What a day for exploring vernal pools! We had lots of sun and a great crew for our annual vernal pool exploration event at Highland Farm Preserve on Saturday, May 11th. With the help of White Pine Programs, we found wood frog and spotted salamander eggs, turtles, bull frogs, tadpoles, and tons of other life in these rich and temporary environments. We are lucky to have spaces like these to explore and teachers from White Pine Programs to help us identify and understand how precious these places are.
This annual hike with White Pine Programs is one of several guided outings we offer each year with community partners. Now, with increased Community Engagement and Outreach identified as one of our key focus areas in our new 5-Year Strategic Plan, we are looking forward to creating new opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to learn about our work, explore our preserves, and participate in fun and educational nature programs. To spearhead these efforts, we are forming a new Community Engagement and Outreach Committee that will meet monthly — and we’re actively seeking participants! If you would like to join this committee, please contact Doreen MacGillis at 363-7400, ext. 1.