Newsfeed Archives

Vermont eBirders Gather Big Bird Data During County Quest

From day one when eBirders reported an incredible 73 bird species on a cold winter day to a Say's Phoebe, a rare visitor found in late November, Vermont birders scoured the state to discover as many bird species as possible during the 9th annual Vermont eBird County Quest, and set some records along the way. 2019 marked the 16th year for Vermont eBird, the first state or provincial portal for eBird. Bird watchers have shared an astounding number of checklists, making Vermont eBird (a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life) the largest citizen science biodiversity project in the state. Nearly 8,825 Vermont eBirders have submitted just under 375,000 complete checklists, representing all 385 species of birds ever reported from Vermont. We’ve added almost 75,000 images, over 4,700 sound recordings, and 10 videos to Vermont checklists, creating an incredible open access resource. Read the entire year in review and learn about the 2019 County Quest champions on the VCE Blog »

2019 Norwich Bird Quest Racks up 177 Species

From transient winter visitors like Bohemian Waxwings, Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls to splashy spring migrants like Bay-breasted and Canada warblers, Norwich hosted a steady stream of avian treasures in 2019. And, birders rose to the occasion in both tracking and celebrating them. The 2019 Norwich Bird Quest closed out the year by eclipsing its goal of 175 species found within town borders, with an impressive final tally of 177. Equally noteworthy was that 17 birders contributed 1,303 Norwich-specific Vermont eBird checklists during 2019, creating the foundation of that stellar compilation. Who knew?! Read more and view wonderful images from the year on the VCE Blog »

Volunteers Help the Vermont Atlas of Life Build Biodiversity Big Data in 2019

From the first observation of 2019, a Barred Owl sitting on a deck submitted by naturalist extraordinaire Roy Pilcher, to a Christmas Fern laying on snow shared by Bondaley on the last day of the year, naturalists added over 100,000 biodiversity records to our rapidly growing database of life in Vermont. And amazing observations kept coming all year long. We had 3,896 naturalists contribute more than 104,140 observations representing over 3,300 species verified. Over 2,800 naturalist helped to identify and verify data. And we joined the more than 615,000 iNaturalists worldwide that submitted over 13 million observations in 2019! Read the story on the VCE Blog »

December 2019 Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to Craig Hunt for winning the December 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The image of a Sharp-shinned Hawk taking a Blue Jay in the snow in Townsend, Vermont garnered the most votes. Read more on the VCE Blog »

A Tribute to Ross Bell

Last month we lost a giant among us. Dr. Ross Bell , a world-renowned entomologist and naturalist died at the age of 90. In 1955, he was hired for a one-year position at the University of Vermont. A year later he was offered a permanent tenured position and spent his entire career there as a popular professor teaching inspirational courses, guiding graduate students, and pursuing his own research. Teamed with Joyce, his wife of 62 years, the pair more than quadrupled our knowledge of Rhysodine beetles by adding descriptions of ~260 new species to the Vermont list of ~80 known species when they started. During the 1960s the Bells began a program to learn the fauna of Vermont and to compile extensive records of natural history information. Through this work they built the UVM Entomological Collection into an important resource for science and conservation, and they inspired us here at VCE to launch the Vermont Atlas of Life, where we’ve helped to digitize, publish, and archive some of their amazing work with Carabid beetles and Orthoptera in Vermont. Ross Bell’s interest in insects began with the childhood gift of an insect collecting kit from his parents. Let’s get more kids outdoors looking at bugs and spawn a new generation of entomologists that would make Ross smile. »

Vermont Wild Bee Survey Records Over 9,000 Bees in 2019

Last week the Vermont Wild Bee Survey (VTBees) reached a milestone. Our project coordinator, Spencer Hardy, and our intern, Katie McGranaghan, blow dried, pinned and entered the last bee of 2019 to our collection and database. It was a female Mining Bee (genus Andrena),likely Advantaged Miner Bee (A. commoda), and is the 7,680th and final bee specimen processed from our 2019 survey. This certainly represents the largest ever collection of bees from the state, and one of the broadest such efforts for the region. If nothing else it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our twelve citizen scientists who collected 3,332 of these bees. Together, we surveyed bees across Chittenden County, from the shorelines of Lake Champlain to the lofty summit of Mount Mansfield, and from the Burlington suburbs to rural fields and forests. Read more on the VCE Blog »

