Join Us for a Field Trip in 2025!
Throughout the spring and summer, VCE’s staff scientists are spread across the state, monitoring birds, checking up on vernal pools, identifying Vermont’s wild bees, and more. We invite you to join them in the field for a full sensory experience of New England’s natural places and their animal kingdom citizens. Check out our currently available trips on our field trip page.
Learn from VCE Staff in Person and Online
Pull up a chair and learn about the latest conservation news, plus how you can be involved. 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.
If you’d like to support VCE’s biodiversity conservation work, please consider a contribution. Donate easily and securely online anytime!
Paddling with the Loons
July 02, 202510 am – 2 pm. In Northwestern Essex County, VT. Join VCE Loon Biologists Eric Hanson and Eloise Girard for a guided paddle adventure on one of Northwestern Essex County’s pristine ponds to observe nesting loons and their chicks in their natural habitat. With five active pairs and a stunning landscape, this peaceful waterway offers a perfect setting for wildlife viewing. Along the way, learn about loon behavior, conservation efforts, and how to respectfully admire these iconic birds up close. Find full details on registration page. Registration Closed »
VCE Workshop: VCE 2025 Community Science Teacher Workshop
July 07, 2025REGISTRATION IS FULL. Join us from July 7th through the 10th for VCE’s fourth 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. Join Waitlist »
Incredible Insect Festival at Vermont Institute for Natural Sciences (VINS)
July 12, 2025Vermont Institute for Natural Sciences is hosting their Incredible Insect Festival! Through demonstrations, exhibits, games and crafts, visitors to the VINS Nature Center will have a fun day discovering the incredible insects we share our planet with. VCE Conservation Biologist Desirée Narango will host an educational 'Research in the Meadow ' session and an Adopt-a-plant pick up at the VCE table. Learn More »
Explore the Ecology of the Spruce-Fir Zone
Fall Date TBD. Join Mountain Birdwatch Leader Jason Hill on a moderate-to-challenging 5.5 mile hiking excursion to the top of a mountain in Windham County to learn about the ecology of the spruce-fir zone. If you want to skip the hike and just meet us at the top, there’s an easy almost-hike-free option for that as well. Then, join us for supper following the hike! Find full details on registration page. Photo © Bryan Pfeiffer Register Here »
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:
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.
