Bob Duchesne’s Wild Maine: Vernal Pools [AUDIO]

Much of Maine's wildlife gets its start in a vernal pool. We're going to talk policy and politics from Augusta today and find out why they're so important.

Part 1: Someone has to look after the food chain, and that starts with the small critters. In Maine, one person who looks after the bugs and the frogs is Phillip deMaynadier of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He answers an important question for us: What the heck is a vernal pool?

Part 2: Vernal pools are the lunch counters for many of our small wild animals. So how do we protect them?

Part 3: If you want to build a garage and there's a vernal pool in the way, what do you do then? There are certain steps to take, but it can be done!

Part 4: Maine Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, tells us how lawmakers were able to strike a balance to protect these important natural resources.

Part 5: Conserving wildlife and protecting property rights can be tricky. That's where science comes in.