A Lifetime of Beetles

A lifetime of work on the ground beetles of Vermont and New Hampshire, Carabidae of Vermont and New Hampshire by Ross T. Bell, Professor Emeritus of the University of Vermont with species maps produced by the Vermont Atlas of Life at VCE, is now available as a PDF. Learn more on the VCE Blog »

Team Pipit’s Extraordinary Birding Feat: 150 species in all 14 Vermont Counties

Quietly, methodically, patiently, persistently, and always enthusiastically, Fred (Pat) Pratt has scoured the State of Vermont on a remarkable birding odyssey for eight years. This past weekend, he made Vermont birding history with his discovery of a pair of Northern Shovelers at Lake Paran in North Bennington. That sighting—unremarkable in itself, perhaps—signaled the end of a legendary quest and Pat’s achievement of a formidable goal, one which any birder will be challenged to match ever again. Those shovelers marked species #150 for Pat in Bennington County during 2019, and the final capstone in his mission to document 150 species in all of Vermont’s 14 counties, each within a calendar year! Read the story on the VCE Blog »

Tallying Vermont Moths One Image at a Time

The Vermont Atlas of Life, with the aid of many volunteers across Vermont, has been mapping moth distribution and phenology one photo-observation at a time. Since 2013, biologists and naturalists have contributed moth observations to the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist. There’s a new collection project that automatically gathers and presents all of Vermont moth data from iNaturalist in one easy place – Vermont Moths on iNaturalist. If you put a moth record in the Vermont Atlas of Life project on iNaturalist, or anywhere in iNaturalist – Vermont Moths will tally it. Learn more on the VCE Blog »

Introduced Jumping Spider Spotted in Vermont for First Time

On June 10th Jasper Barnes, a wildlife biology student at the University of Vermont, snapped a photo of a tiny jumping spider near campus and shared it to the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist. He knew it was a jumping spider, but he wasn’t quite sure what species it was. It wasn’t long before a few experts saw his record and identified it as a Black-palped Jumping Spider (Pseudeuophrys erratica), an introduced species native to Europe and Asia. This is the first record for Vermont and the northernmost in the United States. Read more on the VCE Blog »

August 2019 Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to JoAnne Russo for winning the August 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. JoAnne captured this Scudder’s Bush Katydid (Genus Scudderia) in the act of molting under a milkweed leaf. JoAnne is one of the top naturalists at the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist too. She has over 8,000 observations and identified over 54,500 records. If you’ve submitted a moth record, JoAnn has likely studied it and if possible, identified it for you. Learn more on the VCE Blog »

Lady Beetles, Ladybugs: A Look At Vermont's Native And Nonnative Species

A post on Instagram prompted a conversation with Kent McFarland, of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, about both native and nonnative ladybugs in Vermont. First thing's first though: you may need to expand your imagination when it comes to what a ladybug — or as McFarland calls it, a lady beetle — even looks like. "They're not all red and they don't ... all have spots," McFarland told Vermont Edition. Listen to the discussion on Vermont Public Radio »

Bee Survey Says... Numerous Species Found For First Time In Vermont This Summer

This summer, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies has spearheaded the Vermont Wild Bee Survey in Chittenden County. According to project coordinator Spencer Hardy, more than 320 species have been documented thus far — and nearly a dozen appear to be species of wild bees that were previously unknown to be in the state. Listen to the story at Vermont Public Radio »

A Tiger Tale: A Dragonfly Mystery Solved in a Vermont Forest

At that moment, the phantom became fact. Beside that rivulet on Friday, our team solved a mystery when I pulled from my net an imperiled insect, an elusive dragonfly of high regard called Tiger Spiketail (Cordulegaster erronea). But more than a dragonfly and a cause for celebration, this discovery is a testament to an insect’s rightful place in Vermont’s forest and conservation traditions. Read more on Bryan Pfeiffer's Blog »

Beyond the Headlines: Where have Vermont's bees gone?

