Vernal Pool Association

01/14/2024

Dramatic light at Plum Island tonight for about one and a half minutes. What luck!

01/13/2024

Big oxbow pool off of the Westfield River in flood stage.

12/29/2023

High marsh at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, an hour after high tide.

10/13/2023

Late season indicators of vernal pools can include the occasional newly metamorphosed adult red spotted newt and cases of caddisflies. This from a vernal pool on the Quabbin Reservoir reservation.

10/13/2023

Well, not a vernal pool but has to stop for this photo on my way to see vernal pools. Somewhere near Ware MA

10/07/2023

08/12/2023

We found the tiniest danger noodle in malden yesterday. This is one of the newest members of the Dekay’s brown snake population living here in the city.

06/26/2023

Some random Coleoptera hiding under a bit of wood in the yard. Cool…

06/25/2023

Found some dead man’s fingers fungus on a field training day. Creepy!

06/19/2023

This is a really neat wetland obligate plant called a bladderwort. Below the water surface, tiny sacs with a negative hydraulic pressure and a hair trigger stuck in wee beasties to feed the plant. Around this time of year an aerial flower pops up and do what flowers do. A little hard to see in this picture, but below the surface is where most of this plant, and its eponymous bladder grow.

06/07/2023

Looks like it will be a bumper year for blueberries! Somewhere in the wilds of the Brookfields, MA

06/02/2023

Apparently the Pileated Woodpecker chicks are getting big! This adult flew off after feeding two chicks who are making a racket! This transmission structure isn’t a great place to be nesting but don’t tell this pair. There were an additional six nest holes that have been plugged up on this pole!