An abundance of spotted salamander eggs, found in a vernal pool in Harrisville in 2023. You can see more photos from our vernal pool explorations on Flickr: we’ve got one album for photographic data from Harris Center lands, and another just for beauty. (photo © Russ Cobb)
Our vernal pool inventory efforts were relatively modest in 2023 — due in part to the continued 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 several intrepid interns and community scientists did take to the woods in search of vernal pools this spring. Many thanks to Jocelyn Duffy, Wyatt Ferrando, Charlotte Harding, AJ Haskins, Ryan Rotigliano, Donta Selden, and Karen Seaver for their springtime sleuthing!
Collectively, Harris Center volunteers and interns documented 5 new vernal pools and identified 3 new potential vernal pools in Hancock, Harrisville, Peterborough, and Stoddard in 2023, bringing our project total to 358 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 interactive 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 by email.
