In the lower part of the parking lot you will find water seeping out of the hillside and filling a small ditch. As I approached this small furrow, I saw tadpoles swimming around. When I sat down to watch them, a tree frog sitting nearby hopped down to the water. After observing for only a few minutes, I realized that this puddle was a micro, wetland habitat full of life. In addition to tadpoles, there were water striders, mosquito larvae, snails, worms, a red creature that resembled a mite and other aquatic plant and animal life.
The small wetland in the parking lot used to be bigger, but it shrank over the years as the lot has become more developed. On a micro level it is an example of how wetlands are disappearing through development. One of the biggest threats to life and its diversity is habitat loss. I feel we have to start setting aside more areas on the land and the ocean for the survival of the amazing diversity of life on the planet.
The Pacific tree frog is also known as the Pacific chorus frog.
Pacific Tree Frog (Hyla regalia)
