Vernal Pools Monitoring: Project #54

I began participating in the Vernal Pools Project #54 the first week of March 2019, though Ron S. as project leader had scouted pools much earlier than that. My first visit, Larry D., Ron and I had to break the ice with our net frames to access the water! Even in the cold we discovered vertebrates and invertebrates that could be reported to CitSci.org to reflect the health and productivity of the pools.

Even frozen, vernal pools can be full of life!

Marbled salamander larva found under the ice

Time changes things, and across the monitoring season we found various creatures, large and small, and found that some we expected to see were missing. The pools fluctuated in volume, in productivity and in aroma! 

Larry D at SMLSP Vernal Pool

Every visit felt like a treasure hunt to me and I was consistently thrilled by the discoveries we made. By the end of the season the heat, humidity and biting insects made the chilly start a dim memory.

Salamander egg mass

This Green frog was unhappy to be in my net!

Aquatic snail

Maturing marbled salamander

Wouldn’t you like to see what is going on? For more information about this ongoing project, contact Ron S.