VCE and Vermont Public Radio (VPR) unite the sounds and science of nature in our monthly feature called Outdoor Radio. Frogs and ferns, finches and fungus – anything is fair game for co-hosts Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra.
Outdoor Radio first aired in the spring of 2014 and recorded its final episode in the fall of 2020. Although it is no longer running, an archive of past episodes is available below. Outdoor Radio was made possible by the VPR Journalism Fund, grants to VCE from the Windham Foundation and the Byrne Foundation, and corporate sponsorship of individual episodes. VPR’s Chief Production Engineer, Chris Albertine, was the audio engineer.
Hunting for Invasive Jumping Worms
October 23, 2020Jumping worms, AKA crazy worms, jumpers or snake worms, are invasive earthworms recently found in Vermont and threaten forest health. Join Outdoor Radio as they search the forest floor looking for invasive species of worms. Learn more and listen to the show on the VCE Blog »
Outdoor Radio: Red-winged Blackbirds Signal the Arrival of Spring
May 04, 2020In this episode of Outdoor Radio, on a cold spring day as they listen to songs and calls of male Red-winged Blackbirds setting up and guarding their breeding territories. Learn about their interesting mating system and other natural history and then get out and watch them near you. Learn more and listen to the show »
Hoarding Blue Jays
March 14, 2020In this episode of Outdoor Radio, we begin on a carriage road in middle of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park looking and listening for Blue Jays in stand of Red Oak trees. Join us for the hunt and learn about Blue Jay behavior. »
The Annual January Thaw - Real or Fantasy?
January 24, 2020In this episode of Outdoor Radio, Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra begin inside the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in St. Johnsbury to talk with meteorologist Mark Breen about whether or not a January thaw exists. Mark Breen has been going through the records of the museum and has made some surprising observations about the temperature patterns during the month of January. Join us and learn a bit more about the fabled January thaw and visit the weather station outside the museum where it has been located for over 125 years and counting! »
Wingless Winter Moths
November 30, 2019On even the darkest, coldest days of November, there are still signs of lepidopteran life if one looks close enough. Two moth species of the genus Operophtera, known as the Bruce Spanworm Moth (O. bruceata) and the introduced Winter Moth (O. brumata) manage to survive in conditions that would kill most other moths and butterflies. Dressed in shades of light brown and as small as a penny, these moths are easy to overlook, but what they lack in visual appeal they make up for in their fascinating natural history. Learn more and listen to the show »
Outdoor Radio: Hunting for Tiny But Ferocious Tiger Beetles
August 15, 2019In this episode of Outdoor Radio, Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra join Mark Ferguson of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department along the Winooski River searching the sand banks for tiger beetles and their larva holes. Join us for the hunt »
Outdoor Radio: Following Wood Turtles
June 20, 2019In this episode of Outdoor Radio, Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra join Kiley Briggs and Melanie Lohrer from the Orianne Society, as they try to follow female Wood Turtles to their nesting sites so they can monitor their success. The biologists have attached a spool of fine string to the turtles to follow their movements and discover where they might have buried their eggs. Join us as we follow along. »
The Buzz in Your Backyard
May 22, 2019We all recognize bumble bees buzzing about or honey bees foraging among flowers, but did you know there are more than 300 species of wild bees living in Vermont? Join the Outdoor Radio team and discover bees and learn about their natural history. Listen to the show »
Visiting Stark’s Winter Den
April 30, 2019In this month’s episode of Outdoor Radio, Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra join the team of biologists from Vermont Fish and Wildlife and the Green Mountain National Forest to visit the winter den of one male bear, nicknamed Stark, so that they can replace the GPS collar that tracks his movements. By following bears with these collars each year, the biologists are collecting data about the behavior and movements around the wind project area. Listen to the show »
Searching for the Elusive American Marten
April 05, 2019In this month's episode of Outdoor Radio, we join three biologists that work with American Marten conservation and recovery as we travel by car, snowmobile, and snowshoes deep into the southern Green Mountains in search of this rare predator. Join the adventure »
Winter World of Beavers
January 31, 2019Even during the coldest days of winter a beaver family remains warm and protected in the lodge. They’ve prepared a cache of food under the ice just outside the lodge to snack on all winter. And they’ve feasted all summer and fall to build a store of fat in their tails as a reserve too. It’s a long, dark winter for the beavers, but they’re prepared. In this month’s episode of Outdoor Radio, join us on a frozen beaver pond in Pomfret, Vermont. as we explore what winter is like for a beaver family. Listen to the show »
Pine Grosbeak Irruption
December 20, 2019In this episode of Outdoor Radio, join us as we chase after Pine Grosbeaks and learn about winter finch irruptions. Join the adventure »
How Taking Pictures Of Roadkill Can Help Protect Wildlife
