We've been some busy buccaroos.  Last Sunday Keith Bertone and I went to Lynn MA to look at some wetlands with a group who is trying to save as much woods as possible there.  Did the field work for one pool.

On Thursday we did a snake show for about 70 kids at Glen Urquhart School in Beverly Farms.  Thanks to Viki, Verdun, Wilhelmina, Christine and Mark.

On Tuesday Viki Rolf and I did Snakes of New England and the World for a full house (80) at the Seekonk Public Library.  Charlie and Theresa from Seekonk helped out with the show.

We had a great field trip last night to Ravenswood Park. A few spotted sals seen migrating - even though it wasn't raining the ground was still wet from the afternoon rain. Lots of peepers calling and breeding, good wood frog chorus. Lots of congressing sals in the pool. Spermatophores and eggs. Fairy shrimp, caddisfly larva, red-backed salamander and a predaceous diving beetle. What else do you need really?

Still need volunteers for next week's snake shows.

I'm expecting some good action at the pools tonight, so there will be a field trip. Meet at Walgreen's at 9 pm.

Great weather for an afternoon field trip yesterday.  Good group of people. Spotted sal and wood frog eggs, fairy shrimp.  Glad to do a field trip for Essex County Greenbelt, a truly fabulous organization.  Thanks to Andrew Mahoney for inviting us and Mary Williamson for help at the field trip.  And thanks to CAVPT volunteers Cindy Dunn, Sandy Barry and Keith Bertone.

There will be a field trip tonight. Might not see any migration, but there should be some action in the pools. Meet at Walgreen's parking lot on Main Street in Gloucester at 9 pm. Check the field trip guidelines on the website.

Then, on Thursday April 6, the weather should warm up and get wet. I think it will be a good night for migration. Same deal: meet at Walgreen's at 9 pm.

See you out there, Rick

We had a nice little field trip last night to two pools in Ravenswood Park.  Nice drizzle to keep everything wet.  A few degrees on the cool side.  But we did see two spring peepers hopping to the pool.  Several spotted salamanders making the migration.  Saw one wood frog in the pool and heard a few others quacking. 50 or so spotties in the pool and 50 million fairy shrimp.

Now... the weather forecast for tonight is good chance of rain and 42 degrees during peak field trip time. That's a couple degrees on the cool side for a huge migration.  But, you never really know what the amphibians are going to do.  So... I am going out tonight to see what's happening.  Might be some good action, so join me if you can.  Meet at Walgreen's parking lot on Main Street in Gloucester at 8:30pm, look for White Lightning, my van.  Check out the field trip guidelines on our website.

We had a nice Introduction to Vernal Ponds this morning for some of the science students at Gloucester High School.  Video and turtle, frogs, snakes, salamanders, fairy shrimp and caddis fly larva.

With all this rain I'm thinking about pond surveys. CAVPT recently bought some really cool rechargeable flashlights that'll blind you - for the field trips. Looking forward to spring and getting out in the woods.