The term “No Mow May” seems to imply that helping our pollinators is as simple as that: not mowing. But there are drawbacks. *This article was first published last May and updated this spring. vtecostudies.org/blog/no-mow-...

Read VCE Data Scientist Michael T. Hallworth's newest blog post: vtecostudies.org/blog/how-your-winter-drinks-affect-our-wintering-songbirds

If you are a development professional who wants to make a difference for biodiversity, we'd love to hear from you! Join a growing development program at a respected organization with a passionate staff and a committed donor base. vtecostudies.org/jobs

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. tinyurl.com/5cpwr25p

Our series of fun, free, and family-friendly science talks is back! Join host Jason Hill and a series of dynamic presenters. February to May at The Norwich Inn. 7-8 pm. First up, Living in Meerkat Society: Grief, Lies, and Social Behaviors with Dana Williams vtecostudies.org/suds-and-sci...

VCE's Mike Hallworth is embarking on a new project! Funded by MassCEC, he and colleagues at National Audubon Society are mapping songbird migration routes and altitudes over the Atlantic to determine potential impacts of offshore wind. Read MassCEC's blogpost for more details.

We're hiring! We have more seasonal positions open for 2026. If you want to make a difference for biodiversity, or know someone who would be a great fit, head to our employment page to apply. vtecostudies.org/about-us/emp...

We're hiring for multiple seasonal positions! Want to make a difference for biodiversity? Seasonal staff and 2026 interns will be working with our passionate, dedicated scientists on a host of exciting projects this coming field season. Learn more and apply: vtecostudies.org/about-us/emp...

It's Giving Tuesday! Following a week of gratitude, we hope you consider including the Vermont Center for Ecostudies in your giving plans today. Your generosity powers rigorous science, community engagement, and wildlife conservation. Whatever you contribute, we thank you! vtecostudies.org/give/

The EPA is moving to limit the scope of the Clean Water Act, reducing the amount of wetlands protected. Here is how states like Vermont fill gaps in wetland protection. vtecostudies.org/blog/states-...

Stick season is here and bird migration is petering off, but don’t let that get you down. The chickadees are bopping around the feeders, and mammals are getting fat and cozy. There are still even butterflies to be found! Here’s what to look for in November. vtecostudies.org/blog/field-g...

Our goal is to reach 1 million research-grade observations in our Vermont Atlas of Life by the end of 2025. We're now just 500 observations away! iNat power users can help us get there! Head to VAL's iNat dashboard to start ID'ing! (ID to genus or family if you cannot ID to species.)

Wow! This community helped raise $14,107.25 for Bicknell's Thrush research! Predictions closed last Friday, but the race isn't over! Stay tuned with the map: tinyurl.com/2s3adkfc The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a program of Birds Canada and an international network of partners.

In a new article from the fall issue of our biannual magazine, Field Notes, VCE Communications Director Alden Wicker dives into VCE's history with Bicknell's Thrush, featuring an interview with our Director Emeritus Chris Rimmer. vtecostudies.org/blog/why-bic...

Our Field Guide to October is here. The leaves are turning and falling, bees are buzzing around the asters, and mushrooms are putting out their final fruit. Don't blink or you'll miss it! See what our scientists are thinking about this month. vtecostudies.org/blog/field-g...

More data has arrived, and the Bicknell's Thrush Race to the Atlantic is heating up! Tiny Tim and Teardrop Tommy were neck and neck on September 29th in the Mid-Atlantic, and the others are not far behind! Get in the race (or pick another bird to win) by October 17th! tinyurl.com/mv4h26r7

Which of the 19 birds our scientists tagged on Mt. Mansfield this summer will jump off the East Coast first? Make your prediction, support VCE research, and get the chance of winning custom merch: vtecostudies.org/wildlife/wil...

Ryan Norris (University of Guelph), Michael Hallworth (Vermont Center for Ecostudies), and Bill DeLuca (National Audubon Society) are seeking a PhD student to join their research team beginning May 2026 to study migration and demography of an iconic long-distance migratory songbird. 📷© Rick Nirschl

In This Class, the Teacher Wants You to Be Wild www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/r...

This summer, VCE Seasonal Biologist Kevin Dernier launched a project to understand how automated radiotelemetry can be used to study breeding behaviors in female Gray Catbirds. Read the full field report: vtecostudies.org/blog/the-secret-lives-of-catbirds/

Anna Peel just spent her second summer on Mount Mansfield as VCE's lead bird banding technician, and her recent field report brings the magic of Mansfield work with migratory birds to life.

