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.
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.
Does No Mow May Invite Invasives and Ticks to Your Yard?
The term “No Mow May” seems to imply that helping our pollinators is as simple as that: not mowing. But there are drawbacks.
Vermont State Butterfly Proposed for Threatened Species Listing
For many Vermonters, Monarchs are a much-anticipated sign that summer is truly here. However, experts have long been growing concerned over declines in migratory Monarch populations. In December 2024, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officially proposed to list the species as Threatened.
2024 Field Season in Review
Wow, what a field season! Do we feel like that every year at VCE? Truthfully, yes, but this year is one for the books.
VCE Begins New Plant Provenance Project
To better understand how pollinators interact with plants from different provenances, VCE Conservation Biologists Desiree Narango and Ryan Rebozo have launched a new three-year project with the Native Plant Trust (NPT) with funding from the One Hive Foundation. Our new study involves establishing six experimental common gardens across the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire
VCE Lineup of 2024 Field Trips a Success!
This summer, VCE scientists and staff have had the incredible opportunity to share field experiences with community members through VCE’s free summer field trips. Field trips are a great opportunity to spend time with VCE scientists in their natural habitat. They provide a unique space for all levels of participation, from the enthusiast looking to learn more, to the complete novice.
Weekly Reflections from a Summer at VCE
Working with VCE this summer has been immensely rewarding, seeing the animals I love in person and seeing how environmental disturbance affects them in real life. Birds hold a special place in my heart (I have a somewhat unattainable goal of seeing every species in North America before I die), and I’m proud to say I added 42 new birds to my Life List this summer.
Smith Richardson Wildlife Preserve Visit
VCE has been busy this summer! In addition to asking cutting-edge ecological questions, we are also helping colleagues tackle their conservation problems. This summer, VCE conservation scientist Dr. Desiree Narango and the rest of the technician team have been helping Connecticut Audubon with a key wildlife preserve in Westport, Connecticut.
Searching for Butterflies: The West Virginia White
As VCE’s Spatial Science Intern, I spent my summer working with community science observations from several platforms, such as eButterfly and iNaturalist, to create a species distribution model for the West Virginia White in the state. This model incorporated bioclimatic variables and host-plant distributions to reveal areas within Vermont that may be suitable for these butterflies today and into the future.
Field Guide to June 2024
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 roll through the valleys as we lounge by the clear waters of a cold river. Choruses of birds wake us each morning. The smell of freshly cut grass wafts through the window. Enjoy this guide to some of the month’s delights as the dream of June comes true.
Field Guide to May 2024
The month of May is a show-off. Birds arrive on southern winds and liven the dawn with their chorus. Trees flower, and leaves burst from long-dormant buds. As pools and lakes awaken with new life, woodland wildflowers jump out of the ground to attract the attention of butterflies. Here’s your monthly guide to a month that shouts of life and rejuvenation.
