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!
Conservation Coffee Hour: Vernal Pool Monitoring with Steve Faccio
April 24, 2024Our Conservation Coffee Hour winds to a close with a special highlight: the power of long-term monitoring. Join VCE Conservation Biologist Steve Faccio at 10 am to learn how long-term monitoring techniques are used for vernal pool conservation. Get the latest on what VCE's vernal pool monitoring is telling us about these sensitive habitats. Register for the webinar »
Green Drinks: Key steps toward creating year-round Pollinator-friendly Gardens | Sustainable Woodstock
April 24, 20245:30 pm – 6:30 pm | In this talk, Dr. Desiree Narango will describe how small changes in landscaping behaviors can benefit pollinators at home, from raking the leaves to lawn mowing. She will also discuss the ecological and evolutionary relationships between plants and pollinators and highlight recent research on why native plants are an essential component of pollinator-friendly gardening practices. Learn more »
City Nature Celebration Vermont: Community Science with VT Center for Ecostudies
April 25, 2024Join VCE scientists to learn all about community science. This event is part of the larger City Nature Celebration Vermont, a series of activities, talks, bioblitz, restoration projects, and more. Our urban areas offer rich natural spaces and opportunity to experience the rhythms of nature and the diversity of life that surrounds us. Take part in engaging with the natural world in the cities of Burlington, South Burlington, Winooski, and Colchester this April. Learn more »
Birding in Mount Auburn Cemetery
May 10, 2024Join VCE Board Member Jared Keyes and Executive Director Susan Hindinger for a morning of birding in Mount Auburn Cemetery during spring migration. Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Active Management for Healthy Forests
May 19, 2024Orange County Forester David Paganelli and Vermont Coverts cooperator Judith Falk invite you to their Clover Hill Tree Farm in South Strafford, Vermont on Sunday morning May 19, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Steve Faccio, Conservation Biologist with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, will lead a discussion of wetland and riparian habitats, including a rich fen. David will talk about access improvements, invasive plant treatment and recent pre-commercial forestry work. Judith will talk about creation and maintenance of early successional habitats for various mammals, songbirds and pollinators with special attention to Monarch butterflies. Learn more »
Birdwatching at Paradise Park
May 21, 2024Lake Runnemede and a variety of adjacent habitats make Paradise Park one of east-central Vermont’s premier birding spots. Join VCE Director Emeritus Chris Rimmer and Associate Director Dan Lambert on a walk that’s sure to produce dozens of sightings, from warblers to waterfowl. A group of up to 12 participants will start out together and then subdivide so that beginning birdwatchers can receive basic pointers while those with more experience scour thickets and cattails for uncommon species. Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Introduction to Bee Watching
May 24, 2024Join VCE biologist Spencer Hardy for an introduction to bee watching at The Farm Upstream. The Farm Upstream is a new fruit and vegetable farm where we will look for and discuss native crop pollinators as well as the bees found along the field edges. In the event of rain we will be inside and can look at a variety of pinned and live specimens. Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Long-term Bird Monitoring at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest
May 30, 2024Join VCE Data Scientist Mike Hallworth for an introduction to the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and the ongoing work within this long-term ecological research site. We’ll walk through and discuss several ongoing experiments, including one of the longest running bird studies in North America. Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Biodiversity Jamboree!
June 08, 2024Back again by popular demand, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and North Branch Nature Center present a summer nature festival for all ages! Celebrate birds, bugs, plants, pollinators, and all creatures that call Vermont home in a day of field outings, workshops, nature exhibits, kids activities, live birds, music, food, art, presentations, and more! Explore the woods and meadows, and bring your discoveries to our naturalist-staffed laboratory tent. Find out what you can do to protect biodiversity in your own backyard or around the community. Learn more »
Old Growth Forest Exploration
June 11, 2024Join VCE Conservation Biologist Steve Faccio to explore the "Big Tree Community" at The Cape Research Natural Area on Green Mountain National Forest, one of the largest and best examples of old growth forest in Vermont. Situated on a steep, west-facing slope of the Green Mountains, this rugged terrain shows no evidence of ever being logged. Since 1993, Steve has visited this site twice each year to survey birds as part of the VT Forest Bird Monitoring Program. Join the Waitlist Here! »
Loon Lakes and Summer Songbirds
June 19–21, 2024 Join us this June for a VCE adventure: three days of exploring loon lakes, birding northern forests, and simply enjoying Vermont’s northeast kingdom at Quimby Country Resort. VCE Conservation Biologist and leader of the Vermont Loon Conservation Project, Eric Hanson, will guide our lake excursions and captivate us with his wealth of loon knowledge. Eric and Susan Hindinger, VCE’s Executive Director, will lead daily birding walks, paddling excursions to observe and monitor loon activity, and explorations of various habitats. Learn more and join the waitlist here! »
Introduction to Bee Watching
June 29, 2024Join VCE biologist Spencer Hardy for an introduction to beewatching in Colchester. Colchester Bog and the adjacent fields are home to several species of bees found nowhere else in New England. We will visit a known nest site for up close observations then venture into the bog via the boardwalk where Sheep Laurel, Winterberry Holly, and others should be blooming. Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Loon Nest Checks
July 08, 2024Join VCE Loon Biologist Eric Hanson to check on loon nests for chicks. Reserve Your Spot Here! »
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 »
Butterflies and Brews
July 12, 2024Join VCE Biologist Kent McFarland to learn about butterfly ecology as we conduct surveys for the Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas at Little Ascutney WMA, with the option to come socialize at a nearby brewery afterwards. Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Bumble Bee Workshop: Identification, Capture, and Handling
July 17, 2024Join VCE Conservation Biologist Jason Hill to learn about bumble bee identification and ecology. You'll also learn to safely capture, handle, and photograph bumble bees and other insects that we find. Reserve Your Spot 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 »
Bumble Bee Workshop: Identification, Capture, and Handling
July 28, 2024Join VCE Conservation Biologist Jason Hill to learn about bumble bee identification and ecology. You'll also learn to safely capture, handle, and photograph bumble bees and other insects that we find. Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Lakeshore Ecology and Management
August 06, 2024Join Ryan Rebozo, VCE’s Director of Conservation Science, to visit populations of rare lakeshore plant species that VCE interns are helping to manage. We will discuss shoreline ecology and the adaptations that make life possible for plants growing on and near dunes. Reserve Your Spot Here! »
Fall Warblers and Pollinators
September 06, 2024Join VCE Conservation Biologist Desiree Narango to explore a wildlife sanctuary this Fall. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for migrating warblers and for pollinators. Desiree is a wealth of knowledge and will have exciting information to share about the birds, insects, and plants we encounter. 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.
