eNews | January 2023

First snowfall at dawn on Mount Tom © Kent McFarland

A Field Guide to January

Although the days are slowly growing longer, life in the Northeast now finds itself in the coldest depths of winter. January is about survival. Wildlife that doesn’t migrate adapts instead to make it to spring. Here are a few tidbits of natural history happening outdoors this month around you. Click here to read the full field guide to January.

Reflections from COP15

Part of VCE’s COP15 delegation (left to right): Emily Anderson, Mike Hallworth, and Susan Hindinger (Ryan Rebozo not shown here). © Susan Hindinger

VCE staff traded flannels and boots for suits and heels last month. The occasion? Attending the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) in Montreal, CA, where global entities met to finalize the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), a list of targets to address catastrophic biodiversity loss worldwide. Read about our experience at the event here.

VC-WE Want to Hear From You!

American Red Squirrel peaks around a tree trunk. © Kent McFarland

Please tell us what you think about content at VCE! Do you like our blogs and newsletters? What can we improve on? We'd love to know how our organization can serve you better. Thanks! The survey can be found here.

Thank You for a Stellar 2022!

The Mansfield crew on their last excursion of 2022 © Charles Gangas

We’d like to take a moment to thank you for your curiosity about the natural world and your enthusiasm for VCE’s work. You make it possible for us to do what we do best: research, monitor, and engage our community with the wonderful array of life in Vermont, New England, and beyond! We look forward to sharing the year ahead with you as we work harder than ever to make our conservation goals a reality.  Happy 2023!        VCE staff

Vermont Wild Bee Survey Talk at NH Audubon

Bounded Cuckoo Nomad © Spencer Hardy

Want to find out more about the results of our wild bee survey? Join our very own bee expert Spencer Hardy as he talks about coordinating the survey, the results, and some trials and tribulations we faced along the way. He'll cover the diversity of Vermont's 350+ wild bee species, as well as things we all can do to help these creatures. The talk will be held in Hanover High School's library January 17th, and a link to the event can be found here.

Photo-observation of the Month by Cynthia Crawford

An American Stoat stands out like a sore thumb against the brown hues of a warm Vermont winter. © Cynthia Crawford

Congratulations to Cynthia Crawford for winning the December 2022 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! Her photo of an American Stoat received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.  For the second month in a row, a snowy-white mustelid has won the top slot of photo-observation of the month! This time, with the tail of the weasel visible in photographs, we can be fairly certain that this species is Mustela richardsonii, also known as the American Stoat or Short-tailed Weasel. Looking at the surroundings of this stoat, we can see a classic example of what’s known as a phenological mismatch. In this case, the diminished snow cover across much of Vermont this winter has rendered this species’ sparkling white camouflage nearly useless. With the amorphous white landscape of snow replaced at least for now by brown tangles of sticks and thickets, this weasel will have to be extra cautious to avoid predators and sneak up on its prey successfully. Visit the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist where you can vote for the winner this month by clicking the ‘fave’ star on your favorite photo-observation. Make sure you get outdoors and record the biodiversity around you, then submit your discoveries and you could be a winner!

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

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