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 December 2022
Fear not; during these short days and long nights of December, there’s still plenty of life in the fading light. Once we pass the winter solstice, which strikes at precisely 4:47 PM on December 21st, more light will creep back. Until then, here’s some wintry natural history to keep you going.
November 2022 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Sam Darmstadt for winning the November 2022 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! His photo of a wily weasel received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.
2022 VCE Gift Guide for Nature Lovers
Need a gift for the naturalist in your life? Look no further than VCE’s Gift Guide! We have apparel, books, mugs, art, and more that will truly inspire you to get back outdoors.
Levi Smith: A Moth Expert in the Making
On a brisk November day, former VCE ECO AmeriCorps member Julia Pupko led 16 curious community scientists in search of Giant Silk Moth cocoons at Brookmead Conservation Area. Among the group of eager naturalists was Levi Smith.
Ian Worley: Guarding the Hallmarks of Science in Community Science
“I was born looking around the world to see what was there.” Ian Worley’s innate curiosity may help explain why he began finding salamanders at age three, building model airplanes at four, studying multiple disciplines, and becoming our 2022 Julie Nicholson Community Science Award recipient.
Field Guide to November 2022
With November comes a stronger nip to the morning air and the rushed activity of wildlife either preparing for their winter stay or leaving Vermont for their winter location. There is a sense of fall finality as the last deciduous trees drop their leaves. November also hails some of Vermont’s winter migrants, coming just in time to catch the first flakes. Learn more in our Field Guide to November.
October 2022 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Craig Hunt for winning the October 2022 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! His photo of a banded Peregrine Falcon received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.
Fire Management in the Green Mountains
True wildfire may be an uncommon feature of Vermont’s landscape. However, interest in using prescribed burns as a management tool—particularly in Vermont’s dry oak forests—is growing. A new collaborative project is examining the efficacy of using fire to manage oak forests.
September 2022 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Craig Hunt for winning the September 2022 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! His photo of a North American Porcupine munching on fallen apples received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.
Field Guide to October 2022
October is a memorable month for many reasons. The leaves change from summer emerald to autumn auburn and gold. Creatures of all sizes flit and scurry as they prepare for winter. And people’s homes become adorned with carved pumpkins, cackling witches, and looming ghosts. This field guide highlights a handful of Vermont’s Halloween-themed biodiversity in honor of the season. But beware—some of nature’s marvels can be frightful.
A Soggy Wrap to VCE’s 2022 Mansfield Season
VCE’s final Mt. Mansfield banding session of 2022 may have been a wash-out, but we captured a fat-encased Blackpoll Warbler ready for its astounding transoceanic southward flight, and we reflected on a highly successful season overall, with 17 GPS tags recovered from Bicknell’s Thrush.
