Even the most confident naturalists need some help identifying plants, animals, and fungi from time to time. That is why we compiled this list of helpful resources. Whether you want to learn how to recognize Vermont bee species or differentiate between grasses, we are sure that there is a resource waiting to assist you.
Can’t find a resource on the topic you’re curious about? Don’t see your favorite guide on our list? Then please send us an email! We are always looking for new suggestions.
Birds
- All About Birds – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Birds’ Nests: A Field Guide by Richard Headstrom
- Merlin Bird ID
- Sibley Guides and Apps
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – The Feather Atlas
- The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds of Vermont
Reptiles and Amphibians
- The amphibians and reptiles of New York State: identification, natural history, and conservation by Gibbs, J.P., A.R. Breisch, P.K. Ducey, G. Johnson, J.L. Behler, and R.C. Bothner.
- The Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas website by James S. Andrews
Botany
General
- GoBotany
- New Flora of Vermont by Arthur Gilman
- Wetland, Woodland, Wildland by Elizabeth Thompson, Eric Sorenson and Robert Zaino
- The Northern Forest Atlas Guides by Jerry Jenkins
- Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel
Trees and Shrubs
- A Beginner’s Guide to Recognizing Trees of the Northeast by Mark Mikolas
- Bark by Michael Wojtech
- Fruit Key and Twig Key to Trees and Shrubs (Fruit Key to Northeastern Trees and Twig Key to the Deciduous Woody Plants of Eastern North America) by William Harlow PhD
- The Sibley Guide to Trees
- Woody Plants in Winter A Manual of Common Trees and Shrubs in Winter in the Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada by Earl Core and Nelle Ammons
Grasses, Sedges, Rushes
- Field Guide to Carex of New England by Lisa Standley
- Grasses: An Identification Guide by Lauren Brown
- Grasses and Rushes of Maine by Eric Doucette, Glen Mittelhauser, Matt Arsenault, and Don Cameron
- Grasses of the Northeast by Dennis Magee
- Sedges of Maine: A Field Guide to Cyperaceae by Sally Rooney, Jill Weber, Arthur Haines, Alison Dibble, Don Cameron, Glen Mittelhauser, and Matt Arsenault
- Sedges of the Northern Forest – A Digital Atlas
Wildflowers
- New England Wild Flower Society’s Flora Novae Angliae
- Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb
- Wildflowers of New England by Ted Elliman
Bryophytes/Mosses/Liverworts
- Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians by Karl McKnight, Joseph Rohrer, and Kirsten McKnight Ward
- Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts A Field Guide to Common Bryophytes of the Northeast by Ralph Pope
- Liverworts of New England: A Guide for the Amateur Naturalist by Mary S. G. Lincoln
Ferns and Allies
- Northeast Ferns: A Field Guide to the Ferns and Fern Relatives of the Northeastern United States by Steve W. Chadde
Fungi and Lichens
- Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada by Timothy J. Baroni
- MushroomExpert.com by Michael Kuo
- Common Lichens of Northeastern North America by McMullin and Anderson
- The Macrolichens of New England by Hinds and Hinds
- Lichens of North America by Brodo, Sharnoff, and Sharnoff
Entomology
General
- BugGuide
- Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification
- Field Guide to Insects of North America by Eric R. Eaton and Kenn Kaufman
- Milkweed Specialist Insects Guide by Abbie Castriotta
Ants
- A Field Guide to the Ants of New England by Aaron M. Ellison, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Elizabeth J. Farnsworth, and Gary D. Alpert
Bees and Wasps
- Bees of Maryland: A Field Guide
- Bees of Canada (photos)
- Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification – The Bee Genera of Eastern Canada
- Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification – Wasps
- Discover Life Key – Bee genera
- Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide by Paul H. Williams, Robbin W. Thorp, Leif L. Richardson, and Sheila R. Colla
- Pocket Guide to Bumble Bees of New England by Abbie Castriotta
- Illustrated Guide to Bumble Bees of New England: Quick Reference by Abbie Castriotta
- VT Bumble Bees Through Binoculars
- VT Wild Bee Guide
- BeeMachine – classifies 36 North American bumble bee species using photographs and AI
- Common Bees of Eastern North America by Olivia Messinger Carril and Joseph S. Wilson
- Social Wasps of North America by Chris Alice Kratzer
Beetles
Lady Beetles
Tiger Beetles
Jewel Beetles
Fireflies
- Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs: Identification and Natural History of the Fireflies of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada by Lynn Frierson Faust.
- Firefly Watch: Flash Patterns to Common Fireflies.
- Firefly Watch: detailed guide to flash patterns
Dragonflies and Damselflies
- A Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts by Blair Nikula, Jennifer Loose, and Matthew Burne
- Damselflies of the Northeast a Guide to the Species of Eastern Canada & the Northeastern United States by Ed Lam
- Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin Park and the Surrounding Area by Colin Jones, Andrea Kingsley, Peter Burke, and Matt Holder
- Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East by Dennis Paulson
Flower Flies
- Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification – Flower Fly genera
- Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America by Jeffrey H. Skevington, Michelle M. Locke, Andrew D. Young, Kevin Moran, William J. Crins, and Stephen A. Marshall
- Fly Guide by Zachary and Even Dankowicz
Butterflies and Moths
- Moth Photographers Group
- Wisconsin Butterflies
- Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David Wagner
- Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America by Jeffrey Glassberg
- Butterflies Through Binoculars: The East by Jeffrey Glassberg
- Butterflies of the East Coast: An Observer’s Guide by Rick Cech and Guy Tudor
- Peterson’s Field Guide to Moths of NE North America by David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie
- Butterflies of North America by Jim Brock and Kenn Kaufman
- Sharon Wander’s Grass Skippers Tops Guide
Introduced Species
Mammals
General
- Discover Life
- Peterson Field Guides
- Wetland, Woodland, Wildland by Elizabeth Thompson, Eric Sorenson and Robert Zaino
