>> VERNAL POOLS ARE NATURE'S TEMPORARY AQUATIC HABITATS.
THEIR PEAK MONTHS ARE APRIL AND MAY, AND BY SUMMER THEY'RE GONE.
DURING THEIR BRIEF WINDOW OF OPERATION, THESE POOLS OF WINTER
MELT SERVE AS INCUBATORS FOR THE EGG CLUSTERS OF AMPHIBIANS LIKE
SALAMANDERS, NEWTS AND WOOD FROGS.
CONNECTING POINT'S BRIAN SULLIVAN HEADED INTO THE WOODS
OF PLAINFIELD AND HAWLEY WITH A VOLUNTEER GROUP ON A QUEST TO
CERTIFY SEVERAL OF THESE POOLS.
>> VERNAL, MEANING OF AND/OR APPROPRIATE TO SPRING, AND POOL
A SMALL AREA OF STILL WATER, TYPICALLY FORMED NATURALLY, IS
THE MOST SIMPLIFIED DEFINITION OF THIS SEASONAL BODY OF WATER.
FOR IT TO BECOME A CERTIFIED VERNAL POOL THROUGH THE
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES, IT
REQUIRES DUE DILIGENCE OF VOLUNTEERS TO FIND SPECIFIC
CRITERIA ONSITE TO GIVE IT THIS SPECIAL TITLE AND THESE HERE
TODAY AND GONE TOMORROW PHENOMENA AREN'T DEEP IN THE
FOREST.
IF THERE'S ENOUGH TO COLLECT ENOUGH WINTER RUNOFF, THEY COULD
BE HIDING IN PLAIN SITE EVEN BY A BUSY ROADWAY.
THIS IS IN FULL BLOOM RIGHT NOW BUT ONCE SUMMER RUNS AROUND IT
COULD BE DRYING UP AND IN ORDER TO GIVE A VERNAL POOL
DESIGNATION, IT IS IMPORTANT.
ON SATURDAY MORNING THIS SCENIC COMPANY MET UP WITH VOLUNTEERS
TO DO JUST THAT.
THE PLAN WAS TO TAKE THEIR TRAINING UP A NOTCH BY ACTUALLY
GOING OUT AND CERTIFYING VERNAL POOLS.
IT'S SOMETHING THEY HADN'T DONE IN THE PREVIOUS 3 YEARS OF THE
PROGRAM.
>> I REALIZED I NEEDED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INTENSIVE
TRAINING FOR PEOPLE SO THEY REALLY MOVED TO THAT NEXT LEVEL
OF FEELING LIKE THEY WERE COMPETENT TO GATHER THE DATA IS
AND UPLOAD IT TO A WEBSITE, WHICH THEN GETS THE POOL
CERTIFIED AND HAS LEVELS OF PROTECTION THAT WE REALLY WANT
FOR THE POOLS.
>> THE TEMPORARY NATURE OF THESE VERNAL OR EPHEMERAL POOLS AS
THEY'RE ALSO KNOWN MAKES THEM UNIQUE IN THAT THERE ARE NO FISH
IN THEM BECAUSE OF THIS THEY ARE IMPORTANT FOR THOSE TO LAY THEIR
EGGS.
THE VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO KEEP THEIR EYES OPEN FOR
CERTAIN SPECIES.
>> YOU HAVE THE SAL MANDERS.
YOU HAVE THE SPOTTED SAL MANDERS.
THE BLUE SPOTTED SAL MANDERS -- WE'RE LOOKING FOR MARBLE SAL
MANDERS SO WE'LL DO A HAPPY DANCE.
THESE ARE OBLIGATE SPECIES SO IF YOU FIND THEM THE POOL CAN BE
CERTIFIED.
>> AND SINCE THAT CERTIFICATION LEADS TO CERTAIN PROTECTIONS, IT
DOVETAILS WITH THE IDEA OF LAND CONSERVATION WHICH IS A BIG
REASON WHY HILLTOWN LAND TRUST GOT INVOLVED.
THE GROUP COVERS 13 SMALL WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS TOWNS
INCLUDING THE TOWN OF PLAINFIELD, THE FIRST STOP OF
THE DAY FOR THE VOLUNTEERS.
THIS ENDEAVOR SEEMS TO RE-ENFORCE THE LAND TRUST
MISSION OF PROTECTING AND PROMOTING ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
AND RESPECTFUL LAND STEWARDSHIP.
>> I THINK THE MORE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND ABOUT A RESOURCE,
WHETHER IT'S A STREAM OR A VERNAL POOL OR A FOREST, THE
MORE THEY UNDERSTAND THE VALUE IN PROTECTING IT.
SO ONCE YOU KNOW THE CREATURES THAT ARE INSIDE THE POOL OR THE
RESOURCE AND HOW THEIR HABITAT IS THREATENED, YOU BECOME MORE
ENGAGED IN WANTING TO SEE THAT IT'S THERE AND THERE FOREVER.
>> THE DAY FEATURED A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING WEATHERWISE.
SUNSHINE, SOME RAIN AND, YES, EVEN HAIL, AND THERE WAS NO
SHORTAGE OF LIFE FORMS TO BE LOCATED, SALVAGED AND DOCUMENTED
WHILE THE GROUP COVERED NEARLY EVERY AGE DEMOGRAPHIC, THE
ENTHUSIASM WAS THE SAME ACROSS-THE-BOARD REGARDLESS OF
THE WEATHER AND SINCE THESE WERE ALL VOLUNTEERS WHO COULD HAVE
EASILY TURNED AROUND AT THE FIRST SIGN OF INCLEMENT WEATHER.
>> WE PUT OUT A CALLOUT TO TOWNS SAYING WE'RE LOOKING FOR WRAPS
IN 13 TOWNS.
WITHIN 3 DAYS I HAD 16 PEOPLE SIGNED UP.
IT WAS THE FASTEST SIGN-UP AND IT REALLY SHOWS YOU PEOPLE ARE
EXCITED ABOUT FROGS AND NEWTS AND THEY LIKE WANDERING LOOKING
FOR THATS EPHEMERAL POOLS AND IT HAS BETWEEN APRIL AND MAY AND
THEN THEY'RE GONE.