Vermont eBird Volunteer Data Experts Retire
After more than a decade of service, two of the first-ever Vermont eBird volunteer data experts are hanging up their keyboards. Ian Worley and Craig Provost first joined the project in 2010. Over the past 13 years, they have reviewed tens of thousands of records submitted by bird watchers and have been outreach champions for Vermont eBird.
The Caretakers: Reflections from 40 Years of Loon Volunteers
Loon conservation in Vermont is as much a story of people as it is of birds. From the most disheartening days of the state’s loon census in the 1980s through the incredible recovery we’re witnessing today, VCE volunteers on the Vermont Loon Conservation Project have been the beating heart of the stewardship effort.
After Two Decades of Searching, Biologist Discovers Rare Butterfly in Vermont
A rare and elusive butterfly has been discovered for the first time in Vermont, flying this spring at one of the state’s protected natural areas. Bog elfin, patterned in brown and rust, and no bigger than a penny, had eluded detection in the state until one flew past a Vermont field biologist who had been searching for it for two decades.
VAL Gets a ‘Boost’
Vermont Atlas of Life (VAL) director Kent McFarland was recently recognized on behalf of the VAL team’s work with a 2022 SciSTARter Boost Award. He is among ten individuals who received this inaugural award for their outstanding work with community science.
Field Guide to April 2022
April brings a burst of life to the rugged Vermont landscape. From bees to crayfish, life is on the move. Here’s our guide to some of the joys of April.
Meet Vermont’s Newest Endangered Species
The latest Vermont Endangered and Threatened species list celebrated the recovery of Bald Eagles and the Canada Black Snakeroot, while five new species and three critical habitats were added. Learn about the newest members of the list that will need our help for their recovery.
January 2022 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Craig Hunt for winning the January 2022 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! Craig’s photo of a sharp-eyed Sharp-shinned Hawk received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.
December 2021 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Charlotte Bill for winning the December 2021 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! Charlotte’s photo of a Great Blue Heron braving the cold of a northern Vermont winter received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.
Field Guide to January 2022
Although the days are slowly growing longer, life in the Northeast now finds itself in the coldest depths of winter. January is about survival. Wildlife that doesn’t migrate adapts instead in order to make it to spring. Here are a few tidbits of natural history happening outdoors this month around you.
A Community-minded Ornithologist and Birder: George Clark Receives VCE’s 2021 Julie Nicholson Community Science Award
George Clark’s innumerable contributions as a community scientist—from his heroic efforts during the second Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas to his countless eBird checklists—have substantially expanded our collective knowledge of Vermont’s bird populations. For this, the staff and board of VCE are proud to present George with the 2021 Julie Nicholson Community Science Award.
