Kent McFarland, Director
A co-founder of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and director of the Vermont Atlas of Life, Kent McFarland is a conservation biologist, photographer, writer and naturalist. Kent has been on the State Advisory Group for Invertebrates for the Vermont Endangered Species Committee since 2002. In 2016, Kent was presented with the Sally Laughlin Award for the Conservation of Endangered and Threatened Species by the State of Vermont Endangered Species Committee. He is also a GBIF Biodiversity Open Data Ambassador, a corps of professionals advocating best practices in open sharing and transparent use of biodiversity data. Kent started and continues to manage eBird Vermont, the first portal, in 2003. He co-developed co-leades e-Butterfly.org, a platform for recording and counting butterfly populations around the world. Profile »
Mike Hallworth, Data Scientist
Mike is a wildlife ecologist and VAL data scientists. His research has a strong applied conservation component that aims to 1) reveal the mechanisms that drive behavior, life-history and demographics of wildlife populations, 2) identify where migratory individuals and populations are throughout the year to better inform conservation and 3) determine when and where wildlife populations are limited. Through the combined use of field research and sophisticated modeling techniques, Mike’s research has helped inform conservation efforts across geographic and political boundaries. Profile »
Spencer Hardy, VTBEES Project Coordinator
Spencer is the current coordinator for the Vermont Bee Atlas, an ambitious project of the Vermont Atlas of Life to catalog all of the wild bee species in the state. While in the field chasing bees, Spencer enjoys cataloging under appreciated taxa like deer flies, fungi, and crayfish. Profile »
Jason Loomis, Senior Software Developer
Jason enjoys the challenge of designing and building physical and virtual objects that work well and will last. He holds a BA in Physics from the University of Vermont, and has over twenty years of experience as a software developer, both as consultant and employee. Jason is putting all his skills to work helping VAL with open-source software infrastructure initially developed by the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA), which is now a critical component of the Global Biodiversity Information Infrastructure (GBIF) international network. Stay tuned to be dazzled by some amazing tools here at the Vermont Atlas of Life! Profile »
Amber Jones
Amber received her undergraduate degree in Resource Ecology with a minor in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont in 2021. She started at VCE as a tick technician for the Upper Valley Tick Project in 2023 and now assists with several projects as a Staff Biologist. A naturalist at heart, her love and enthusiasm for nature eventually evolved into a particular fondness for insect ecology. Profile »
Brian Kron, Postdoctoral Researcher
Brian is a wildlife ecologist with a special interest in amphibians and reptiles, working on mapping the distribution of Vermont wildlife across the state to help direct conservation efforts. Profile »
Dana Williams, Community Science Coordinator
Dana is a naturalist and biologist with a general interest in the flora and fauna of New England. She enjoys connecting people with opportunities to contribute to conservation through projects like the Vermont Atlas of Life. Profile »
