Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team

Essex County Greenbelt Association Vernal Pond Field Trip  4-9-2017


We had great weather for an afternoon Vernal Pond Field Trip. Good group of people. Spotted salamander and Wood frog eggs, Fairy shrimp, frogs and a few Garter snakes. Glad to do a field trip for Essex County Greenbelt Association, a truly fabulous organization. Thanks to Andrew Mahoney for inviting us and Mary Williamson for assistance at the field trip. And thanks to Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team volunteers Cindy Dunn, Sandy Barry and Keith Bertone. It's always inspiring to head out into the woods for an afternoon jaunt - you never know what you'll discover.

Photographs for this Greenbelt field trip by Victoria Rolf unless otherwise acknowledged.



The Greenbelt crew is heading out for a walk to this lovely vernal pond at Tompson Street Reservation. See us all searching for some of our not so furry friends.
The above grouping of three precious photographs were taken by Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team volunteer Sandy Barry.


Spotted salamander and Wood frog egg masses

Always a treat finding egg masses...but we found something extra special. In the fish bowl for examination by our field trippers are three types of eggs. Spotted salamanders lay two types of masses. One is a very cloudy white in the back of the bowl (above photograph), and occurs in about twenty percent of egg masses -- and no one knows why! In front of that are the large black circles of eggs which are also Spotted salamander eggs -- the other eighty percent which aren't cloudy . Up to the right in the photograph above are smaller black spots which are Wood frog egg masses.  Very cool to see and compare the eggs.

Photograph taken by Sandy Barry

Two Spotted salamanders

Very cool Spotted salamander photograph taken
by Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team volunteer Cindy Dunn




Rick, in situ, inspiring our future vernal ponders and even some of us who've been around the block a time or two. Every activity is such a blast.


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