Posts by Kent McFarland 
Admirals at Sea
Drifting in a boat several miles out in the Gulf of Maine, Chris Rimmer, director of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, didn’t expect to see any butterflies.
Celebrating Town Forest with eBird Hotspots
In 1915 the state of Vermont passed a law which allowed towns to acquire forest land for public benefit leading to the creation of over 300 town forests across the state. We would also like to recognize these important properties and encourage birders to suggest which town forests should be eBird Hotspots. Learn more…
BioBlitz 2015: Find Something Wild
Part scientific endeavor, part festival, and part education, on July 11th the 2015 BioBlitz at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park will bring together leading scientists, naturalists, and community members of all ages to find and document as many species as possible in one day at the park as part of the Vermont Atlas of Life.
Outdoor Radio: Counting Terns
Hard hats in hand, VCE biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra head to Lake Champlain. They are taking a boat to Papasquash Island, owned by Audubon Vermont, to help count Common Tern eggs and chicks on the island.
Outdoor Radio: Eye on an Eyrie
VCE Biologists Kent McFarland and Sarah Zahendra recently took a trip to the Bolton Notch and joined Margaret Fowle, from Audubon Vermont in search of this lightning fast bird. Listen to the show.
Discover Biodiversity Locally, Tally Globally
From May 15th through May 25th, people all over the world are documenting biodiversity for the Global Bioblitz 2015. Let’s put Vermont biodiversity on the global map. Learn how you can contribute…
eBird Wins Award
eBird is the recipient of the first ever Leon Levy Award for Innovation in Bird Conservation, awarded by the American Bird Conservancy.
A Vernal Explosion of Life
On an early spring day, biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra stand in front of a vernal pool in Strafford. It’s noisy. Early spring heralds the return of life to the pools.
Photo-observation of the Month Winner
Congratulations to Larry Clarfeld for winning the March iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest.
Are Chickadee Nests the Key to an Effective Bumble Bee Nest Box?
Given that no effective bumble bee nest box exists in North America this is a call to action to flesh out the possibilities of this technique. You can help!
Over 1,000 New Ocean Fish Species
Over 1,000 new-to-science marine fish species have been described since 2008 – an average of more than 10 per month – according to scientists completing a consolidated inventory of all known ocean life.
February Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Joshua Lincoln for winning the iNaturalist Vermont February photo-observation of the month contest.
