Field Guide to January 2026
In the deep freeze of a New England January, bees are likely overwintering in your brush piles, birds are feeding on (slightly) fermented winter fruits, and you might spot a Fir Wave from your seat on the ski lift.
See an Evening Grosbeak? Here’s How You Can Help Them…and Researchers!
Since I’ve moved to rural Vermont, I’ve noticed that road kill isn’t just a mammal problem. Birds that are feeding along a country road may not be able to escape quickly enough for a large vehicle barreling down it.
What Three Decades of Monitoring Birds Reveal About Our Changing Forests
Atticus Soehren is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in biology and minoring in data science and analytics. He has always had a passion for birds, climate, and…
Field Guide to December 2025
As the light dwindles and the temperature drops, our scientists are thinking about the remarkable strategies overwintering species have evolved to survive New England’s coldest months. Grab a hot tea (or cocoa) and cozy up to this freezing, fascinating world with December’s Field Guide.
Why We Can’t Call the Bicknell’s Thrush Race Yet: A Peek Into How Migration Monitoring Works
We’ve decided to wait until the Pea Island data are uploaded and processed, which hopefully will be sometime in the next two weeks.
Gifts to Buy for New England Wildlife Lovers
Obviously, we here at Vermont Center for Ecostudies love a donation given on behalf of a wildlife lover. But if you’re looking for an object to include that can be mailed, wrapped, or placed under the tree, we know just the thing(s).
Field Guide to November 2025
Stick season is here and bird migration is petering off, but don’t let that get you down. The chickadees are bopping around the feeders, and mammals are getting fat and cozy. There are still even butterflies to be found! Here’s what to look for in November.
iNaturalist Vermont Hits One Million Research-grade Records!
More than 30,000 researchers and community scientists contributed to this milestone.
Over 350 Wild Bee Species Found in Vermont, with Help of Community Scientists
The new study provides the first comprehensive faunal list and conservation assessment of Vermont’s wild bees.
The Journey of a Single Bee Observation
A geologist mentioned that he uses iNaturalist in the university classes he teaches. “We contribute a lot of observations,” he said. “Who knows if they’re really of use to anyone?” Oh, they are.
How to Become an Ecologist
One day, I sent my mom a photo of me holding a freshly banded bird. She texted back: “That’s the face of someone who’s found what they love to do.” I hadn’t realized it until then, but she was right. Somewhere during this summer, I’d stopped feeling like an imposter and began to feel like a real ecologist.
Bernie Paquette Receives the 2025 Julie Nicholson Community Science Award
VCE bee biologist Spencer Hardy first met Bernie Paquette at the 2019 Jericho-Underhill Christmas Bird Count. Paquette had long since retired from his career at IBM in Essex Junction, but…
