Vernal pools serve as critical breeding habitat for amphibians and as important feeding grounds and shelter for many reptiles, birds, and mammals – but because they’re small and seasonal, they’re often overlooked. To help communities protect these ephemeral ecosystems, the Harris Center for Conservation Education trains volunteers to identify and document vernal pools on lands where information is needed for conservation planning.

Join Harris Center ecologist Brett Amy Thelen for this hands-on introduction to vernal pool documentation, with special focus on identifying amphibian egg masses. We’ll start indoors, then venture outside for instruction at a nearby vernal pool. Afterward, interested volunteers can sign up with the Amherst Conservation Commission to visit a local vernal pool in need of documentation.

1 to 4 p.m. at the Buck Meadow Conservation Area in Amherst. Rain date: April 14. Space is limited, and registration is required.

Co-sponsored by the Harris Center for Conservation Education and the Amherst Conservation Commission.