Spotted salamander eggs emerging from the still water of an April vernal pool. (photo © Brett Amy Thelen)
Our vernal pool documentation efforts were modest in 2021 — due in part to COVID-related scheduling changes that delayed the start of our undergraduate conservation internship program beyond vernal pool season — but a few dedicated community scientists did take to the woods in search of vernal pools this spring. This year, Harris Center volunteers documented 8 new vernal pools in Langdon, Peterborough, and Sharon, bringing our project total to 348 documented vernal pools in 17 different towns in the Monadnock Region.
Data for vernal pools on public lands have been shared with the Southwest Region Planning Commission and local land managers, and are available to the general public via our spiffy online map.
Do spring-breeding amphibians pique your interest? Visit our Vernal Pool Project page for more information, then contact Brett Amy Thelen to volunteer.
