Frogs, toads, trillium, more showcased at North Huntingdon nature preserve
Apr. 30—An evening nature walk at a North Huntingdon nature preserve will help participants learn about the frogs and toads that make the area their home.
Herpetologist AAron Capouellez will lead the walk at the Otto & Magdalene Ackermann Nature Preserve, near Ardara, and share his love for amphibians while hopefully tracking some down.
"These are animals that are very fragile," said Capouellez, a graduate student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The free Saturday event begins at 7:30 p.m. May 6. Participants should wear waterproof boots and bring flashlights.
The Otto & Magdalene Ackermann Nature Preserve is 55 acres of forestland that was purchased by the young couple in 1937. The Ackermanns were German immigrants who met on a hike in Europe. They lived in Irwin but visited their woodlands often with their five children, and future generations enjoyed it too.
The property was donated by the Ackermann children to the Westmoreland Land Trust in 2009, becoming the organization's first conservation project. The land, a few miles from Route 30 via either Leger or Ardara roads, is open to the public with hiking trails, small waterfalls, a former stone quarry and a tributary of Brush Creek.
Betsy Aiken, director of the land trust, called the preserve a hidden gem. The walk will show off the forest and its ecosystem, as well as wildflowers and fauna settling in for the night.
"You never know what you will find," she said.
With Capouellez leading the walk, participants will become well-informed of creatures they come across, she said. Those species could include salamanders, bats and millipedes, in addition to frogs and toads, Capouellez said. Those creatures are typically nocturnal.
"They feel more safe at night," he said.
The walk will be a chance for participants to see creatures that can be misunderstood, but play an important part in the area's ecosystem, he said. Capouellez hopes to change perspectives about the animals.
But even if none show their faces, there is another form of wildlife to see — several types of wildflowers were in bloom along the trails and hillsides at the preserve.
Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .
