Start scouting for vernal pools!

The weather is starting to warm up and the ground is beginning to thaw out. Any day now those wood frogs and spring peepers will be letting us know it’s time to go out and certify their homes!

While it might still be a bit too early to go out and certify vernal pools, it’s not too early to be searching for them! Have some spare time this weekend? Go on a hike and keep an eye out for anything that looks like it could be a vernal pool.

What to look for? Here are some examples of potential frozen vernal pools I have encountered recently.

If you encounter anything that looks like this, please send an email to noah@thebeatnews.orgwith GPS coordinates and a photo! Even if it looks too big, too small, or you’re unsure if it’s already certified, reach out regardless and we can check.

Looking to get further involved? BEAT has an ambitious goal to certify 25-50 vernal pools this season, email noah@thebeatnews.org if you would like to go out for field day of certifying vernal pools in the spring.