Sunset on the Green Mountains in February © Kent McFarland

This month, wildlife and the rest of us here in New England will cross a significant threshold: 10 hours of daylight. You can sense it when you head out in the morning. Northern Cardinals, House Finches, and Black-capped Chickadees are among the birds breaking into song, and Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers are starting to drum. Even though we’ve got lots more winter, at least the sound of spring is in the air. So here’s a Field Guide to February to keep your hopes up all day long.

Introducing ALL IN for Biodiversity

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) © Julie Filiberti

Who’s ALL IN for Biodiversity? VCE sure is, and we hope you are, too! In case you might have missed it, we invite you to read Executive Director Susan Hindinger’s introduction to this special fundraising campaign that’s building VCE’s capacity to deliver conservation outcomes.

You can learn more about how we’re investing in pioneering science, collaborating for conservation outcomes, and broadening our vision for community science on our website.

2023 Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist Report

A breakdown of all 2023 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist observations

The Vermont Atlas of Life (VAL) celebrated 10 years in 2023—and what a year it was! Together, Vermont's outstanding iNaturalists added over 200,000 new records to VAL on iNaturalist and helped us surpass one million observations. Check out the full report to see all of VAL's iNaturalist milestones from last year.

A Bobcat, illuminated by the winter evening sun, fixes its gaze across a snowy meadow.

© iNat user melissainvt

Congratulations to iNat user melissainvt for winning the January 2024 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! Their stunning image of a Bobcat in the snow received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.

Bobcats are one of Vermont’s most evocative mammalian predators, and encounters with this species tend to fall into two camps: the split-second view of one disappearing down a trail or bounding across a dirt road or the much more satisfying prolonged views of particularly bold Bobcats sauntering through backyards or engaging in intense stare-downs across open country. This month’s winning photo perfectly captures the feeling of that second scenario, with a handsome and healthy-looking Bobcat fixing its gaze across a field, perhaps deciding if the photographer should be viewed as a threat or merely another animal present on the landscape.

Vermonters can expect to see many more Bobcats in the coming months, though perhaps not in the way they might expect. The 2024 Vermont Habitat Stamp sports a stunning design featuring a Bobcat and a newly rediscovered orchid, the Small Whorled Pogonia, two icons of Vermont’s biodiversity that will benefit from funds raised by habitat stamp purchases. Get your Vermont Habitat Stamp today, and you can spot a Bobcat on your car, laptop, water bottle, or wherever else you display your love for Vermont’s flora and fauna.

Celebrating 20 Years of Vermont eBird

Still want more community science news after reading the Vermont Atlas of Life's iNaturalist report? Come check out our blog post celebrating the 20th anniversary of Vermont eBird! Who knows, you may just see a name you recognize as we list off the county and statewide winners.

Eastern Meadowlark Annual Project Report

Eastern Meadowlark nesting sign | VCE photo archives

Catch up on EAME project news in the 2023 Eastern Meadowlark project report! Throughout 2023, 75 observers submitted their meadowlark observations to the Vermont Eastern Meadowlark Monitoring Project. Using these 300+ observations, we estimated their population declined between 2% and 6% from 2022 to 2023. Check out the report for more details, and consider participating in 2024.

Join Us for March Suds & Science

Our next Suds & Science will feature Dr. Lilly Linden presenting "Frogs on Tea Bushes and Lessons From Fieldwork." Dr. Linden will talk to us about some novel genera of frogs from the Western Ghats of India. While several species of amphibians seemed to thrive in the heterogeneous agricultural landscapes she worked in, Dr. Linden will also discuss the challenges and unique opportunities of working in landscapes with high agricultural and tourist pressures. The event will take place at the Norwich Inn on March 6 at 7 p.m. in the front room.

If you want to see the full list of 2024 speakers, you can visit this page on our website. For those who can't make it, this event will also be professionally recorded and available soon after.

Thank You!

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) © Baron Briggs

We would like to take a moment to thank all of you in our wonderful VCE community! Your support is vital to continue to push the boundaries of conservation science, and we couldn't be more grateful! If you would like to help us make our conservation goals a reality, consider contributing either time or finances.

The Vermont Center for Ecostudies promotes wildlife conservation across the Americas using the combined strength of scientific research and community engagement. Find us online at vtecostudies.org.