11, 8:00 AM
The field trip will tour the wetlands and sample some of the constructed woodland depressions for amphibians. The site supports both small-mouth salamanders and unisexual Ambystoma hybrid salamanders, as well as seven species of frogs/toads. Timing: 9am to noon Location: The ODOT HAN/WAY - US 30 - Wetland Mitigation Area is located on the south side of the eastbound lanes of US 30 in Hancock County, Ohio, between US 68 & SR 37. GPS Point: 40.828494°, -83.593201° Estimated Drive Time -91 minutes
$0.00
Oak Openings Savanna-Sat 4/11
Sale ends
Apr 11, 8:00 AM
Oak Openings Savanna and Vernal Pool Exploration This will be a 2km loop hike, with time for exploring a vernal pool. Walking conditions will be easy but possibly mucky in spots from horse usage. We will meet at the Oak Openings Lodge parking lot at 9am, and carpool to the trailhead. Timing: 9am to noon Location: Oak Openings Metropark Lodge, 5230 Wilkins Rd, Whitehouse, OH 43571 GPS Point: 41.544049°, -83.839645° Estimated Drive Time from Sauder Village: 35 minutes east
$0.00
(cQHEI) Field Train-Sat 4/11
Sale ends
Apr 11, 8:00 AM
Citizen Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (cQHEI) Field Training This Saturday field trip to two streams near Sauder Village will provide hands-on experience with the cQHEI assessment form to aid in scoring streams in a consistent manner. It is recommended to attend the Friday classroom cQHEI session which covers methods and protocol. Attending both of these sessions equips participants to become EPA Level 1 Qualified Data Collector (QDC) certified.
$0.00
Photography-Sat 4/11
Sale ends
Apr 11, 8:00 AM
The Vernal Pool Specimen Photography. We will be photographing wildlife in the laboratory. We will work with live specimens from the field and talking about how to “get the shot” while ensuring that, where possible, no specimens are harmed in the making of our images. Timing: 9am-noon Location: Sauder Village Gathering Room
$0.00
Macroinvertebrate Lab-Sat4/11
Sale ends
Apr 11, 8:00 AM
Learn collection and identification techniques of your Vernal Pool Biota. Construct funnel traps for collecting your own macroinvertebrate and amphibian samples! Timing: 9am to noon Location: Sauder Village Homestead Room
$0.00
Turtle Conservation-Sat 4/11
Sale ends
Apr 11, 8:00 AM
This field trip will visit one of our sites to check aquatic turtle traps and collect data on any we catch. This event will involve off-trail hiking: participants are encouraged to wear appropriate field clothing and boots. Timing: 9am to noon Location: TBD GPS Points: TBD Estimated Drive Time from Sauder Village: 33 minutes
$0.00
Total
$0.00