LUDINGTON, MICHIGAN, USA - 26 April 2026. An interdunal vernal pond occupies a wide sandy bowl at Ludington State Park, with jack pines and a weathered snag dotting the surrounding dune slopes and a mature forest visible along the distant dune crest. The expansive open sand and small scale of the pond emphasize how these seasonal wetlands can persist even in the most exposed and dynamic sections of the park's Lake Michigan coastal dune system. Credit: Jeffrey Wickett/Alamy Live News.

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