Galen Ettlin spoke with Leif Richardson from The Vermont Center for Ecostudies about the grave concerns they have for some bee populations around the region. Watch the interview on WCAX »

Field Guide to June 2019

Here in Vermont, we dream of June during the darkest winter days. Verdant wooded hillsides glowing brightly under a robin egg sky. Warm afternoon breezes rolling through the valleys as we lounge by the clear waters of a cold river. The chorus of birds waking us each morning. The smell of freshly cut grass wafting through the window. Butterflies skipping from one flower to the next. We forget about the clouds of black flies, the hum of the mosquitoes and the rainy days. June is a dream here. It’s days last forever. Here’s just a few of the natural history wonders for the month. Read the guide on the VCE Blog »

May 2019 Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to Charlotte Bill for winning the May 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. Charlotte wrote that “…it had just captured a small morsel and was in the process of trying to gulp it down. I think it was in the gulping process that the tongue came out!” Charlotte isn’t just adding her observations to the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist, she’s also been busy helping to identify and confirm other observers’ contributions too. She has over 37,500 identifications and counting! Learn more on the VCE Blog »

Field Guide to May 2019

The month of May is a show-off. Grass glows green under blue skies. Woodland wildflowers break out of the ground and demand attention. Trees flower and leaves burst from long-dormant buds. Songbirds arrive on southern night winds and liven the dawn with a chorus of song. May shouts of life and rejuvenation. Here’s a few bits of natural history for your May days. Read the guide on the VCE Blog »

April 2019 Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to Ashley Bray for winning the April 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The image of Wood Frog riding a Spotted Salamander during spring migration garnered the most votes. With nearly 5,500 photo-observations of 731 species submitted by nearly 550 observers this month, it was competitive. But the comical action shot showing this annual rite of spring won the most attention. Learn more on the VCE Blog »

Get the Buzz on the New Vermont Wild Bee Survey

The Vermont Wild Bee Survey represents the first steps towards understanding the status and biogeography of these key elements of Vermont’s natural heritage. Learn more and consider joining in the effort! Read more on the VCE Blog »

Red-winged Blackbirds Signal the Arrival of Spring

Perhaps the best sign of spring here in Vermont is the return of Red-winged Blackbirds. And they may also be a harbinger of long term change too. Learn more on the VCE Blog »

February 2019 Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to Michael Blust for winning the February 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The images of Sharp-shinned Hawk preening in a mulberry tree and then staring into the camera lens garnered the most accolades. See the images and read more on the VCE Blog. »

Field Guide to March 2019

On Wednesday, March 20th at 5:58 PM EST spring arrives in the north. The spring equinox marks the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator – an imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s equator – from south to north. It is also at spring equinox that people all over the world can see the sun rise exactly due east and set exactly due west. While the sun may be predictable, March weather is not. In fact, March is appropriately named for the Roman god of war, Mars. March is a month of battles between warm and cold, between winter’s refusal to leave and spring’s insistence on coming. So, here are some signs of spring to look out for in this Field Guide to March. Visit the VCE Blog to learn more »

Field Guide to February 2019

This month, wildlife and the rest of us here in New England will cross a threshold – arbitrary yet not insignificant: 10 hours of daylight. Even though we’ve got lots more winter, at least the sound of spring is in the air. So here’s a Field Guide to February to help get your hopes up, no matter what that sleepy woodchuck predicts. Read more on the VCE Blog »

January 2019 Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to Cat Abbott for winning the January 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The image of an Eastern Coyote staring at the camera in a marvelous winter scene was the most popular photo-observation. See images of the runner up and learn more on the VCE Blog »

