Vernal Pools
Vernal Pools are Essential
The website of the Vernal Pool Association, describes vernal pools as “small, seasonal forest ponds that typically dry out at some point during the year. They are usually full in the early spring as snow and ice melt, and dry completely (or at least mostly) by late summer or early fall.”
Visit this informative website to learn about vernal pools and the many species that depend on them. In New England, these species include wood frogs, spotted salamanders, blue-spotted salamanders, Jefferson salamanders, marbled salamanders, and fairy shrimp; as well as many invertebrate species.
You can find more information about vernal pools; and links to related websites at: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Water/Wetlands/Vernal-Pools.
The DVD “Between Land and Water: Life Stories of Connecticut’s Amphibians” was recorded in amphibian habitats in Connecticut. It features naturalist Brian Kleinman, who teaches us about vernal pools, frogs, and salamanders. You can find it at the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library.