The VCE Blog

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“Big Day” Birding

May 19, 2021  |  Nathaniel Sharp

Read the captivating account of a life-changing “Big Day” experience by VCE staff biologist and accomplished birder, Nathaniel Sharp. You can experience a “Big Day” with VCE – join us for Backyard Bird Quest 2021 on May 22nd!

Join Our West Virginia White Watch (April 1-June 6)

May 14, 2021  |  Kent McFarland

Spring is changing. The snow is melting earlier, wildflowers are blooming sooner, and trees are leafing out faster. How are West Virginia White butterflies faring? Join the West Virginia White Watch!

VCE Presentations from the 2021 Northeast Natural History Conference

May 4, 2021  |  Julia Pupko

VCE staff members presented at the virtual 2021 Northeast Natural History Conference in April. Their presentations were pre-recorded and are now available to you to enjoy!

Tribute to Steve Parren — a Conservation Champion and VCE Friend

May 4, 2021  |  Chris Rimmer

Steve Parren, longtime cornerstone of non-game wildlife conservation efforts at the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, will soon retire. VCE salutes this conservation champion and reflects on his remarkable legacy.

V C E Biologist Spencer Hardy safely holds a stingless male Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus). © Spencer Hardy.

Powerlines and pollinators: undervalued and underappreciated

May 4, 2021  |  Jason Hill (he/him)

Just as hayfields are essential habitat for grassland birds like Bobolinks, consensus is building that the scrubby open habitat maintained under utility rights-of-way (ROW) plays an important role in the conservation of a diverse suite of wildlife. We’re looking to connect with landowners in north-central Vermont with ROWs on their property about conducting weekly surveys for pollinators this summer.

April 2021 Photo-observation of the Month

May 4, 2021  |  Nathaniel Sharp

Congratulations to Erin Talmage for winning the April 2021 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist. Erin’s image of a North American Medicinal Leech feeding…

Field Guide to May 2021

May 3, 2021  |  Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Bees buzzing, birds migrating, lady beetles emerging from hibernation, and so much more! Celebrate the spectacle of spring phenology in this Field Guide to May.

Vermont Town Birding Challenge

April 5, 2021  |  Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Vermont’s 251 towns offer up a vast array of habitats and birdlife. Recently, Vermont birder Bob Heitzman accomplished his goal of birding in each of Vermont’s 251 towns, a monumental achievement! Learn how focusing your birding efforts at the town level can be rewarding in so many different ways.

Field Guide to April 2021

April 1, 2021  |  Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Migrating birds, blooming flowers, and (of course) mud season. April in Vermont is upon us, and spring is here! Find out what’s happening outside in your Field Guide to April.

When Porcupines Dance

March 31, 2021  |  Steve Faccio

This past winter, Steve Faccio employed game cams to video-record activity at two different porcupine dens to see how frequently, if at all, fishers (and other predators) visited the dens. Read on to find out what he learned and watch the action unfold!

a bobcat track in snow

Mammal Big Year: Winter Update

March 30, 2021  |  Pete Kerby-Miller

Mammals are on the move, and Pete Kerby-Miller is tracking them. Find out what they found in this Mammal Big Year Winter Update!

A Giant Leap Northward for a Butterfly

March 3, 2021  |  Kent McFarland

Our study published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution this week shows an unusually rapid northward range shift by the Eastern Giant Swallowtail.