Part of the joy of the Annual Meeting is learning about the research, conservation, and outreach work in our community. Expert guest presenters share great lessons and tools that help us better protect vernal pools and the species that rely on them.
Dr. Aram Calhoun, Emerita Professor at University of Maine
Dr. Calhoun is a wetland ecologist from the University of Maine whose research focused on wetland conservation and ecology of vernal pool amphibians. She works at local, state, and federal levels to improve conservation of wetlands. Dr. Calhoun will be kicking off our meeting with her presentation, "A Landscape Approach to Conserving Vernal Pools". This presentation traces evolution of vernal pool research, policy, and conservation in the state of Maine focusing on an innovative new conservation tool called the Vernal Pool Special Area Management Program.
Dr. Stacy Cotey, Assistant Teaching Professor/Michigan Technological University
Stacy Cotey, wildlife ecologist, investigates the effects of landscape change on wildlife behavior, habitat selection, population dynamics, and genetic diversity. She encourages others to engage in wildlife research and conservation through her teaching, citizen science initiatives, and conservation planning. She also serves as the Western UP Vernal Pool Patrol coordinator. She will be presenting on "Wildlife Use of Vernal Pools in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan". Vernal pools are temporary ecological hotspots within landscapes. While most research has focused on the invertebrates and vertebrates that rely on these pools for their life cycles, the extent to which these additional resources attract other wildlife remains largely unexplored. In 2023, we conducted a pilot study at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan to investigate the use of vernal pools by additional vertebrate species. Specifically, we aimed to determine the species, frequency, and timing of animal visits to these pools. I will share some results from this pilot study, as well as highlights from our new project, which began last summer in the Hiawatha National Forest.
David Mifsud, Senior Herpetologist Herpetological Resource and Management and President The Michigan Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy
David A. Mifsud is a senior herpetologist and the owner of Herpetological Resource and Management (HRM), a conservation-focused firm dedicated to the protection, stewardship, and management of amphibians, reptiles, and their habitats. With three decades of experience in wildlife biology, wetland ecology, habitat conservation, and wildlife rescue and relocation, David has specialized in the study and preservation of herpetofauna. His work spans research, ecological assessments, and habitat restoration projects across Michigan and the Great Lakes region, with a focus on advancing conservation strategies for at-risk species.
David will be sharing a presentation entitled, "Two Decades of Scales and Tails: Skyline High's Legacy of Herpetofauna Conservation, Citizen Science, and Rescue Efforts in Washtenaw County". Since the mid-1990s, the area now occupied by Skyline High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has been a key site for the City of Ann Arbor’s Frog and Toad Call Survey and Salamander Monitoring Program. When the site was proposed for development in 2005, innovative measures were implemented to minimize ecological impacts, including the development of novel best management practices and a comprehensive wildlife rescue and relocation initiative focused on amphibians and reptiles. As part of this effort, animals were screened for pathogens, and carefully studied donor sites were selected for the reintroduction of vernal pool-dependent amphibian species. This project pioneered a unique wetland mitigation approach, created multiple opportunities for species recolonization, and ensured the preservation of a rare salamander population found at only two known locations in Michigan. This presentation will explore the various conservation strategies employed throughout the project, highlighting the importance of community engagement and the critical role of citizen science programs in advancing ecological stewardship and biodiversity preservation.
Peter Martin, Doctoral Student at Michigan State University and the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Peter Martin is a freshwater ecologist at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. After spending three years in the Stream and Wetland Ecology Lab of Dr. Gary Lamberti and receiving a Bachelor of Science from the University of Notre Dame, Peter enrolled at Michigan State University. He is a first year doctoral student in the Department of Integrative Biology and in the Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, and is working in the Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology Lab of Dr. Alisha Shah. Peter will be presenting on, "Vernal Pool Damselflies in a Changing World". In this presentation, Peter will talk about the various damselfly species that occur in the vernal pools/temporary ponds of Michigan, describing their life history and ecology (including some of their adaptations to life in freshwaters like vernal pools). He will finish with a brief description of my research on their thermal ecology in a world of climate change.
Dr. Matthew Schlesinger, Chief Zoologist at the New York Natural Heritage Program
As Chief Zoologist for the New York Natural Heritage Program, part of the NatureServe network, Matt oversees a wide array of wildlife conservation and inventory projects. In 18 years at NYNHP, he has designed and coordinated statewide surveys for breeding birds, small mammals, insect pollinators, tiger beetles, dragonflies and damselflies, and great whales. In addition, he helped describe and generate baseline information about the Atlantic Coast leopard frog following its discovery in the early 2010s. From 2016-2022 he led an effort to characterize vernal pools throughout New York, which has informed the state's new regulations. He has a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis, and called Ann Arbor home for three years while he received his Masters in Natural Resources and Environment from UM. This followed a B.A. from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and a childhood in Manhattan. He is Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Environmental Forest Biology department at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and lives with his family in Albany, New York.
Matt will be presenting on, "Conserving Vernal Pools: Science Informing Regulation in New York". Vernal pools have new protection in New York as of January, following years of science, advocacy, and rulemaking. This presentation will cover how New York went from being well behind other northeastern states in vernal pool protection to having a solid set of new regulations based on science.
Ellie Johnson, District Forester for Leelanau, Benzie, and Grand Traverse Conservation Districts
Ellie has been with the LCD since October 2021. She is a Candidate Certified Forester with Society of American Foresters and serves as Secretary for the Michigan chapter of Society of American Foresters. Ellie graduated from Clemson University in Aug 2021 with a MS in Forest Resources and Clarion University of Pennsylvania in Dec 2016 with a BS in Environmental Biology and BSe in Secondary Biology Education. She will be presenting on "Forestry Assistance Program - Connecting with Landowners". As a district forester, Ellie will share the resources available through conservation districts, the federal Forestry Assistance Program, and the role conservation districts play in connecting with landowners, helping to foster conservation behavior change.
Liz Thomson, Science Teacher at Alcona Middle School
Science education can transform students' academic experiences. Using place-based education (PBE) in conjunction with inquiry-based learning teachers and students can create unique learning experiences that impact not just students by their community as a whole. Science is the study of asking questions as well as the act of continuously seeking clarifying details to previously acquired answers. Using PBE and inquiry-based content we allow students to transfer their knowledge of scientific investigations from a principle ideology to a common practice in their life. By teaching students to actively engage in their community and always ask “How could this be done better” we’re not just teaching science but citizenship and engagement. Using this pedagogy allows students to engage in meaningful interactions with community partners and scientists from diverse backgrounds. I love being a science educator because my students teach me as much as I teach them, and together we create a classroom that is built on integrity. Students in my classroom leave the middle school hungry stewards eager to sink their teeth into the next problem that comes their way.
Liz will be sharing with us her presentation on, "Negwegon State Park Vernal Pool Student Monitoring Project" . This project is the highlight of the 6th grade year, as students venture into the woods to witness one of the most important (but very short) events in the annual cycle of the forest. Vernal pools provide a breeding ground for many amphibian species. This makes vernal pools a critical component of all forested ecosystems. However, the impacts of climate change and rural development pose a great threat to forested ecosystems. Alcona 6th grade students will monitor these vernal pools yearly and compare data year to year to see the changes in water chemistry, length/depth of pools, and species diversity. This will be the project's third year running and with many data sets to compare, the students are eager to see what they will find in the vernal pools this year.
