Most students live in the city, and going to the pothole has been one of their first rural experiences. Also included here are some photographs of teacher Jeff Maas and his students. To see larger images, click inside any photo or drawing outlined in blue. Additional pages will be added in the coming weeks. For now, continue on to Parts 2 and 3, with Pothole bird calls available in Part 3, if your browser will load them.
Most people think of a pothole as a hole in the street that needs patching.
Many potholes do not stay wet year round, and during times of drought, can remain dry for several years. Often considered nuisance spots and of little value by some landowners, these temporarily and seasonally flooded wetlands play a vital role for breeding waterfowl and other birds. Temporarily and seasonally flooded wetlands are small and shallow, so they tend to thaw quickly and fill with water in the spring. Consequently, they provide food and water for birds when larger, permanent wetlands are still frozen. A pothole's shallow basin warms up easily in the sun, allowing for rapid growth of invertebrates, an important source of protein for nesting birds.