October 19, 2018There’s a story behind roadkill and people like you can help tell it. Thousands of accidents every year are caused by collisions with wildlife. How can we manage roadways so that they are safer for everyone, vehicles and animals? This month, biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra are looking for roadkill in the Cold Hollow Mountains in Belvidere, Vermont, with Bridget Butler, Program Director of Cold Hollow to Canada. Listen to the show »
Dragonflies on the Move
September 21, 2018Did you know that some dragonflies migrate? Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra are joined by dragonfly expert Bryan Pfeiffer in an effort to find and maybe catch a migrant dragonfly. Listen to the show »
Endangered Freshwater Mussels
August 15, 2018In this month’s episode of Outdoor Radio, biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra join Mark Ferguson from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department along the river in downtown Winooski to search for freshwater mussels and learn about their natural history and conservation plight. Join them on their river adventure »
Grassland Ambassadors Help Globetrotting Bobolinks Successfully Nest
July 26, 2018In this month’s episode of Outdoor Radio, biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra join VCE ornithologist Dr. Roz Renfrew on a visit to a farm in South Woodstock where Bobolinks and other grassland birds successfully breed each summer. Listen to the show »
Turkey Vultures Soar over the Capital
May 18, 2018Outdoor Radio usually takes us to a mountain top, pond or forest to get close to wildlife. But this month, biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland are on top of the National Life building in Montpelier. For the past several years, National Life employees have been able to watch Turkey Vultures right out their windows. The birds are likely drawn to the rooftop for warmth. They show off their 6-foot wingspans as they soar and land on the building. While Kent and Sara watch these incredible birds, we learn how to identify Turkey Vultures and how it is that they can eat dead animals and not get sick. Learn more and listen to the show. »
Nesting Bald Eagles a Conservation Success Story
April 19, 2018Wildlife biologist John Buck, of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, joined VCE biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland at a Bald Eagle nest on the Connecticut River for a conversation about the personality, nesting habits and conservation success story of Bald Eagles in Vermont. Listen to the show »
Tracking Moose Health
March 21, 2018Moose populations in Vermont and New Hampshire have undergone a rapid population decline for a variety of reasons, including Winter Ticks. We join Jake Debow, a graduate student of the University of Vermont and biologist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, to trek through deep snow near Maidstone Lake in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom to find out more about the plight of Moose in the region and the ongoing research and monitoring efforts. Learn more and listen to the show »
Searching for Snowy Owls
February 15, 2018Like ghosts from the Arctic, Snowy Owls have descended from the far north this winter. Join VCE biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland on Outdoor Radio as they try to find a white bird in the white snowy world of Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area and talk about the natural history of Snowy Owls along the way. Listen to Outdoor Radio »
Winter Gulls
January 27, 2018We joined Bryan Pfeiffer, a VCE research associate and avid birder, at Grow Compost in Waterbury to witness a winter gull spectacle. Hundreds of gulls (and other birds) hang out amid this huge expanse of compost enjoying an endless feast, including a few rare arctic visitors like Glaucous Gulls. Listen to Outdoor Radio »
The Unique Crossbill Beak
November 23, 2017In this episode of Outdoor Radio, biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra meet up with Tom Berriman, avid birder and regional expert, in Moose Bog in search of the enigmatic crossbill. The beak on these birds is actually crossed, allowing them to pry open the scales on cones and pick out the seeds inside. A crossbill can consume 3,000 seeds a day! Join them on their hunt. »
Spiny Softshell Turtle Conservation
October 20, 2017With a pointed snout and a leathery shell, the Spiny Softshell Turtle is certainly one of Vermont’s odder-looking reptiles. It is also listed as Threatened in Vermont. Steve Parren of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department joins Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland to talk about natural history and conservation of the Spiny Softshell Turtle. Listen to the story and watch a video »
Lake Fairlee Loons
September 25, 2017It’s been a record year for Vermont’s loons, and part of the success story happened on Lake Fairlee, where a pair of loons nested for the second consecutive year. Biologists Kent McFarland, Sara Zahendra and Eric Hanson headed out in canoes to take a look at the nesting sites and check on the loon chick. Join them as we learn the story of the Lake Fairlee loons and how volunteers are helping VCE and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department conserve Vermont’s loon population. Listen to the show »
Counting Bats
July 20, 2017Biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra join Alyssa Bennett from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, as well as two volunteer bat counters at Bomoseen State Park to count bats as they leave the maternity colony to forage for insects at dusk. Listen to the show »
Moth Watching
