![Heavy Lifting for the Loons](https://vtecostudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/raft-placement-eloise-girard-mollys-fall-res-1-by-eric-hanson_cropped-280x200.jpg)
Heavy Lifting for the Loons
The first loon update is here and with it come tales of great strength. From flipping rafts to hauling signs, the loon conservation team has been hard at work preparing for this year’s nesting pairs.
![Field Guide to June 2021](https://vtecostudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Swallowtail-KPM-280x200.jpg)
Field Guide to June 2021
Most of our avian migrants have returned, and the flush of spring ephemeral wildflowers is beginning to fade. However, new life abounds in June! Find out more in this month’s Field Guide.
!["Big Day" Birding](https://vtecostudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Nathaniel-birding-WSB-Brian-Quindlen-280x200.png)
“Big Day” Birding
Read the captivating account of a life-changing “Big Day” experience by VCE staff biologist and accomplished birder, Nathaniel Sharp. You can experience a “Big Day” with VCE – join us for Backyard Bird Quest 2021 on May 22nd!
![Tribute to Steve Parren — a Conservation Champion and VCE Friend](https://vtecostudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WoodTurtle-by-Molly-Parren-280x200.jpg)
Tribute to Steve Parren — a Conservation Champion and VCE Friend
Steve Parren, longtime cornerstone of non-game wildlife conservation efforts at the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, will soon retire. VCE salutes this conservation champion and reflects on his remarkable legacy.
![Field Guide to May 2021](https://vtecostudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/sharp-lobed-hepatica-KPM-e1620049128652-280x200.jpg)
Field Guide to May 2021
Bees buzzing, birds migrating, lady beetles emerging from hibernation, and so much more! Celebrate the spectacle of spring phenology in this Field Guide to May.
![Vermont Town Birding Challenge](https://vtecostudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-05-at-2.22.43-PM-280x200.png)
Vermont Town Birding Challenge
Vermont’s 251 towns offer up a vast array of habitats and birdlife. Recently, Vermont birder Bob Heitzman accomplished his goal of birding in each of Vermont’s 251 towns, a monumental achievement! Learn how focusing your birding efforts at the town level can be rewarding in so many different ways.
![Field Guide to April 2021](https://vtecostudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/west-virginia-white-kpmcfarland-2000x1400-1-280x200.jpg)
Field Guide to April 2021
Migrating birds, blooming flowers, and (of course) mud season. April in Vermont is upon us, and spring is here! Find out what’s happening outside in your Field Guide to April.
![When Porcupines Dance](https://vtecostudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot_Faccio-blog-e1617134495157-280x200.png)
When Porcupines Dance
This past winter, Steve Faccio employed game cams to video-record activity at two different porcupine dens to see how frequently, if at all, fishers (and other predators) visited the dens. Read on to find out what he learned and watch the action unfold!
![a bobcat track in snow](https://vtecostudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/bobcat-280x200.jpeg)
Mammal Big Year: Winter Update
Mammals are on the move, and Pete Kerby-Miller is tracking them. Find out what they found in this Mammal Big Year Winter Update!
![A Giant Leap Northward for a Butterfly](https://vtecostudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/EGS_ronpayne-280x200.jpg)
A Giant Leap Northward for a Butterfly
Our study published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution this week shows an unusually rapid northward range shift by the Eastern Giant Swallowtail.