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Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · 8d

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

vtecostudies.org

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · 12d

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

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · 18d

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

www.nytimes.com

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Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · 26d

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 ...

vtecostudies.org

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Sep 11

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.

vtecostudies.org

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Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Sep 3

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...

vtecostudies.org

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Aug 22

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.

vtecostudies.org

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Aug 15

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?"

Are Honey Bees Good? | Vermont Center for Ecostudies

As a wild bee biologist for VCE, I’ve spent the better part of the last five years studying, counting, and watching native bees, which are often overlooked in favor of their domesticated cousins.

vtecostudies.org

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Aug 7

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.

The Ripple Effect: Wakeboats Pose Risks to Loon Nests | Vermont Center for Ecostudies

For many, current rules on wakeboats, which create ocean sized waves for wakeboarding, may not go far enough to ease concerns about safe recreation and impacts on aquatic environments. Loons and their...

vtecostudies.org

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Aug 6

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.

A Letter From Our Executive Director: Prepared for This Moment | Vermont Center for Ecostudies

These are not normal times for science or conservation. And many of you have asked how recent federal actions have affected VCE’s work.

vtecostudies.org

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Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Aug 4

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.

Is Our Tick Anxiety Affecting Pollinators? | Vermont Center for Ecostudies

In a soon-to-be-published VCE study, tick spraying was associated with a five to 30% immediate decline for most invertebrate groups, especially less mobile and soft-bodied arthropods, like native cate...

vtecostudies.org

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Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Aug 1

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...

Field Guide to August 2025 | Vermont Center for Ecostudies

In August, birding efforts are fruitful if you know where to look. Berry-bearing trees and shrubs feed thrushes, waxwings, and bluebirds, while migrating shorebirds pause along gravel bars and mudflat...

vtecostudies.org

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Jul 31

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...

Citizen Scientists Are Accelerating Ecology Research, Study Suggests

www.nytimes.com

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Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Jul 30

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)

How eBird Vermont Checks Your Observations | Vermont Center for Ecostudies

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...

tinyurl.com

Reposted by Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Desirée L. Narango @dlnarango.bsky.social · Jul 1

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...

Scientists Are Tracking Worrying Declines in Insects—and the Birds That Feast on Them. Here's What's Being Done to Save Them Both

In Vermont, researchers have investigated the types of creepy, crawly bugs that their avian predators consume and may have found the answers to keeping them both alive

www.smithsonianmag.com

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Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Jul 7

Dive into July's field guide and uncover the buzz, hum, and scuttle of summer.

vtecostudies.org/blog/field-g...

Field Guide to July 2025 | Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Summer is the season to discover unsung (and often unseen) wildlife—like the wild bees, moths, and beetles who play vital roles in the ecosystem. Dive into July's field guide to learn more about these...

vtecostudies.org

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Jun 26

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...

Vt. scientists explore how plant seed provenance affects pollinators

www.wcax.com

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Jun 23

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

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Jun 16

@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...

Is it better to neglect your garden?

Gardens packed with blooming flowers are extremely popular. But are these highly curated creations actually helpful – or is it better to allow nature to take its own course?

www.bbc.com

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Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · Jun 2

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

Field Guide to June 2025 | Vermont Center for Ecostudies

With nice weather finally (finally?) upon us, many are turning their attention to outdoor adventure. Whether on a hike or in your backyard you may come across these early summer sites—montane birds at...

vtecostudies.org

Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · May 28

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...

Mountain Birdwatch: Tracking the Northeast’s… | Summer 2025 | Articles | Features

In late June, the route to the 3,839-foot summit of Plateau Mountain remained closed following a late spring storm that dumped heavy snow and ice,… This content is available in the magazine only. Pl...

northernwoodlands.org

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Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · May 27

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

How We’re Taking Species Mapping to the Next Level | Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Using Species Distribution Models based on observations submitted to the Vermont Atlas of Life by community scientists, in combination with environmental data collected by satellites, can help land st...

tinyurl.com

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Reposted by Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Desirée L. Narango @dlnarango.bsky.social · May 21

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...

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Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · May 5

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

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Vermont Center for Ecostudies @vtecostudies.bsky.social · May 5

We are always weirdly excited about bird research.

Desirée L. Narango @dlnarango.bsky.social · May 5

A student of mine is starting a new project on catbirds this summer and I am weirdly excited to learn more about these goobers

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