Vernal pools are seasonal bodies of water that provide critical breeding habitat for amphibians and insects. These pools cycle through wet, flowering, and dry phases, supporting a diverse range of ...

On a rainy spring morning in Strafford, Steve Faccio stood thigh-deep in water, holding what looked like four globes of translucent white jelly speckled with black seeds. Around him, a small group of ...

SOUTH HADLEY — What looks suspiciously like a puddle to most of us, to Brad Timm is a whole new world of creatures, living and dying, unseen by the rest of the world. “There is a multilayered ...

Puddle or vernal pool? Take a closer look to find out. Vernal pools, Michigan’s fantastical temporary wetlands, are teeming with life. They’ve earned the nickname, “powerhouse puddles” from the state ...

When winter snow melts and spring rain begins, vernal pools appear on the landscape. These ephemeral wetlands form in depressions in forests or ridgelines and offer essential breeding habitat to ...

A walk in any deciduous forest in early March is certain to reveal a variety of vernal pools. Every depression, large and small, fills with snow melt and rain. At night these pools become hubs of ...

During the next couple of weeks, little pools of water in forested areas will be alive with the sounds of frogs. They’re gathering places for all kinds of critters who need these temporary shallow ...

When the Northwoods begin to thaw, whimsical creatures like fairy shrimp and spotted salamanders quietly come to life in Michigan’s vernal pools. It’s on us to keep it that way. The water is still—a ...

Photographs and video were taken at the Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina, with assistance from Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy, a national nonprofit.Credit...Photographs and Video by ...