As a volunteer for VCE, you need not scale high peaks to count songbirds. But we wouldn't mind if you did. We won't ask you to leap into a cold lake to place a loon nesting platform. But it would great if you were into that sort of thing. And if you don't know a fern from a fritillary, we don't mind.
Did you know that you don’t need a background in science to be a Community Scientist? From backyards and bogs to mountains and meadows, you'll find many ways to get involved and make a real contribution to wildlife conservation. If you'd rather not muck around a swamp or hike to a summit, you can still volunteer for VCE – even from the comfort of home.
Which Community Science Project is Right for You?
Here are some options for you to explore. At VCE, our community science projects often fall into one of two categories: crowd-sourced projects and directed projects. Crowd-sourced projects can be completed anywhere, at any time, and involve contributing observations to an online platform. Directed projects are overseen by a VCE staff member and require following certain parameters (date, location, survey method, etc.).
You’ll find more information by following the links listed for each project – or feel free to email us at with your questions. We hope you’ll join us!
Crowd-sourced Community Science Projects
e-Butterfly
Beginner to expert. A real-time, online checklist and photo storage program, e-Butterfly is providing a new way for the butterfly community to report, organize and access information about butterflies in North America. Help us track butterfly populations across North America on e-Butterfly, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life. Visit e-Butterfly »
Vermont eBird
Beginner to expert. A real-time, online checklist program, Vermont eBird has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds. A simple and intuitive web-interface allows thousands of participants to submit their observations and view results via interactive queries into the eBird database. Help us track bird populations across the state using Vermont eBird, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life. Visit Vermont eBird »
iNaturalist Vermont
Beginner to Expert. From backyards to mountain summits, join hundreds of other community naturalists and biologists as we document and share biodiversity at iNaturalist Vermont, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life. Visit iNaturalist Vermont »
Vermont Atlas of Life Missions
Beginner to expert. From birds to butterflies and everything in between, join one of our biodiversity missions. Naturalists of all ages and abilities from around the Green Mountain State are helping us monitor Vermont life. Vermonters have long upheld a tradition of documenting biodiversity. The VAL missions are projects that are short in duration and easy for just about anyone to join and contribute observations for science and conservation. Pick one, or several, and join the community! Learn more »
Phoenix Project
Beginner to expert. We have priceless paper-based bird observation records from nearly a century ago through the 1990s. They become even more valuable when they join the vast data we now have in eBird. Our corps of virtual naturalists help us enter these observations into the digital record. Contact us at if you'd like to learn more about this project!
Directed Community Science Projects
RECRUITING: Eastern Whip-poor-will Project
Beginner to expert. We conduct surveys in May and June. Keen listening, a vehicle to travel between roadside survey points, and the willingness to survey after dark are needed. Learn more »
RECRUITING: Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas (2023-2027)
Beginner to expert. Join us as we search fields and fens, mountains and meadows, even your own backyard, to document the status of Vermont butterflies. The 2nd Vermont Butterfly Atlas is a rare opportunity for us to understand long-term trends in butterfly populations and prescribe conservation actions to both keep common species common and reverse the trends for those in trouble. Learn more »
RECRUITING: Mountain Birdwatch
Competent to expert birders. Choose from more than 100 montane hiking routes across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine and survey 3-6 points on a hiking trail any morning in June for ten montane bird species and red squirrels. We are currently recruiting for northern New Hampshire and Maine. Learn more »
RECRUITING: Vermont Forest Bird Monitoring
Expert birders: Volunteer observers must possess excellent bird identification skills by sight or by sound, and be capable of identifying the majority of songbird species that breed in Vermont forests. They must also be capable of hiking on variable terrain, often without trails, and navigating with GPS and/or map and compass. Help track long-term changes in populations of interior forest songbirds. Initiated in 1989, the FBMP is now one of the continent’s longest-running studies of forest bird population trends. Because this is a long-term monitoring program, we are most interested in participants who can make a multi-year commitment to the project. Currently we have vacancies at four of our 30 study sites in Vermont: May Pond in Barton (Northeast Kingdom), Sugar Hollow in Pittsford (Rutland area), Steam Mill Brook WMA in Stannard (North of St. Johnsbury), and Concord Woods in North Concord (St. Johnsbury area). The total time commitment is approximately 6-8 hours total during June and July. Learn more »
NOT RECRUITING: Upper Valley Backyard Tick Project
Let us come survey your property this spring or summer to count ticks and also butterflies, bees and other insects. Our research goal is to understand if commercially-applied tick chemical control measures have unintended consequences for beneficial insect communities and pollinators. Anyone in or adjacent to the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont that has a regularly-mowed grassy lawn are welcome to participate. We’re looking for residential or commercial properties to serve as Controls (those that are not sprayed for ticks) and as Treatments (those that you have commercially sprayed/fogged/misted for ticks with either traditional pesticides or essential oils). Learn more »
NOT RECRUITING: Vermont Vernal Pool Monitoring Project
Beginner to expert. Volunteers will visit “adopted” pools on an annual basis to assess biological and physical metrics. Ongoing monitoring will help assess the health of these vital wetlands. Learn more »
NOT RECRUITING: Vermont Vernal Pool Atlas
Beginner to expert. Like geocaching or a treasure hunt, volunteers help to “field-verify” suspected pools, most of which we have identified by viewing aerial photos of Vermont and picking out spots that appear to be pools. Learn more »
NOT RECRUITING: LoonWatch
Beginner to expert. LoonWatch volunteers can join us for a single day during our annual loon count in July or can monitor a lake or pond on a regular basis. In each case, LoonWatchers provide VCE with essential data on the management, protection and continued recovery of Common Loons across Vermont. Learn more »
NOT RECRUITING: Vermont Loon Conservation Project
Beginner to expert. Help rescue injured loons, respond quickly to lake for a survey, help build and place nest warning signs and rafts, and more. Learn more »
NOT RECRUITING: Vermont Breeding Bird Survey
Expert birders. A cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and the Canadian Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Research Centre to monitor the status and trends of North American bird populations. Following a rigorous protocol, BBS data are collected by thousands of dedicated participants along thousands of randomly established roadside routes throughout the continent. VCE coordinates and surveys routes across Vermont. Learn more »
NOT RECRUITING: Adopt a Plant Project
Beginner to expert. By collecting data on plant growth and insect activity, participants can help us gather more conclusive evidence on the relationship between plant ecotype and pollinator support. Learn more »