Help Us Map and Identify Oak

Ready to participate in science? We have a job for you! Your mission is to record as many observations of oak trees (in the wild) throughout Vermont as possible in the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist. Together, we can create a basemap of oak distribution for comparison now and into the future. Learn more on the VCE Blog »

The 2018 Vermont eBird Review and County Quest Awards

From a tiny Northern Saw-whet Owl in Ripton on January 1st to a Snowy Owl on the Burlington Waterfront on New Year’s Eve, Vermont birders scoured fields and fens, mountains and meadows, lakes and lawns to discover as many bird species as possible during the 8th annual Vermont eBird County Quest. The annual year-long contest pits county versus county, birder against birder — all engaged in a friendly rivalry for top birding honors. The main idea behind the year-long Quest is simply to get people out birding, promote camaraderie, and better document bird life across the state, using Vermont eBird. Read more on the VCE Blog »

Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist Builds Biodiversity Big Data in 2018

On September 29th Micki Colbeck snapped a photograph of a beautiful patch of Delicate Fern Moss (Thuidium delicatulum) in Hyde Park, Vermont and submitted it to the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist (VAL) immortalizing it as the 250,000 observation for the project. And observations kept coming. In 2018 alone, we had almost 2,400 naturalists contribute nearly 72,000 observations representing more than 3,100 species verified. Over 1,940 naturalist helped to identify and verify data. And we joined the more than 336,000 iNaturalists worldwide that submitted over 7.6 million observations in 2018! Learn a lot more on the VCE Blog »

Study Reveals Striking Decline of Vermont’s Bumble Bees

A new study examining 100 years of bumble bee records reveals that almost half of Vermont’s species, which are vital pollinators, have either vanished or are in serious decline. After conducting the state’s most extensive search for bumble bees, and combing through historical records from museum collections, the team has concluded that four of Vermont’s 17 bumble bee species appear to have gone extinct. The study, led by researchers from the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) and the University of Vermont (UVM), was published in the Journal of Insect Conservation. Read more on the VCE Blog »

November 2018 Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to vtjohn for winning the November 2018 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The image of a juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker was the most popular photo-observation. Learn more on the VCE Blog »

October 2018 Photo-observation of the Month

It was a hotly contested race this month, with the winner squeaking by the other amazing photo-observations. Congratulations to Joanne Russo for winning the October 2018 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The image of a beautiful Eastern Milksnake was the most popular photo-observation. Learn more on the VCE Blog »

Field Guide to November

As leaves continue to fall and the first flakes begin to fly, the oncoming cold weather seems to bring nature to a standstill. On the contrary, there remains a lot to be discovered in Vermont during this transitional period. Careful observers can witness the tail end of migration as waterfowl and hawks continue their journey south, a few hardy species of butterflies and moths remain to further brighten sunny days, and avian visitors from even further north will begin to raid feeders across New England. Learn more in our Field Guide to November. »

Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist Surpasses Quarter Million Observations

Micki Colbeck snapped a photograph of a beautiful patch of Delicate Fern Moss and submitted it to the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist, becoming the 250,000 observation for the project. Join our growing community of citizen naturalists from around the Green Mountain State in discovering and sharing observations of Vermont life. Your observations can be turned into research-grade, citizen science data that will help us discover, track and ultimately conserve our natural heritage. Read more on the VCE Blog »

Big data for biodiversity: Vermont Atlas of Life helps GBIF.org surpass 1 billion species occurrences

In July the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) surpassed 1 billion species occurrence records with at least one record for over a million species. The milestone symbolizes a major collective achievement, one made possible through the work of the GBIF network, including the Vermont Atlas of Life (VAL) at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies which has contributed over 4 million records and counting! Read the post on the VCE Blog »

