Read about their return, which birds have been detected or caught, and what we're learning from the data they carry. vtecostudies.org/blog/bicknel...
Bicknell’s Thrush Are Back on Mount Mansfield!
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Uniting People and Science for Conservation.
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-...
Does No Mow May Invite Invasives and Ticks to Your Yard?
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Read VCE Data Scientist Michael T. Hallworth's newest blog post: vtecostudies.org/blog/how-your-winter-drinks-affect-our-wintering-songbirds
How Your Winter Drinks Affect Our Wintering Songbirds
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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
Field Guide to February 2026 | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
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, wh...
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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.
Mass Clean Energy Center@masscec.bsky.social · 7mo agoWritten by Senior Program Manager Zach Jylkka, this blog post launches #OceanScienceFieldNotes, our new series spotlighting the research shaping the future of offshore wind. Check it out: www.masscec.com/blog/introdu...
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-...
How States Like Vermont Fill the Gaps in Wetland Protection | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Even with the rollback of federal protections, data still matter, especially at state and local levels. Thanks to VPMon and other research programs, VCE is able to contribute to evidence-based decisio...
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vtecostudies.org/blog/bernie-...
Bernie Paquette Receives the 2025 Julie Nicholson Community Science Award | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
VCE bee biologist Spencer Hardy first met Bernie Paquette at the 2019 Jericho-Underhill Christmas Bird Count. Paquette had long since retired from his career at IBM in Essex Junction, but had only rec...
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How to Become an Ecologist | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
One day, I sent my mom a photo of me holding a freshly banded bird. She texted back: “That’s the face of someone who’s found what they love to do.” I hadn’t realized it until then, but she was right. ...
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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...
Field Guide to November 2025 | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
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 butt...
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vtecostudies.org/blog/we-dont...
Why We Don’t Hoard Data | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
In the past, many scientists viewed the data that they collected as something belonging to them, sometimes guarding it zealously out of fear that they would be scooped by another scientist or with a s...
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vtecostudies.org/blog/states-...
How States Like Vermont Fill the Gaps in Wetland Protection | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Even with the rollback of federal protections, data still matter, especially at state and local levels. Thanks to VPMon and other research programs, VCE is able to contribute to evidence-based decisio...
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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...
Why Bicknell’s Thrush? | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
How one elusive bird inspired generations of biologists—and helped create Vermont Center for Ecostudies.
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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...
Field Guide to October 2025 | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Nature is putting on its final, colorful autumn show. 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...
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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...
Bicknell’s Thrush Race to the Atlantic! | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
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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...
In This Class, the Teacher Wants You to Be Wild
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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/
Field Report: The Secret Lives of Catbirds: Uncovering Nesting Behavior with Tracking Technology | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
We're studying how we can track the behavior of these skulky, secretive birds. With luck and persistence, we may be able to piece together how the reproductive burden affects females season-to-season ...
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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.
Field Report: How the Birds Are Doing on Mount Mansfield This Summer | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Our Slate-Colored Junco capture numbers are half of what they were last year, although all of our other target species are visiting our nets at roughly the same or higher rates as 2024.
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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.
Field Guide to September 2025 | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
As the weather begins to shift, we turn our attention to migration. From Green Darner Dragonflies to Bicknell's Thrush, learn how VCE scientists are uncovering the mysteries of migrating species' annu...
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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).
Legal Lead Fishing Gear Is Still Killing Loons | Vermont Center for Ecostudies
I watched Mark Pokras, a seasoned veterinarian from Tufts University, pull a jig out of the loon's gizzard. “If you can scrape the top layer, it's probably lead,” he explained.
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