Teaching the Teachers About Community Science
Science educator and naturalist Ron Smith partnered with VCE to facilitate our fourth Community Science Teacher Education Workshop this July. Here he shares all the invertebrate investigations the teachers engaged in on just one day of the four-day workshop.
The Ripple Effect: Wakeboats Pose Risks to Loon Nests
For many, current rules on wakeboats, which create ocean sized waves for wakeboarding, may not go far enough to ease concerns about safe recreation and impacts on aquatic environments. Loons and their nests may especially be at risk.
A Letter From Our Executive Director: Prepared for This Moment
These are not normal times for science or conservation. And many of you have asked how recent federal actions have affected VCE’s work.
Is Our Tick Anxiety Affecting Pollinators?
In a soon-to-be-published VCE study, tick spraying was associated with a five to 30% immediate decline for most invertebrate groups, especially less mobile and soft-bodied arthropods, like native caterpillars that turn into moths and butterflies.
Field Guide to August 2025
In August, birding efforts are fruitful if you know where to look. Berry-bearing trees and shrubs feed thrushes, waxwings, and bluebirds, while migrating shorebirds pause along gravel bars and mudflats. Where else can you see gems of summer’s end? One of the many public lands that make the woods and waters of northern New England accessible to all.
Community Science in Action: How I Recruited 700 Volunteers to Our Plant Ecotype Project
The Adopt-A-Plant project paired native plants with volunteers eager to grow them in their backyards and report observations back to VCE.
Two Biologists and Every Loon in Vermont: the Power of Community Science
Loon surveying for VCE’s Loon Conservation Project is a time-consuming task, between all of the paddling and what seems like an hour-long drive minimum to get anywhere on Vermont back roads. All of that monitoring is managed by just two loon biologists…and hundreds of volunteers.
How eBird Vermont Checks Your Observations
Unlike iNaturalist, where photos or audio are required to reach “Research Grade” validation, eBird does not require physical evidence of most sightings. So how do we know that people saw what they say they saw?
Field Guide to July 2025
Summer is the season to discover unsung (and often unseen) wildlife—like the wild bees, moths, and beetles who play vital roles in the ecosystem. Dive into July’s field guide to learn more about these animals and uncover the buzz, hum, and scuttle of summer.
Are Honey Bees Good?
As a wild bee biologist for VCE, I’ve spent the better part of the last five years studying, counting, and watching native bees, which are often overlooked in favor of their domesticated cousins.
In the Silence of Whip-poor-wills
I’m neither bored nor disappointed on zero-count nights. I relish the chance to pay close attention outside at night, and to do so as part of a community ritual.
New Study Shows Native Cherry Trees Better Support Native Moths
Native plants are great and all, but what if all they have at the garden center is a closely related, non-native species imported from Asia or Europe? A new paper by VCE biologist Desirée Narango has the answer.