June 15, 2017Attracting, photographing, and identifying moths is a fun family activity. All you need are some lights and a sheet! Biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland went out into Kent's backyard watch moths and talk about the important role they play with naturalist JoAnn Russo. Listen to the show »
The American Woodcock
April 22, 2017The arrival of the American Woodcock is one of the exciting signs of spring in Vermont. Biologist Kent McFarland joined "The Mad Birders" on their annual Woodcock Walk in Moretown. Listen to the show »
Peering Into A Porcupine Den
March 18, 2017VCE biologists Kent McFarland, Sara Zahendra and Steve Faccio ventured into the woods on a blustery day to see a porcupine den that was big enough for a human to fit in – but not someplace you’d want to venture! Porcupines are armed with 30,000 sharp quills that, as Kent demonstrates, are hard to pull out. Join them on their prickly adventure. Listen to the show »
The Elusive Lynx
February 18, 2017Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra traveled by snowmobile into the wilderness of the Northeast Kingdom in hopes of spotting a Canada lynx or lynx tracks. They were joined at the Victory Basin Wildlife Management Area by Vermont Fish And Wildlife biologist Chris Bernier, technician Tony Smith, and Kim Royer, a Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Fish And Wildlife. Listen to the show »
Crows Come Home to Roost
January 20, 2017With the sun dropping below the hills the chase was on. We followed them as best we could, zig-zagging through traffic and city streets, as they streamed from the pre-roost towards their final destination. With the light fading fast, we found them. Thousands of crows, with more arriving by the second, gathered in the trees. Listen to the show »
Deer and Data
November 17, 2016Join Sara and Kent on a visit to a deer reporting station where they learn how biologists from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife collect data that helps manage the herd. Listen to the show and see images from the field trip »
Life in a Lodge
October 21, 2016VCE Biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland visit an old beaver lodge at the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier. Join them as they talk with Ken Benton, North Branch Naturalist and Educator, about beaver adaptations and how they are important keystone species. Inching through the mud, they also crawl inside the old lodge and see what it might be like to live in a beaver lodge. Listen to the show and see images from the field trip »
Monarchs in the Meadow
August 19, 2016In this edition of Outdoor Radio, biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland track Monarchs in the flower-filled fields of the Burlington Intervale. We'll learn how Monarchs migrate to Mexico and the challenges to their survival. Listen to the show »
A Pollinator Paradise At The Birds Of Vermont Museum
July 22, 2016The Birds of Vermont Museum in Huntington has created pollinator gardens to attract and support bees, butterflies, flies and other insects. VCE’s Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra visited the museum to talk about pollinators and plants with Executive Director Erin Talmage and Museum Educator Allison Gergely. Listen to the show »
The Future Of Vermont’s Lake Sturgeon
May 21, 2016In this edition of Outdoor Radio, VCE biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra join Chet MacKenzie from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to learn how biologists are trying help Lake Sturgeon thrive once again. Listen to the show »
Amphibian Crossing Guards Help with Migration
April 22, 2016Its an annual rite of spring for both amphibians and enthusiastic volunteers. Amphibians leave their underground winter home on rainy spring nights and migrate to nearby wetlands to reproduce. But along the way, they sometimes have to cross roads and if they're lucky, crossing guards are there waiting to help. Listen to the show »
An Elm Dating Service
March 18, 2016In this episode of Outdoor Radio, VCE biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland join scientists from the Nature Conservancy and local enthusiasts at the foot of a disease-resistant elm. Like an online elm dating site, they are matching resistant trees in hopes of restoring them to their former glory. Listen to the show »
Visit a Winter Deeryard with Outdoor Radio
February 25, 2016This month on Outdoor Radio we visit a winter deeryard. White-tailed Deer use these special woodlands to help them survive Vermont winters. Hike with us to a small deeryard and learn what makes deeryards and deer winter adaptations special. Listen to the show »
Walk with the Fisher on Outdoor Radio
January 22, 2016Join Outdoor Radio as they use the new-fallen snow to find the tracks of a Fisher and see what it was doing. Along they way, they'll dispel a few myths about Fisher and learn about some amazing natural history and adaptations. Listen to the show and learn more on our blog »
Being a Bird Brain May Not Be Bad
December 31, 2015This is the time of year when Black-capped Chickadees congregate at bird feeders, making their distinctive sound. These affable little birds are stashing away thousands of seeds for the winter. This month on Outdoor Radio, biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland are at McFarland’s feeder in Woodstock. They explain the unique adaptation that allows these birds to remember where they hide all those seeds. We’ll also learn about the hierarchy of Chickadee flocks and how to attract them to you when you’re out in the woods. Listen to the story »
A Storm of Geese
November 20, 2015Biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland visit Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area, a destination spot for bird watchers, to see thousands of snow geese that flock there each fall. Listen to the story »
