September morning © Kent McFarland

It can happen almost anywhere. In your backyard on a cool, foggy morning after fall warblers have dropped from their nocturnal migratory flights. Or along a big river some evening when you notice Common Nighthawks moving south. Or on a hilltop when Broad-winged Hawks circling above and Monarchs gliding southward convince you that summer is indeed coming to a close. Life is on the move. Read about it in your Field Guide to September. 

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We try to highlight the very best of each month in eNews, but there is so much that goes on here at VCE! Many wonderful stories, tidbits, and project updates never make their way to the newsletter, but they do go up on our blog. Subscribe to the VCE blog to never miss an update! Just head over to our website and click on the "Blog" button at the top of the page.

Long-term Monitoring Takes Long-term Support and

We're in it for the Long Haul!

Jefferson Salamander egg mass © Jac Huettenmoser

For over 30 years VCE's conservation biologists, community scientists, and partners have mapped and monitored hundreds of species, gathering baseline information and tracking changes over time. Not bound to specific taxa or habitats, we work on projects like the Forest Bird Monitoring Program, Mountain Birdwatch, the Vermont Loon Conservation Project, the Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas, and the Vermont Atlas of Life. These endeavors are important because they provide both a snapshot in time and reveal trends in wildlife populations. Sustained, long-term monitoring projects like these are essential if we are to understand effects of development, climate change, invasive species, and other stressors on Vermont’s biodiversity and inform strategies to mitigate their impact.

We’re in this for the long haul. Will you join us by becoming a VCE Sustainer today?

Sustainers give monthly or quarterly gifts to support VCE’s research and long-term monitoring projects, building a consistent foundation for the high-quality science that is our hallmark. However you choose to contribute, please know that we deeply appreciate your support for VCE and your commitment to wildlife conservation.

A freshly metamorphosed Gray Treefrog shows off its beautiful green coloration and sticky toe-pads. © Erin Talmage

Congratulations to Erin Talmage for winning the August 2023 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! Her adorable photo of a young Gray Treefrog (or perhaps Treefroglet?) received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.

Late summer is the best time of year in Vermont to be on the lookout for teeny-tiny recently metamorphosed Gray Treefrogs and Spring Peepers. Once they’ve shed their tadpole tail and sprouted legs, these froglets will emerge from the ponds and wetlands they grew up in to explore the surrounding landscape. If you’re out for a walk by your local pond or wetland, keep an eye out for these minuscule amphibians clinging to vegetation with their sticky toe pads. Those who have been lucky enough to see an adult Gray Treefrog will notice that this recently metamorphosed individual does not yet have the gray, warty skin of an adult; in this early stage of development, a Gray Treefrog’s skin is primarily smooth and emerald green. In a few weeks though, this little frog will fully grow into its Latin name of Hyla versicolor, becoming a warty, lichen-patterned adult Gray Treefrog with the ability to shift its coloration from whitish to gray to green and black. To learn more about freshly metamorphosed frogs and see more photos, check out the Vermont Reptile & Amphibian Atlas' latest Herp Update. Then visit the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist, where you can vote for a September winner by clicking the ‘fave’ star on your favorite photo observation. Make sure to get outdoors and record the biodiversity around you. If you submit your discoveries, you too 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.