300,000 Observations and Counting!
When Sean Beckett swung his net at a dragonfly yesterday in Peacham Bog, he made history. His observation was the 300,000th for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist.
VCE’s 28th Mansfield Season Begins on a Quiet, Chilly Note
VCE’s 28th field season studying the breeding birds on Mt. Mansfield ridgeline is off to a quiet and chilly start. Vocal activity has been subdued and mist net captures low, but inevitable avian surprises have kept banders’ spirits high.
VCE Paper Confirms Scarcity of Bicknell’s Thrush on Puerto Rico
A recent peer-reviewed paper by VCE confirms that Bicknell’s Thrush is a rare and local but regular winter resident in mid-high elevation forest of Puerto Rico. VCE’s findings also highlight the strategic importance of continuing to focus habitat conservation efforts on Hispaniola, which supports the lion’s share of this globally vulnerable species in winter.
VCE’s First-ever Biothon Collects Big Data for Biodiversity
Here’s your team-by-team recap of VCE’s first-ever Biothon event! Read on to find out where we went and what we saw…
May 2019 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Charlotte Bill for winning the May 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. Charlotte wrote that “…it had…
Field Guide to June 2019
Here in Vermont, we dream of June during the darkest winter days. It’s days last forever. Here’s just a few of the natural history wonders for the month.
From New England to Colombia, Migratory Species Rely on Grassland Ambassadors – Part III
VCE biologist Rosalind Renfrew spent three weeks in Colombia with conservation partners Asociación Calidris for migratory grassland bird research and outreach. Read this final post of a three-part series about this incredible shared learning experience.
Outdoor Radio: The Buzz in Your Backyard
We all recognize bumble bees buzzing about or honey bees foraging among flowers, but did you know there are more…
From New England to Colombia, Migratory Species Rely on Grassland Ambassadors – Part II
VCE biologist Rosalind Renfrew spent three weeks in Colombia with conservation partners Asociación Calidris for migratory grassland bird research and outreach. Read part two of a three-part series about this incredible shared learning experience.
Live Updates: Tracking Upland Sandpiper Trans-hemispheric Migration
Follow Konza the Upland Sandpiper on her migration journey! We will post updated maps every few days to show where Konza travels, stops, and overwinters. Where will she go next?
From New England to Colombia, Migratory Species Rely on Grassland Ambassadors
VCE biologist Rosalind Renfrew spent three weeks in Colombia with conservation partners Asociación Calidris for migratory grassland bird research and outreach. Read part one of a three-part series about this incredible shared learning experience.
Field Guide to May 2019
The month of May is a show-off. Woodland wildflowers break out of the ground. Trees flower and leaves burst. Birds arrive on southern winds with song. May shouts of life and rejuvenation. Here’s a few bits of natural history for your May days.
April 2019 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Ashley Bray for winning the April 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The image of Wood Frog riding…
Outdoor Radio: Visiting Stark’s Winter Den
In this month’s episode of Outdoor Radio, Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra join the team of biologists from Vermont Fish and Wildlife and the Green Mountain National Forest to visit the winter den of one male bear, nicknamed Stark, so that they can replace the GPS collar that tracks his movements.
VCE Biologist Eric Hanson Wins GMP-Zetterstrom Environmental Award
We are proud to announce that Eric Hanson, VCE’s loon biologist since 1998 and the guiding force behind recovery of Vermont’s formerly endangered common loon, was presented the 2019 Green Mountain Power (GMP) Zetterstrom Environmental Award on April 23rd!
Get the Buzz on the New Vermont Wild Bee Survey
The Vermont Wild Bee Survey represents the first steps towards understanding the status and biogeography of these key elements of Vermont’s natural heritage. Learn more and consider joining in the effort!
Outdoor Radio: Searching for the Elusive American Marten
In this month’s episode of Outdoor Radio, we join three biologists that work with American Marten conservation and recovery as we travel by car, snowmobile, and snowshoes deep into the southern Green Mountains in search of this rare predator.
My Fair Lady Beetle
Since at least the 1980s, native Lady Beetles that were once very common across the Northeast have become rare or have even gone missing. Learn more about Vermont lady beetles and help us find them.
March 2019 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Kyle Tansley for winning the March 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The image of a male Northern Cardinal attacking his own reflection garnered the most votes.
A Field Guide to April 2019
In April the northern forest is laid bare with cold desire. Sight, sounds, and smell – April leaves none of our senses void. Here’s our guide to some of the joys of April.
Red-winged Blackbirds Signal the Arrival of Spring
Perhaps the best sign of spring here in Vermont is the return of Red-winged Blackbirds. They may also be a harbinger of long term change too.
A Field Guide to March 2019
On Wednesday, March 20th at 5:58 PM EST, spring arrives in the north. While the sun may be predictable, March weather is not. March is a month of battles between warm and cold, between winter’s refusal to leave and spring’s insistence on coming. So here’s some signs of spring in this Field Guide to March.
February 2019 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to for winning the February 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The images of Sharp-shinned Hawk preening in a mulberry tree and then staring into the camera lens garnered the most accolades.
Just Released: VCE and Colleagues Publish a Groundbreaking Study of Avian Nesting Success on Hispaniola
VCE and colleagues recently published the first-ever assessment of nesting ecology and reproductive success of resident birds across Sierra de Bahoruco in the Dominican Republic – including two rare endemic species whose nests had never before been described to science.
VCE Breaks New Ground (Literally) in Cuba
VCE’s 2019 field expedition to Cuba’s remote Bayamesa mountain range pioneered new ground, endured a few hardships, uncovered small numbers of overwintering Bicknell’s Thrush, and yielded comparisons with legendary Swedish botanical explorer Erik Ekman a century earlier.
VCE Biologists Discover Migratory Patterns of Two North American Grassland Bird Species
A new VCE study sheds light on the annual movements of two grassland bird species and yields surprising results that may help transform the way we manage grassland bird populations, both across international borders and throughout their annual cycle.
January 2019 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Cat Abbott for winning the January 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The image of an Eastern Coyote staring at the camera in a marvelous winter scene was the most popular photo-observation.
Outdoor Radio: Winter World of Beavers
Even during the coldest days of winter a beaver family remains warm and protected in the lodge. They’ve prepared a cache of food under the ice just outside the lodge to snack on all winter. And they’ve feasted all summer and fall to build a store of fat in their tails as a reserve too. It’s a long, dark winter for the beavers, but they’re prepared. In this month’s episode of Outdoor Radio, join us on a frozen beaver pond in Pomfret, Vermont. as we explore what winter is like for a beaver family.
Field Guide to February 2019
This month, wildlife and the rest of us here in New England will cross a threshold – arbitrary yet not insignificant: 10 hours of daylight. Even though we’ve got lots more winter, at least the sound of spring is in the air. So here’s a Field Guide to February to help get your hopes up, no matter what that sleepy woodchuck predicts.
From Snowbanks to Cloud Forests: Chris Rimmer is Cuba Bound
VCE’s Chris Rimmer is bound for eastern Cuba. He’ll trade a foot-plus of new snow and subzero temperatures for humid cloud forests and Cuban Trogons.
