Bees buzzing, migratory birds arriving, lady beetles emerging from hibernation–there's so much action unfolding outdoors right now! Celebrate the spectacle of spring phenology in VCE's Field Guide to May. Visit our blog to learn more.
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Seeking Landowners to Help with New Powerlines and Pollinators Study |
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Just as hayfields are essential habitat for grassland birds like Bobolinks, consensus is building that the scrubby open habitat maintained under utility rights-of-way (ROW) plays an important role in the conservation of a diverse suite of wildlife. This summer, VCE is launching a collaborative research project with Vermont’s largest electric utility, Green Mountain Power, to study how common rights-of-way management practices affect pollinator populations.
We aim to make recommendations for pollinator-friendly rights-of-way management techniques across New England. This work could have significant conservation impacts, as Green Mountain Power alone manages over 12,000 miles of rights-of-way. We need your help, landowners! We’re looking to connect with landowners in north-central Vermont with ROWs on their property about conducting weekly surveys for pollinators this summer. Learn more about the project and how you can participate on the VCE blog.
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Watch VCE Presentations from the
2021 Northeast Natural History Conference
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VCE staff members Spencer Hardy, Jason Hill, Chris Rimmer, Nathaniel Sharp, and ECO AmeriCorps member Julia Pupko presented at this year's virtual Northeast Natural History Conference (NENHC) April 15-18, 2021. Their presentations were pre-recorded and are now available for you to enjoy! Grab some popcorn and visit the VCE blog for brief descriptions and links to each recording.
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Join Us for Backyard Bird Quest 2021
Saturday, May 22
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Spring is here, and signs of seasonal renewal are emerging daily. For all of us at VCE, anticipation of spring migration signals another cherished annual event–Birdathon!
This year, like last, the pandemic requires us to limit gatherings and travel. So, VCE’s dedicated staff team, the Green Mountain Goatsuckers, will again stick close to home and Backyard Bird Quest instead, and we invite you to join us from your neck of the woods.
In this one-day blitz, we hope to set a new single-day Vermont record of 200 identified species and 1,000 Vermont eBird checklists, and raise funds to support VCE’s wildlife conservation work. To accomplish these ambitious goals, we will surely need your help.
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Vermont Loon Conservation Project
Loon-wear is Here!
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VCE's Vermont Loon Conservation Project has rolled out a new line of loon attire! These striking T-shirts and sweatshirts feature the amazing artwork of artists Katama Murray and AnnaLisa Mayer. Katama's digital drawing of a loon placidly floating on the water adorns the front, and AnnaLisa's lineoleum block print of a loon wing-flap graces the back.
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Tribute to Steve Parren:
Conservation Champion and VCE Friend
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Steve Parren with a wood turtle.
Photo courtesy of Molly Parren via Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.
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After 35 years of extraordinarily devoted service to conserving Vermont’s non-game wildlife, Steve Parren will soon hang up his trademark green Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department jacket for… well, whatever pursuits inspire him next. One of Vermont’s all-time conservation champions and a longtime, close VCE ally, Steve has been a relentless force for sound, science-based conservation of all wildlife in Vermont—from mud puppies to monarchs, turtles to tiger beetles, Osprey to Upland Sandpipers. Read VCE Excecutive Director Chris Rimmer's tribute to Steve on our blog.
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NEW Website Resource:
Take Action for Wildlife
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Take action by recording your avian observations on eBird. © Karen Bourque |
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Nature needs our help. If each of us took one small action to help vulnerable wildlife and the places they live, our combined efforts could result in tremendously positive impacts. But, researching what steps you can take to benefit wildlife can be daunting (and confusing). To help you spend less time sleuthing and more time acting, we've set up a resource page just for you! Visit our Take Action for Wildlife page to learn about ways you can help wildlife and wild places recover and thrive. Check back often, and please share this page widely. We'll update it regularly as new resources and opportunities become available.
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Photo-observation of the Month
North American Medicinal Leech by Erin Talmage
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Underwater photo of a North American Medicinal Leech feeding on Wood Frog eggs. © Erin Talmage |
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As surreal as this scene looks, predation of wood frog eggs by leeches is actually a relatively common occurrence. Visit the VCE Blog for more info and view fantastic images of the runners-up in the April 2021 Photo-observation of the Month!
Visit the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist, where you can vote for the winner this month by clicking 'fav' 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!
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The Vermont Center for Ecostudies promotes wildlife conservation across the Americas using the combined strength of scientific research and citizen engagement. Find us online at: vtecostudies.org
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