MILLBROOK, NY — January 28, 2009 — Vernal pools are the subject of increased public interest and conservation concern. These seasonal wetlands are small in size and isolated from larger water bodies. Despite playing critical ecological roles—from preventing floods and recharging aquifers to supporting threatened wildlife—vernal pools are often unprotected by state and federal regulations.

Dr. Michael W. Klemens, a research conservationist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and the director of the Metropolitan Conservation Alliance, is leading a survey of vernal pools in the Town of Washington, New York. The project has been endorsed by the Town of Washington's Conservation Commission and the Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development.

Klemens' goal is to equip local decision-makers with a scientifically-based ranking of existing vernal pools, to help distinguish between high quality habitats and those of lesser and degraded condition. This information is critical to determining areas that need protection as open space and identifying sites that are compatible with future development.

Mr. Roger Akeley, Commissioner of Dutchess County's Department of Planning and Development, comments, "A vernal pool survey and ranking system will help the land-use decision-making process in the Town of Washington so that development can be designed to keep these special wetland habitats intact."

Vernal pools are shaped by the health of the land that surrounds them. Klemens comments, "Species that use vernal pools for breeding, including mole salamanders and wood frogs, need access to habitat that extends 750 feet from the water's edge. If we want vernal pools to support sensitive wildlife, considerable upland habitat around high quality vernal pools should be left intact. This can be accomplished by employing various best development practices."

To accomplish this, Klemens is working with partners from the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County (CCEDC) to lead an assessment of the 200+ vernal pools that have been identified in the Town of Washington. The majority of the pools are associated with the geological formations of Wappinger Creek drainage basin.

The project was initiated by concerns over increasing amphibian mortality by Millbrook Matters, a community not-for-profit dedicated to sound development and the conservation of open space. Declining amphibian populations are a topic of global concern and have been tied to many causes, including increased pollution and climate change.

Using a model he perfected in Connecticut, Klemens will enlist volunteer citizen scientists to survey the vernal pools in mid-March through April. Survey work will focus on amphibians that require vernal pools for breeding, including Jefferson salamanders, spotted salamanders, and wood frogs. Other wildlife found in the pools, including turtles and invertebrates, will also be noted. Under the direction of several team coordinators, volunteers will visit each vernal pool 1-3 times to gather biological data. Digital images will help verify the accuracy of volunteer observations.

The project will give citizen scientists an excellent opportunity to explore connections among ecology, biodiversity, hydrology, land use patterns, and public policy. A special effort will be made to recruit high school-aged students that have an interest in science.

Following the spring surveys, Neil Curri, a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) educator at CCEDC, will work with specially trained volunteers to assess the landscape around the vernal pools. Special consideration will be given to the amount of undeveloped upland habitat available to amphibians, as well as and the presence of roadways and development.

By correlating this data with the biological data, Klemens will create a vernal pool ranking system, with Tier I being the most valuable and Tier III having degraded function. The ranking system will help develop site-appropriate development and conservation strategies.

Interested in becoming a citizen scientist? A general information meeting will be held at the Dutchess County Farm & Home Center on February 9th at 7:00 p.m. (snow date, February 11th). The center is located at 2715 Route 44 in Millbrook, N.Y. If selected, participants will get the opportunity to attend two training workshops, where they will learn about sampling techniques, vernal pool ecology, amphibian identification, and map orientation.

For more information on volunteering for the vernal pool assessment project, please contact Vicky Buono at CCEDC; 677-8223 x153 or vcb4@cornell.edu.