Field Report from the 2022 Vernal Pool Project

January 29, 2023
A person's hands holding wood frog eggs just above the surface of a vernal pool. (photo © Hillary Siener)

Thanks to Hillary Siener and Michael Nork for documenting three new vernal pools in Haven State Forest (pictured) and to Jocelyn Duffy for helping us ground-truth several potential vernal pools in Peterborough! (photo © Hillary Siener)

Our vernal pool documentation efforts were modest in 2022 — due in part to the growth of the Salamander Crossing Brigades and associated “Big Night” road closures, which have been keeping our conservation research staff and volunteers very busy during vernal pool season! — but a few intrepid interns and community scientists did take to the woods in search of vernal pools last spring.

Harris Center volunteers and interns documented 5 new vernal pools in Antrim, Hancock, and Jaffrey in 2022, bringing our project total to 353 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.

Contact Us

For more information or to volunteer with the Harris Center’s Vernal Pool Project, please contact Brett Amy Thelen at (603) 525-3394 or by email.