May 2022 Photo-observation of the Month

A handsome portrait of an American Black Bear. © Craig K. Hunt

Congratulations for the second month in a row to Craig Hunt for winning the May 2022 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! His stunning portrait of an American Black Bear received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.

While it’s been said many times before, it bears repeating (apologies, I couldn’t help myself) that American Black Bears should not be approached, bothered, or habituated to humans. Craig’s full-frame portrait of this bear moving through the forests of Townshend, VT was made possible by a 600mm camera lens which allowed him to make these gorgeous images from a safe distance. While there are ways to discourage bears from visiting or damaging your yard, outlined here, these highly mobile mammals often wander through wooded properties throughout the spring and summer, providing an opportunity to admire one of Vermont’s largest mammals. If you’ve had a recent black bear encounter, feel free to tell us more in the comments below! To hear about a visit to an American Black Bear’s winter den, check out this episode of outdoor radio on VPR.

With 27,517 observations submitted by 1,941 observers in May, it was very competitive. Click on the image above to see and explore all of the amazing observations.

Visit the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist where you can vote for the winner this month by clicking the ‘fave’ star on your favorite photo-observation. Make sure you get outdoors and record the biodiversity around you, then submit your discoveries and you could be a winner!