Backpacking Thrushes Return to Mansfield
VCE’s first Mansfield banding session of 2022 exceeded all expectations, as we recovered 5 of 36 GPS tags that we affixed to adult Bicknell’s Thrush last summer. Preliminary data from these birds–all males–show that 4 individuals overwintered in the Dominican Republic, 1 on Cuba, and that 3 birds undertook early spring movements of 25-185 km prior to northward migration.
May 2022 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations for the second month in a row to Craig Hunt for winning the May 2022 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! His stunning portrait of an American Black Bear received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.
A Birding Quest and Tribute Unlike Any Other: Fred Pratt’s Big Year
Fred Pratt’s delightful and deeply personal new book, “My Big Year—A Search for Birds and Peace of Mind”, recounts the final year of his impassioned quest to become the first birder to document 150 species in all of Vermont’s 14 counties, each within a single calendar year. Fred’s tale movingly weaves together his many memorable (and often humorous) encounters with birds, his attempt to find closure and solace in the wake of losing his beloved wife Chris in 2017, and a deeply abiding love for his life (and birding) partner.
Field Guide to May 2022
Trees are leafing out, and newly arrived migrant birds are dripping from branches. Insects are emerging and pollinating blossoming flowers. Discover all the sights May has to offer with our Field Guide.
VCE Selected as 2022 First: Earth Summer Series Recipient
Do you love nature and the performing arts? If your answer is “heck yes,” it’s time to start marking your calendar for First: Earth’s summer performance series. Each year, First: Earth chooses an environmental nonprofit to receive proceeds from ticket sales, and VCE is honored to have been selected.
April 2022 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Craig Hunt for winning the April 2022 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! His photo of a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers attempting to remove a European Starling from their nest cavity received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.
Field Guide to April 2022
April brings a burst of life to the rugged Vermont landscape. From bees to crayfish, life is on the move. Here’s our guide to some of the joys of April.
March 2022 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Chelsea Carroll for winning the March 2022 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! Her photo of almost a dozen Eastern Bluebirds perched shoulder-to-shoulder on a chilly March day received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.
Field Guide to March 2022
With the weather warming and the ground thawing, spring is in the air, and Vermont is waking up! Kick-off your month with flowing sap, thawing frogs, and heated flowers. You can read all about it in this month’s Field Guide.
Meet Vermont’s Newest Endangered Species
The latest Vermont Endangered and Threatened species list celebrated the recovery of Bald Eagles and the Canada Black Snakeroot, while five new species and three critical habitats were added. Learn about the newest members of the list that will need our help for their recovery.
February 2022 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to vtmonarch for winning the February 2022 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! Their photo of an American Ermine with a Northern Short-tailed Shrew…
Field Guide to February 2022
This month, wildlife and the rest of us here in New England will cross a threshold that’s arbitrary yet not insignificant: 10 hours of daylight. There’s no doubt that we’ve got a lot more winter ahead, but change is coming. So here are a few February natural history tidbits to help get your hopes up, no matter what that groundhog predicted.
