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Emily Featherston
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Emily Featherston
The weather Saturday was reminiscent of the very reason hundreds of nature lovers gathered at the Homewood Senior Center: the running of the salamanders.
Each winter, as the weather warms slightly and the thawing rains come to fill ponds that typically run dry, salamanders — spotted and otherwise — "run" from underneath their rocks and logs to breed.
Experts at the 14th annual Salamander Festival, held Saturday by the Friends of Shades Creek, said that they hadn't seen the salamanders run yet this year, but it's possible that this rain-bringing front might be it.
Whether this weekend sparks the beginning of salamander mating season or not, hundreds of families and those looking to learn more about the amphibious creatures gathered for the annual event.
Guests were treated to exhibits by local conservation groups, entertainment and the chance to meet a salamander or other aquatic wildlife up close.
For more information about Friends of Shades Creek and the work they do to protect the area's wildlife, visit shadescreek.org.