Field Guide to May 2026
May is filled with winged delights. Bobolinks will begin to grace Vermont’s larger hayfields, busy ground-nesting bees can be found in the bare sunny spots of our yards, and early spring butterflies are getting first dibs on the earliest spring flowers. It’s a great time to get outside and explore.
Field Guide to April 2026
After the long winter, flowers, colors, and insects are finally emerging in the Northeast. Our April Field Guide will give you a crash course on the blooms, bees, butterflies, (and ticks!) of early spring.
Field Guide to March 2026
Hibernation spans a broad physiological spectrum, from being completely conked out for 10 months underground to rousing occasionally to hunt or even breed in the deep snow of February. Here’s what, where, and how to find signs of life in this month’s most extreme conditions.
How to Find and Confirm Vernal Pools in Your Neighborhood
A proposed rule change puts unconfirmed vernal pools in Vermont in peril. Reporting vernal pools to the Vermont Vernal Pool Atlas ensures that they’re afforded regulatory protection. And you probably have one right in your neighborhood!
How States Like Vermont Fill the Gaps in Wetland Protection
Even with the rollback of federal protections, data still matter, especially at state and local levels. Thanks to VPMon and other research programs, VCE is able to contribute to evidence-based decision-making in Vermont and beyond.
A Bittersweet Goodbye to Steve Faccio
While intrigued by research questions and inspired by fieldwork, Steve’s focus has never wavered from applying his findings to guide conservation.
Terri Armata Receives VCE’s 2024 Julie Nicholson Community Science Award
Since her time as a neophyte butterfly watcher during the first Vermont atlas in 2002, Terri Armata has seen nearly every butterfly species known for Vermont. She has also documented…
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.
VPAtlas Places Statewide Vernal Pool Data at Your Fingertips
Conserving sensitive, vitally important ecosystems and natural communities, like vernal pools, is essential to addressing biodiversity loss. However, knowing vernal pools’ locations is a critical first step. The Vernal Pool Atlas (VPAtlas), a joint effort of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, is designed to do just that.
Field Guide to April 2023
In April, the northern forest is laid bare with cold desire, and our long-dormant senses awaken. Here’s our guide to some of the joys this month brings.
Field Guide to March 2023
On Wednesday, March 20th, at 5:24 PM EST, spring arrives in the north. The spring equinox marks the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator – an imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s equator – from south to north. It is also at spring equinox that people worldwide can see the sun rise exactly due east and set exactly due west. While the sun may be predictable, March weather is not. In fact, March is appropriately named for the Roman god of war, Mars. March is a month of battles between warm and cold, between winter’s refusal to leave and spring’s insistence on coming. So, here are some signs of spring to look out for in this Field Guide to March.
Field Guide to October 2022
October is a memorable month for many reasons. The leaves change from summer emerald to autumn auburn and gold. Creatures of all sizes flit and scurry as they prepare for winter. And people’s homes become adorned with carved pumpkins, cackling witches, and looming ghosts. This field guide highlights a handful of Vermont’s Halloween-themed biodiversity in honor of the season. But beware—some of nature’s marvels can be frightful.
