Tim Duffy of Newaygo, Michigan, has been honored as the first recipient of the Wood Frog Award by the Michigan Vernal Pool Patrol for his outstanding contributions to vernal pool conservation. The award ceremony took place on August 23, 2025, at the Kropscott Farm and Environmental Center during the MI Vernal Pool Patrol – Newaygo Region’s Fall Training and Pool Party. Attendees enjoyed informative sessions on identifying fall vernal pools, shared stories, and explored the Kropscott woods to observe a dried vernal pool.
At one of the several hands-on activity centers, participants could paint their own Lake Superior rock Blanding’s turtle. Chris Schmitt, workshop attendee, took the supplies home for his five grandchildren to make the next time he saw them. He is determined to pass on his passion and awe for nature to them.
Tim’s journey with vernal pools began when he attended an initial training session at Brooks Township Hall. This two-hour “book” training was a prerequisite for the hands-on field training. Tim, who was already familiar with the area’s natural beauty through his volunteer work with the North Country Trail, was intrigued by the mysterious vernal pools and the distinctive calls of wood frogs and spring peepers.
Vernal pools, often mistaken for large puddles, are seasonal wetlands that provide critical habitats for a variety of species. Tim’s curiosity led him to map potential vernal pools along the North Country Trail and within the Hungerford Recreation Area. This nonmotorized recreational area spans over 6,500 acres of National Forest System lands, rich with oak, maple, aspen, and pine. Tim has identified and begun monitoring at least ten potential vernal pools in this region. Tim’s wife, Nancy, who is an avid horsewoman, rides in the area a lot, too. Often, she will find a potential vernal pool for Tim to investigate.
One memorable moment for Tim occurred during a solo monitoring expedition when he unexpectedly sank knee-deep into muck. Extracting his boots and himself from the sticky situation was no small feat. To complement his Wood Frog Award, a vernal pool walking stick might be a fitting gift, ensuring Tim can safely test the ground before stepping—a lesson he learned the hard way.
Tim Duffy’s dedication and adventurous spirit exemplify the essence of the Wood Frog Award, inspiring others to appreciate and protect these vital ecosystems.
Address: 490 Quarterline St, Newaygo, MI 49337
Email buzz@nc-ec.org
A cloud of road dust blanketed the car behind me from my excited acceleration as I passed the Newaygo Prairie Nature Sanctuary. Ignition time was in less than an hour. This was my very first burn.
“Vernal Pools are like our Coral Reefs of the Forest,” states Katie, Vice Chair and Program Manager of the Newaygo County Environmental Coalition (NCEC). “They are small, important wetlands that appear in spring and dry up during the fall. They are ideal breeding grounds for a variety of amphibians and invertebrates that would be vulnerable to lake or stream fish; the fairy shrimp, wood frogs, spotted and blue-spotted salamanders can only breed in Vernal pools. They even travel back to their birth Vernal pool to spawn.”
As humans, it makes sense that we often think of the Earth from our own point of view. We imagine it as a place with trees and meadows and houses and highways. We think of cities as places for people, roads as ways to get from one place to another. But this is only our experience, and there are about a billion others.
