A regional collaboration across The Northeast & Midwest
Advancing Vernal Pool Conservation Through Shared Science and Community Data
About the Collaborative
The full complexity of vernal pools, ephemeral wetlands with outsized ecological influence, is yet to be understood. The Northeast–Midwest Vernal Pools Collaborative (NMVPC) brings together scientists, practitioners, and communities to increase awareness, understanding, and protection of vernal pools through regional collaboration. By coordinating efforts across states and organizations, we are providing the foundation needed to advance vernal pool conservation, research, mapping, education, and outreach across the northern temperate forest.
The NMVCP addresses the key challenges in vernal pool conservation by advancing mapping and monitoring efforts using cutting-edge technology, facilitating knowledge exchange among vernal pool researchers and practitioners, and developing shared tools and resources for community science.
Our Mission
The mission of the Northeast-Midwest Vernal Pools Collaborative is to increase awareness, understanding and protection of vernal pools through regional collaboration to support vernal pool conservation, research, mapping, education & outreach.
Here are some of the shared objectives that drive our work:
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Conservation
Encourage vernal pool conservation through best practices and local and state measures.
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Research & Mapping
Understand the status, distribution and ecology of vernal pools to best inform conservation measures using state-of-the-art technology.
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Education & Outreach
Improve awareness, understanding and engagement of land managers, educators, and other targeted audiences to increase effective conservation of vernal pools across the region.
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Collaboration & Coordination
Leverage the experience, expertise and resources of partner agencies, organizations, and others to maximize impact and accelerate progress.
A Brief History
Inspired by the northeast, built on a midwest foundation – collaborating for conservation.
Elevating the critical role of vernal pools has been a theme in conservation across the 177-million-acre northern temperate forest for more than thirty years.
In the Northeast, early conservation efforts gained momentum in the 1990s and early 2000s when researchers and educators began documenting pools more systematically, consisting of aerial imagery interpretation and citizen science inventories. As research accumulated, some states in the northeast, including Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, adopted stronger protections, helping shift vernal pools from overlooked seasonal ponds to important features that were connected to the larger landscape and worthy of conservation attention.
During the 2000’s and early 2010’s, improving mapping technology and expanding collaboration created new opportunities for conservation. The North Atlantic Vernal Pool Data Cooperative created a region-wide GIS database of known and potential vernal pool locations (the Vernal Pool Atlas) to support conservation planning at a broader landscape scale, and the Northeast Vernal Pools Working Group helped connect researchers, educators, and conservation practitioners around shared tools and priorities.
In the Midwest, conservation work began a bit later, but followed a similar path. In Ohio and Michigan, programs rooted in education helped raise awareness of vernal pools and improve mapping efforts. In 2012, the Michigan Natural Features Inventory piloted a community science program, the Pool Patrol, that has since grown into a statewide mapping and monitoring effort, and in 2015 the Michigan Vernal Pools Partnership formalized as a public/private partnership to support and expand this work. These programs working in tandem have expanded understanding of vernal pool distribution and strengthened recognition of their role as critical habitat. Inspired by the northeastern mapping and protection efforts, Midwest partners sought grant funding in 2016 to apply remote sensing to regional vernal pool mapping, and in 2024 the group was awarded funding by NASA’s ROSES Citizen Science for Earth Systems Program to undertake that effort.
The Northeast-Midwest Vernal Pools Collaborative builds on more than 30 years of regional experience to unite expertise and strengthen collaboration to drive vernal pool conservation, together.
Interested in Joining Our Group?
Contact our team for more information on how you can get started with vernal pool conservation and citizen science initiatives in your state.