Vernal Pool Flower Rings
These drying vernal pools are in my back yard. Such a lovely view I have looking east towards the Sierra's.
The Central Valley is lucky to have vernal pools whch support a fragile ecosystem. The pools are best know for their flamboyant wildflower displays, especially for the way in which colorful flowers form concentric rings around each pool as it dries up. Wildflower enthusiasts come from far and wide to see species like white meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba), dwarf dowingia (Dowingia pusilla), and goldfields (Lasthenia californica), whose lives like the fairy shrimp are fleeting and ephemeral. I took these photos today in Madera County.
Uploaded on April 05, 2009