What may look to you like an uninviting underwater collection of tree stumps and leaf litter is actually the most romantic place in the world - if you're a mating wood frog or a salamander.

Vernal pools are crucial in the lifecycle of amphibians and invertebrates - and they're teeming with activity in the spring. VPR's Steve  Zind recently spent some time at a vernal pool with Steve Faccio, a biologist with the Vermont Center for Eco Studies, to learn more about them.

Note: The Vermont Vernal Pool Mapping project is holding workshops for volunteers in the Northeast Kingdom and Lamoille County in early May. For more information, check out the link below.