The Dedham Conservation Division is excited to announce that two vernal pools located on Town-owned land, located at 235 Stoney Lea Road, are now officially designated as Certified Vernal Pools by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP). This brings the total number of Certified Vernal Pools in Dedham up to four, with two previously identified in Wilson Mountain.

An overview of one of the vernal pools located at 235 Stoney Lea Road in Dedham. Photo by Town of Dedham.

These certifications are the result of detailed field observations submitted by Conservation Division staff earlier this year, which documented the presence of obligate vernal pool species—species that rely exclusively on vernal pools to breed and complete their life cycles. These include creatures like wood frogs, spotted salamanders, and fairy shrimp — some of Dedham’s most fascinating seasonal residents!

Vernal pools are seasonal wetlands that usually fill with water in the spring and dry up by late summer. Because these pools are seasonally inundated with water, they do not have fish populations, making them the perfect protected habitat for amphibians and invertebrates to breed and lay their eggs. While all vernal pools (regardless of certification status) are protected under Dedham’s local Wetlands Protection Bylaw, certification through the NHESP is important because it gives these habitats formal recognition at the state level and protection under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. This ensures that their delicate ecosystems are preserved from potentially harmful development or alteration.

Fairy shrimp observed in one of the vernal pools on Stoney Lea Road. Photos by Town of Dedham.

The certification process requires submitting detailed documentation of the pool, including photographic evidence and audio files, to the NHESP for review. The observation “season” for vernal pools usually starts with the first warm, rainy night during the very start of spring when the upland creatures make their first migration towards the pools (often called “Big Night”). The first observations were recorded at these specific vernal pools on March 19, 2025, where Conservation Agent Meredith Confrey and Environmental Specialist Leo Lainez noted an impressive grouping of wood frogs chorusing loudly and breeding. Later on April 23, the team noted about 30 individual wood frog tadpoles, as well as spotted salamander eggs. In the smaller of the two vernal pools, the team used a bucket to collect water samples and observed and photographed fairy shrimp – freshwater crustaceans about the size of a fingernail that live exclusively in vernal pool habitats.

Obligate species photographed in the vernal pools, including Wood Frog tadpoles (left) and Spotted Salamander egg masses (right). Photos by Town of Dedham.

At the time of this publication, the Town’s submission to the NHESP has successfully met all the necessary criteria, and the vernal pools have now passed the initial review by state biologists. According to NHESP Biologist Jacob Kubel, the approved report is awaiting final processing and databasing, but the habitats are now officially certified vernal pools under the state regulations. For technical questions about the certification process, residents are welcome to contact NHESP Biologist Jacob Kubel directly at jacob.kubel@mass.gov.

The Conservation Division would like to remind residents that observations of vernal pools should only be made on publicly accessible land or with written permission from a private landowner. If you think you may have a potential vernal pool on your property and are interested in getting it certified, we would love to hear from you! Please reach out to the Conservation Division of the Planning, Zoning, and Natural Resources Department at dedhamconservation@dedhamma.gov to learn more about the process.