Join VCE staff in person and online!
From mountain ridgelines to residential yards, lakeshores to grasslands, our science team investigates a wide range of ecological communities. Attending an event with VCE staff members is a phenomenal way to expand your knowledge about Vermont’s natural wonders and get the latest research updates.
Keep an eye on our schedule for both in-person and virtual upcoming events. If you have an event, group, or organization that would like to host a VCE staff member for a particular topic, please fill out our Speaker Request Form.
Please note that virtual events will be recorded and made available afterward on VCE’s Multimedia Resources page for those unable to attend.
If you’d like to support VCE’s biodiversity conservation work, please consider a contribution. Donate easily and securely online anytime!
VCE 2024 Community Science Teacher Workshop
July 09, 2024Join us from July 9th through the 12th for VCE’s third Community Science Teacher Education Workshop. This program is intended to engage science educators in inquiry-based exercises that incorporate both data collection and analysis. Throughout the four-day long program, participants will receive a primer on the Upper Valley’s ecology, gain confidence incorporating field methods into their curriculum, work with open access data, and discuss both planning and conducting community science studies. A $150 stipend and continuing education credits are available to participants. Participation is limited to 12 educators on a first come first served basis. Learn more and register here »
Bees at the Krusch Preserve
July 27, 2024Spencer Hardy will lead a field walk of the Peter A. Krusch Nature Preserve in Cambridge VT starting at 9am. He will share what he has learned about Vermont's 350+ bee species and tips for bee watching. While some species are very challenging to identify, more than 100 species can be identified in the field - we can expect to find several species of bumble bees as well as examples of five of the six bee families. Preserve website »
Birding on Farms: Grassland Bird Conservation and Management
August 17, 2024Grassland birds thrive in large, open landscapes with few trees and shrubs, making Vermont hay fields an ideal habitat for the breeding season. From May to August, species like Bobolink, Savannah Sparrow, and Eastern Meadowlark build their nests on the ground, well-concealed in the grass, and feed insects to their young. With the decline of agriculture in recent decades, however, grassland birds have been disappearing. Moreover, modern machinery and earlier maturing grasses allow landowners to mow their hayfields 2 to 3 weeks earlier in the season, and more frequently compared to 50 years ago. These practices are less compatible with the nesting needs of grassland birds. Learn more on the Franklin County NRCD website »
Planting Day for Experimental Gardens - Woodstock
September 18, 2024Join VCE Conservation Biologist Desiree Narango, Director of Conservation Ryan Rebozo, and Staff technician Amber Jones to help plant experimental gardens in the Upper Valley for our brand-new plant provenance study! We’re planting six experimental gardens to test how plant identity affects insect preferences. This event is an opportunity to get your hands dirty (literally!) by volunteering your time to help set up a scientific experiment with VCE staff. You’ll be given a protocol to help plant nearly 200 plants in a garden plot and help with labeling, spreading wood chips, and other gardening tasks. (Volunteers: 16 and up, kids welcome to observe and help) Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Planting Day for Experimental Gardens - Hanover
September 21, 2024Join VCE Conservation Biologist Desiree Narango, Director of Conservation Ryan Rebozo, and Staff technician Amber Jones to help plant experimental gardens in the Upper Valley for our brand-new plant provenance study! We’re planting six experimental gardens to test how plant identity affects insect preferences. This event is an opportunity to get your hands dirty (literally!) by volunteering your time to help set up a scientific experiment with VCE staff. You’ll be given a protocol to help plant nearly 200 plants in a garden plot and help with labeling, spreading wood chips, and other gardening tasks. (Volunteers: 16 and up, kids welcome to observe and help) Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Planting Day for Experimental Gardens - Hartland
September 25, 2024Join VCE Conservation Biologist Desiree Narango, Director of Conservation Ryan Rebozo, and Staff technician Amber Jones to help plant experimental gardens in the Upper Valley for our brand-new plant provenance study! We’re planting six experimental gardens to test how plant identity affects insect preferences. This event is an opportunity to get your hands dirty (literally!) by volunteering your time to help set up a scientific experiment with VCE staff. You’ll be given a protocol to help plant nearly 200 plants in a garden plot and help with labeling, spreading wood chips, and other gardening tasks. (Volunteers: 16 and up, kids welcome to observe and help) Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Planting Day for Experimental Gardens - Hartford
September 28, 2024Join VCE Conservation Biologist Desiree Narango, Director of Conservation Ryan Rebozo, and Staff technician Amber Jones to help plant experimental gardens in the Upper Valley for our brand-new plant provenance study! We’re planting six experimental gardens to test how plant identity affects insect preferences. This event is an opportunity to get your hands dirty (literally!) by volunteering your time to help set up a scientific experiment with VCE staff. You’ll be given a protocol to help plant nearly 200 plants in a garden plot and help with labeling, spreading wood chips, and other gardening tasks. (Volunteers: 16 and up, kids welcome to observe and help) Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Suds & Science
Our 2024 Suds & Science schedule will be available this winter—please check back!
Hosted by VCE biologist Jason Hill, Suds & Science is definitely not a lecture—it’s a community discussion led by a scientist where you meet other fans of science, engage with an expert through compelling personal narratives, and gain an understanding of someone’s scientific research. So what can you expect in this hybrid series—an online PowerPoint presentation? Absolutely not! Jason will interview the scientists about the intersection of their lives and their research. If you are attending virtually, you’ll have the chance to pose questions when you register, and Jason will incorporate your questions into the conversation. You’ll also have the chance to comment and ask questions throughout the conversation—not just at the end, although you will have to BYOB.
Interested? Of course you are, and it’s easy to participate. Simply click on the “Register Here!” link underneath the talk description in the schedule below. After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. You do not need a Zoom account to participate. If you have any questions, just reach out to Jason via email.
Check out our 2023 Suds & Science schedule by visiting “News” >> “Suds & Science”
Interested in having a VCE conservation biologist speak at your event, or lead a field outing?
Please fill out our Speaker Request Form to start the process.
Example Presentations Available in 2024:
Presenter: Spencer Hardy
Title: Exploring Vermont’s Wild Bees: Natural History, Identification, and Conservation.
Presentation Summary: When most people think of bees, they imagine the famous Honey Bee (Apis melifera), yet that is just one of more than 300 species of bees found in the state. Since 2019, the Vermont Wild Bee Survey has been criss-crossing the state to document these important pollinators. We have found dozens of species not previously known from the state and are amassing a rich database that will be invaluable to conservation planners for years to come. Hear more about this project–including our most exciting findings, ideas on conserving vulnerable bees, and ways you can join our future monitoring efforts.
Presenter: Kevin Tolan
Title: Eastern Meadowlarks in Vermont: Ecology and Conservation of an Imperiled Grassland Bird
Presentation Summary: Eastern Meadowlarks in the Northeast are rapidly declining; based on the latest USGS Breeding Bird Survey results, they’re undergoing an estimated 8.7% annual decline in Vermont. With their recent designation of Threatened in New Hampshire, and imminent listing in Vermont, now is a golden opportunity for targeted survey efforts. The Vermont Center for Ecostudies is partnering up with New Hampshire Audubon to launch a bi-state “blitz” this spring to encourage birders and community scientists to target areas of grassland habitat with the goal of seeking out meadowlarks. Join VCE and our collaborators to learn about these imperiled songbirds and what you can do to help keep them on the Vermont landscape.
