03/31/2026
Our Keynote Speaker for Vernal Poolooza 2026 is our very own Mark Dilley. Mark will present "Temporary Ponds, Eternal Fascination: The Magic of Vernal Pools"
Winter in Ohio is both a blessing and a curse. It’s an exciting thing when we have a white Christmas: the stark, still softness of a fresh blanket of snow adds a unique quality to our landscape and helps one appreciate the beauty of the season. However, as winter drags along into February, continued cold temperatures and increasingly dirty snow and ice can make our shortest month of the year feel like the longest! Evapotranspiration is naturally suppressed during these cold, dark days of winter, and through snowmelt and drenching rain, our groundwater reserves begin to be replenished, causing vernal pools to reach their seasonal high stage in March and April. For our team of biologists and restoration ecologists at MAD Scientist Associates (and many other vernal pool enthusiasts), late winter is filled with the anticipation of the hopeful and mysterious transformation that occurs in vernal pools each year as winter releases its icy grip. When the temperatures climb (ever so slightly!) and we get a good rain shower, our native amphibians, especially the salamanders, begin to stir and make their seasonal migration to their breeding pools. Well before the first spring wildflowers appear, our vernal pools “come alive” and, for the keen observer, this is the first ecological sign that spring is near! This talk will be loaded with scientific details and examples of why vernal pools are such ‘magical’ habitats.
Mark Dilley earned a B.S. in Natural Resources (Fisheries Management) in 1991 and a M.S. in Environmental Science (specializing in wetlands) in 2003, both from The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources. He and his wife Christine are co-owners of a WBE, WOSB, and EDGE-certified environmental consulting firm, MAD Scientist Associates, specializing in ecological and wetland consulting. Their company mission is Making A Difference – through Science, Service and Education. Mark has over 30 years of experience as
a field biologist, ecologist, and wetland scientist. He is a Certified Senior Ecologist, Certified Ecological Restoration Professional (CERP), and Senior Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS). Mark was also a lecturer at The Ohio State University, where he taught Wetland Ecology & Restoration for 13 years. He is the Past President of the Ohio Wetlands Association and currently serves as a Member-at-Large for the Ohio Ecological Restoration Association.
Registration for the conference closes 3/25/2026. Visit ohwetlands.org today!
