A Field Guide to September
Sorry, summer is over, but autumn is spectacular here in the Northeast and wildlife is on the move. So here’s your field guide to some of life slowing down just a little bit and some on the move in September.
I Tasted a Moth and It was Awful
Seriously, don’t do this at home. I tasted a frothy moth secretion last night and it was downright awful. I’ve heard for years that these tiger moths were wildly and brightly marked to warn predators of their awful taste, so I had to try it myself.
Outdoor Radio: A Pollinator Paradise At The Birds Of Vermont Museum
The 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. Listen to the show and explore the amazing images…
A Flower Trap
Support Kent McFarland’s research and other exciting conservation projects by making a donation to Vermont Center for Ecostudies! Learn about other ways to support VCE here. With its foot stuck in a…
A Field Guide to June 2016
Here in Vermont, we dream of June during the darkest days of January. Verdant wooded hillsides glowing brightly under a robin egg sky. Warm afternoon breezes rolling through the valleys as we lounge by the clear waters of a cold river. The chorus of birds waking us each morning. June is a dream, and here are some of its natural history wonders.
Vermont Butterfly Big Year Takes Flight
With the help of an army of citizen scientists, we aim to record every species of butterfly in Vermont this year. It’s a blend of science, education, competition, enjoyment, and a quest to monitor the changing nature of the state. Join the Big Year!
A Field Guide to December
Fear not, during these short days and long nights of December, we’re still finding plenty of life in the fading light. Once we pass the winter solstice more light will begin to creep back into our lives. Until then, here’s some wintry natural history.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept Announces Strategic Plan to Conserve Wildlife
MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has released a draft Wildlife Action Plan that lays out the state’s strategic vision for conserving species during the next ten…
Sex, Drugs and Bees: plant chemistry and pollinators
Many plants rely on flower visits by pollinators such as bees in order to reproduce. When bees consume nectar and pollen, they must cope with naturally occurring plant secondary chemicals,…
Choose Native Plants When Landscaping
Beyond the beauty new gardens provide, landscapers can make a big difference for wildlife with the plants they choose.
‘Nature’s Medicine Cabinet’ Helps Bumble Bees Reduce Disease Load
Researchers studying the interaction between plants, pollinators and parasites report that in recent experiments, bees infected with a common intestinal parasite had reduced parasite levels in their guts after seven days if the bees also consumed natural toxins present in plant nectar.
Bee Foraging Chronically Impaired by Pesticide Exposure
A study co-authored by a University of Guelph scientist that involved fitting bumblebees with tiny radio frequency tags shows long-term exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide hampers bees’ ability to forage…