Our Field Guide to September is here, and it features some unexpected southern migration stories. From Green Darner Dragonflies to Bicknell's Thrush, learn how VCE scientists are uncovering the mysteries of migrating species' annual cycles and how this knowledge can help conservation efforts.

Vermont's healthy loon population is certainly a success, but we can do even better. The threat posed by lead in our fishing gear remains. In a recent blog post, VCE intern Isabella Soddu shares why. Read the full article (it's very affecting).

Tomorrow is National Honey Bee Day, so naturally, we're talking about the importance of wild bees instead. VCE biologist Spencer Hardy studies native bees, which are often overshadowed by their domesticated cousins. Here he unpacks the nuanced answer to an uncommon question: "Are honey bees good?"

Have you seen a wakeboat on your lake? They create ocean-sized waves for wakeboarding. And for many, current rules on wakeboats may not go far enough to ease concerns about safe recreation and impacts on aquatic environments. Loons and their nests may especially be at risk.

Many of you have asked how recent federal actions have affected VCE’s work. Our Executive Director Susan Hindinger addresses those questions in a letter to our community.

In a soon-to-be-published VCE study, tick spraying was associated with a 5% to 30% immediate decline for most invertebrate groups, especially less mobile and soft-bodied arthropods, like native caterpillars that turn into moths and butterflies.

Our Field Guide to August is here! Read the full guide to see the things our biologists are looking forward to in August. vtecostudies.org/blog/field-g...

We love this NYT article highlighting community science and iNaturalist. Community science is at the heart of what VCE does, and iNaturalist is a foundational tool in VCE projects like VAL and the VT Butterfly Atlas. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/s...

Unlike iNaturalist, where photos or audio are required to reach “Research Grade” validation, eBird does not require physical evidence of most sightings. So how do we know that people saw what they say they saw? tinyurl.com/3yb9cymj 📷 © Craig K. Hunt (iNaturalist licensed under CC-BY-NC)

You can’t understand bird declines without also understanding insect declines. Grateful our work on insect-bird interactions was highlighted by Smithsonian Mag. If you love birds, think about whether your actions are helping the insects they need to survive. www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...

Dive into July's field guide and uncover the buzz, hum, and scuttle of summer. vtecostudies.org/blog/field-g...

VCE Conservation Biologist Desirée Narango speaks with WCAX's Ike Bendavid about the innovative, community-based common garden experiment to assess how plant provenance influences plant resilience, plant traits, and pollinator support. www.wcax.com/video/2025/0...

Want to make a difference for biodiversity? Are you early in your career in non-profit development? We are seeking a detail-oriented, highly organized Development Assistant to join our growing team in White River Junction, Vermont. For the full job posting: tinyurl.com/mrzbd38p

@dlnarango.bsky.social's entire backyard is a meadow of native plants that basically takes care of itself. "We have a beautiful, pristine habitat all around us that's sourcing a lot of really amazing native plants, and so I don't have to do anything..." www.bbc.com/future/artic...

Our June Field Guide is here! Read on to see what VCE scientists are talking about this month.

Thank you Northern Woodlands for featuring our program, Mountain Birdwatch in your Summer 2025 issue! And thank you Kateri Kosek for your the beautiful article that outlines the importance of monitoring projects such a this. northernwoodlands.org/articles/art...

What if you could look up exactly where a species has been found and where it’s likely to be found in the future? What if land stewards could use that information when creating conservation plans? VCE's Brian Kron and Mike Hallworth are helping them do just that in Vermont. tinyurl.com/bdh99th3

New paper! If trees are closely related, does it matter where they are from to plant-eating insects? We raised >950 Promethea moth caterpillars on 14 Prunus species to answer that question. Turns out, it matters a lot! Non-native trees = Lower performance OA paper here: doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...

We're looking for a new PhD student! Don't miss this great opportunity to work with Ryan Norris, Bill DeLuca, Michael Hallworth, and others to reveal the epic migration of Blackpoll Warblers from across the Boreal Forest. See the details here: https:/tinyurl.com/BLPWphd

We are always weirdly excited about bird research.

Happy No Mow May for those that celebrate it! Wait...do we celebrate it? Should we? Let's find out, courtesy of our staff biologist Amber Jones.

Celebrate spring migration with us! Pledge to support VCE's Greenmountain Goatsuckers or create your own birding team. vtecostudies.org/birdathon

What if you could camp overnight on a New England mountain and then do a sunrise hike...and protect birds while you're at it? We're recruiting for mountain hiking routes in the Adirondacks, Maine, and New Hampshire: vtecostudies.org/projects/mou...