Fish are top predators in wetlands, but they can’t survive in pools that dry out. As a result, vernal pools provide key breeding habitat for amphibians whose tadpoles and larvae are especially vulnerable to fish predation. In the spring, these amphibians migrate from nearby woodlands to vernal pools– where they breed and deposit their eggs. Once hatched, tadpoles and larvae develop quickly into young frogs and salamanders that must leave the wetland before it dries up – by early or mid-summer for wood frogs, or by late summer or early autumn for salamanders.
Numerous pools have been located on town lands but are not yet proven to be true vernal pools. Your task is to learn how to identify them and collect live specimens as proof. Known but unverified pools are shown on this map.
The Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, NH provides resources as part of their efforts to have volunteers document vernal pools in the Monadnock region. Their website has many useful resources related to identifying and documenting vernal pools. They are happy to have other groups/individuals use their materials, which is why they make them publicly available. They’ll also be glad to hear from you if you do end up using them and find them valuable. The authoritative, but lengthy, reference is NH Fish and Game’s manual.
Videos are also available for training purposes:
There is an iNaturalist Project on NH vernal pools
What to do:
* Assume responsibility for a few pools and survey each one for known characteristics. Explore and take photos any time.
* In mid-late February to mid-May, when the late winter minimum temperature rises to around 40 degrees, visit each pool seeking egg masses, tadpoles and other signs of amphibian activity.
* Fill out the Harris Center form and record observations on iNaturalist.