Vernal Pool Project volunteer training

Vernal pools are small, temporary woodland ponds that serve both as critical breeding sites for a suite of amphibian species, and as important feeding grounds and shelter for many reptiles, birds, and mammals. In efforts to protect this vital (yet often overlooked) wildlife habitat, the Harris Center’s citizen science program is once again training volunteers to identify and document vernal pools, with special focus on lands where information is needed for conservation planning. We’ll cover the building blocks of vernal pool ecology in an indoor training session on Thursday, April 16 from 7 to 9 pm in the Putnam Science Center (Room 102), then venture outside for hands-on instruction at a vernal pool complex in Keene on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to noon. Registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Brett Amy Thelen at thelen@harriscenter.org or (603) 358-2065. Co-sponsored by the Harris Center for Conservation Education, the Monadnock Conservancy, and the Keene State College School of Sciences.