The Phenology Of Fall
October 22, 2015We all learned the basics of how and why leaves change color in the fall. But on this edition of Outdoor Radio, we take a deeper look at the chemistry of fall foliage and take leaf peeping to a whole new level. Listen to the story »
In Search of the Endangered Eastern Timber Rattlesnake
September 24, 2015This month on Outdoor Radio biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra head to western Vermont in search of the endangered Eastern Timber Rattlesnake. Listen to the story »
Whip-poor-wills Singing on a Moonlit Night
July 16, 2015Biologists Kent McFarland and Sarah Zahendra head out to West Haven, Vermont at dusk to brave a cloud of mosquitos in search of the song of the threatened whip-poor-will. Listen to the Story »
Counting Terns
June 18, 2015Hard hats in hand, VCE biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra head to Lake Champlain. They are taking a boat to Papasquash Island, owned by Audubon Vermont, to help count Common Tern eggs and chicks on the island. Listen to the show »
Eye on an Eyrie
May 23, 2015Faster than a speeding train. Able to leap the Green Mountains in a single bound. It’s a bird, not a plane. It’s a Peregrine Falcon! Biologists Kent McFarland and Sarah Zahendra of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies recently took a trip to the Bolton Cliffs and joined Margaret Fowle, from Audubon Vermont in search of this lightning fast bird. List to the show »
A Vernal Explosion of Life
April 24, 2015On an early spring day, biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra stand in front of a vernal pool in Strafford. It’s noisy. Early spring heralds the return of life to the pools. Listen to the story »
The Winter-loving Gray Jay
March 26, 2015Surrounded by an abundance of snow and chickadees, biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra stand at the Victory basin with Bill Barnard, a professor at Norwich University, who has been studying Gray Jays for over 20 years. Listen to the story »
Exploring Life Above and Below the Ice
February 19, 2015Nordic skating, pond hockey, small planes landing and ice fishing – there’s a lot happening on Lake Morey’s ice.This month on Outdoor Radio, VCE biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland skate out and talked about life in the cold water below with some ice fisherman far out on the lake. Listen to Outdoor Radio on the ice »
Exploring the Trees On Vermont’s Highest Peak
January 22, 2015When you're on a ski lift or hiking up one of Vermont's mountains see if you can spot the different forest types while you climb up the mountainside. Outdoor Radio hosts Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland recently rode the gondola at Stowe Mountain Resort to check out the trees on Vermont's highest peak, Mount Mansfield. Join them on their trip and learn about mountain trees. Listen to Outdoor Radio »
Kinglets in the Cold
December 18, 2014Join Kent and Sara as they stalk the tiny Golden-crowned Kinglet on a frigid winter day and learn how these tiny songbirds survive the long winter night. Learn more and listen to the show »
Tracking the Northern Saw-whet Owl
November 20, 2014Join Kent and Sara as they capture, band and release migrating owls with naturalist Ken Benton at North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier, Vermont. Learn more and listen to the show »
Vermont's Cutest Critter
October 16, 2014Chipmunks may be Vermont's cutest critter, especially when their fat little cheeks are stuffed with seeds. This month on Outdoor Radio, we find out what they do with those seeds and learn how such a tiny creature survives a cold Vermont winter. Listen to the story »
Amazing Migration
September 18, 2014Putney Mountain is one of the high points in Vermont where bird watchers gather in early fall to see the migration of raptors and Monarch butterflies. Biologist Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra explain how they travel for hundreds of miles using as little energy as possible and they visit with some incredible volunteer hawk watchers. Listen to the story »
Jiminy Crickets and Katydids
August 21, 2014The evening chorus of crickets and katydids can evoke childhood memories of summer as we pause to listen to their distinct sound. But most of us know little about these insects. Known to biologists as Orthoptera (or-THROP-tir-ah), they can be found all over the world, except the poles. This month Outdoor Radio takes us to Pomfret to learn how crickets and katydids sing and the surprising way that they hear. Listen to the story »
Buzzzzzz
July 18, 2014This month on Outdoor Radio venture out into a meadow of wildflowers that is buzzing with bumble bees. Kent and Sara talk about the species found in Vermont, electrifying buzz pollination, and discuss what's threatening their populations. Listen to the story »
Dawn Chorus
June 19, 2014When the sun comes up, the dawn chorus erupts! Birds break out in song early in the morning, showing off their varied tunes and amazing vocal abilities. Sara and Kent visit the UVM Jericho Research Forest at 5:30 a.m. to listen, record and explain why and how birds sing. The program may help you identify some of the birds you can pick out of the chorus. And they demonstrate how the Wood Thrush can actually sing two notes at once! Listen to the show »
Peep Show
May 22, 2014When you drive past a pond in Vermont in the spring you'll hear the familiar sound of spring peepers. On this first edition of Outdoor Radio, Kent and Sara visit the Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock, Vermont and explain how that sound is like standing near a jet engine. We'll also learn about how peepers make that sound and the amazing way they survive a Vermont winter. Listen to the show »
