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...

Do you know a kid age 8-14 who has bird nerd potential? VCE is helping launch an Upper Valley Youth Birding Club, and it meets for the first time this Sunday! Only five spots left, register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

New PhD position available on blackpoll warblers with fieldwork in the boreal forest and tropics. @audubon.org @birdscanada.bsky.social @vtecostudies.bsky.social

If you’ve recently opened eBird or Merlin, you might have noticed the Hoary Redpoll disappeared, or that other species suddenly have “Northern” or “American” in front of the name. This isn’t a result of passing birding trends. It’s a matter of scientific accuracy. vtecostudies.org/blog/new-nam...

We're looking for birders (beginner to expert) to help us monitor Eastern Whip-poor-wills in Vermont in May and June! Find out more: vtecostudies.org/projects/for...

Join us in the field this spring and summer for our biologist-led Field Trips! Our first one is coming up *this Saturday* April 26th, with VCE biologist Kevin Tolan, who will take you out to see vernal pools in Woodstock, VT. vtecostudies.org/field-trips

VCE's Kevin Tolan will share the origin of North American grasslands, the threats they experience, and local conservation opportunities in an online webinar hosted by Green Mountain Audubon Society. Register to attend: greenmountainaudubon.org/events (📸 Chris Roberts on iNaturalist)