Join Our Spring Wildflower Phenology Annotation Blitz!
Long-term flowering records initiated by Henry David Thoreau in 1852 have been used in Massachusetts to monitor phenological changes. You can be like Thoreau right from home! There are thousands of images of plants that observers like you have added to the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist. But, they have not been annotated so that we can easily track phenology.
Updated for 2020: State of the Mountain Birds Report
The 2020 State of the Mountains Bird Report has landed… on the web. With this evolving report, we try to answer one seemingly simple question: What is the state of the mountain birds of the northeastern United States? Read on to find out.
Checking in: April Update on VCE’s COVID-19 Response
VCE’s Executive Director Chris Rimmer checks in with a COVID-19 operational update.
March 2020 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to coleen61 for winning the March 2020 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The image of the rare Crested Caracara that made an appearance this month in Woodstock, Vermont won the adoration of naturalists this month.
Field Guide to April
In April, the northern forest is laid bare with cold desire and our long dormant senses awaken. Here’s our guide to some of the joys of April.
Vermont Center for Ecostudies Operations Update in Response to COVID-19
In light of the current public health crisis, we at VCE want to update you on our evolving operational changes, and let you know about steps we are taking to keep our staff, volunteers, and communities safe and healthy.
Rare Crested Caracara Visits Vermont
On March 23, 2018 Mark Bessette surprised the Vermont iNaturalist community. Mark had snapped some photographs of an unusual-looking bird that he dubbed, “Elvis, the juvenile bald eagle.” The bird appeared to have a black wig that reminded Mark of the “King of Rock and Roll,” Elvis Presley. The iNaturalist community was quick to weigh in on the real identity of this bird. To seasoned birders, it easily stood out as a misplaced Crested Caracara.
Narrowing Down the Whereabouts of Bicknell’s Thrush in Cuba
VCE’s 2020 field trip to eastern Cuba yielded many avian treasures, but no new Bicknell’s Thrush records. After four years, it is clear that the species specializes on cloud forests in Cuba, and that conservation efforts must continue to focus on core Hispaniolan winter habitats.
Field Guide to March 2020
March is a month of battles between warm and cold, between winter’s refusal to leave and spring’s insistence on coming. So, here are some signs of spring to look out for in this Field Guide to March.
VCE Colleague Yolanda León Receives Prestigious Conservation Award
Longtime VCE conservation partner and Advisory Council member Yolanda León recently made us all proud by receiving the prestigious 2019 Partners in Flight Individual Leadership Award.
A Serendipitous Orchard Oriole Extravaganza
A casual dusk bird walk during a layover in Panama City provided Chris Rimmer with an unforgettable birding experience, as he intercepted an unprecedented concentration of Orchard Orioles heading to a communal nighttime roost.
January 2020 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Madison Alderman for winning the January 2020 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The image of a Short-tailed Weasel cloaked in white and peering from a hole in a tree in Rutland, Vermont garnered the most votes.
