Salem — Springtime is the time for amphibians, at least according to Salem resident Diba Khan-Bureau.

In honor of the frogs and salamanders that live in southeastern Connecticut, Khan-Bureau, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Three Rivers Community College, led a group of more than 50 students, adults and children through Walden Preserve in Salem on Friday for the annual amphibian walk.

As families gathered around and latecomers found places to park on Hagen Road, she bent down and asked a group of children why they were at the preserve Friday evening.

“We’re going on a walk!” one said.

“What kind of walk?” she asked.

“A frog walk!” another child said.

Khan-Bureau commended the boy and asked the children a few more questions about what amphibians were and why they’re important.

A few parents groaned when she said they may also encounter some snakes on their walk, but they followed her lead on the quest for some salamanders.

Linda Schroeder, president of the Salem Land Trust, said the preserve originally was slated to become a housing development until the real estate crash in the 1980s.

A local resident purchased the land and sold it to the Nature Conservancy, and the land trust now manages the property.

Schroeder said the land trust has been hosting walks since around 2000, and some years more than 100 people have attended the amphibian walk in the spring.

She said Facebook has been instrumental in getting the word out about their walks, though a new website is in the works.

Khan-Bureau said she started taking people on the amphibian walks about 10 years ago. She started with her students at Three Rivers and expanded it to include children at Salem School and their families.

“I wanted my students to come out and experience nature at its best,” she said. “I wanted them to be outdoors and enjoy it so they understand how important it is.”

In the wooded areas of the preserve, Khan-Bureau stopped frequently by vernal pools along the path to allow curious walkers to search the seasonal bodies of water for frogs and salamanders.

She stopped by one vernal pool off the path, and as walkers gathered around, she pointed out large masses of frog and salamander eggs.

One walker pointed out a tiny tadpole, and suddenly hundreds of tadpoles were easily spotted swimming around the edges of the pool.

Friday’s walk also included sightings of Canada geese, but the only other amphibian spotted was a young wood frog.

Khan-Bureau said in previous years her group has seen several black snakes and nesting swans as well as frogs and salamanders, but often it is still a little too cold for other animals.

In addition to other members of the Salem Land Trust such as Schroeder, Khan-Bureau said students from her environmental engineering and technology course also assist during the walks as part of their outreach programming, and the students have been great with the kids.

“They, too, care about teaching little children and others about nature and the importance of the environment, so I have to thank them because they help make this happen,” she said.

 a.hutchinson@theday.com