Vermont Naturalists Find Over 370 Species During National Moth Week

Volunteer naturalists from across Vermont uploaded over 1,200 images of moths comprising more than 370 species during National Moth Week. Moth watchers here in Vermont have added nearly 100 new species to the Vermont checklist via the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist and have documented 1,248 species across the state so far! Learn more on the VCE Blog »

When a Bluet Isn’t Blue: Vermont’s “Newest” Damselfly

Congratulations, Vermont. You’ve got a new damselfly. Nick Block found one at a pond in southern Vermont. It becomes Vermont’s 45th known damselfly species (along with 101 known dragonfly species). Nick’s Scarlet Bluet record is now enshrined with the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist. Read more on the VCE Blog »

Rare 'Cuckoo' Bumblebee Spotted in Vermont

Researchers are surveying bumblebees at four northeast National Wildlife Refuges in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maine and Vermont this summer. During the Vermont survey in the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Swanton, surveyors say they made an unusual find: a bumblebee that's only been seen twice before in Vermont. And now, several more observations have been found and added to the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist. Learn more at VPR »

The 2017 Vermont eBird County Quest Awards

From an Eastern Screech Owl in Wilder on January 1st to a Snowy Owl in Bridport on December 31st, Vermont birders scoured fields and fens, mountains and meadows, lakes and lawns to discover as many bird species as possible during the 7th annual Vermont eBird County Quest. With nearly 40,000 complete checklists submitted to Vermont eBird, comprising over 300,000 bird records, representing 281 bird species, and tallied by 1,732 birders in 2017, there is no doubt it was another banner year for birders and Vermont eBird. Franklin County, once an under-birded underdog, topped the field for the 4th year in a row and claimed the 2017 Quest Cup with a record score of 34.5 birds over par. Learn more about this fun contest and all the results on the VCE Blog. »

iNaturalist Vermont Builds Biodiversity Big Data in 2017

With a tap on his smartphone and a click to submit to iNaturalist Vermont, Noel Dodge added the 150,000th record this year on June 15th, a Black Ash tree growing near Otter Creek. And observations kept on coming to iNaturalist Vermont, with more than 183,000 observations representing more than 4,000 species contributed by 2,175 citizen scientists. 2017 was a big year for iNaturalist Vermont. We had 1,057 naturalists contribute over 56,250 observations representing more than 3,850 species. Over 1,325 naturalist helped to identify and verify data. And we joined the more than 73,000 iNaturalists worldwide that submitted over 3.5 million observations in 2017! Read more on the VCE Blog »

The Red Crossbill Enigma

Its finally happening. Red Crossbills are arriving. This year’s bumper cone crop of pine, spruce, larch, and hemlock is perhaps a once in couple-decades event. As a result, crossbills were predicted to flood into the region and birders have been waiting with anticipation. But they remain an enigma and birders like you can help solve some of the mysteries. There are 10 types of Red Crossbills and understanding how these different types wander about the continent, or not, is a puzzle that will require an army of observers - birders like you - armed with recording devices, as simple as a smart phone, and Vermont eBird. Learn about the other Types that have been found so far in Vermont and more the VCE Blog and help us document more. »

Vermont Dragonfly and Damselfly Atlas: 10,000 Odes and Counting

By most any measure, the 2017 field season of the Vermont Dragonfly and Damselfly Atlas (VDDA) was satisfying, surprising … and nearly heart-stopping. Our brigade of volunteers added 1,605 records to our growing dataset, which now stands at 10,544 records. That includes the addition of two new species to the Vermont fauna in 2017: Cordulegaster erronea (Tiger Spiketail) and Somatochlora incurvata (Incurvate Emerald). VDDA now covers 145 confirmed Odonata species in the state: 101 dragonflies (Anisoptera) and 44 damselflies (Zygoptera). But we’re not done. In our atlas, every dragonfly counts, even common species. So we continue to grow our dataset with contributions from skilled odonatologists and casual observers alike. Thanks to everyone who contributed this year, a total of 120 people, pushing us past the 10,000-record mark. It’s a tremendous achievement for a small state. Learn more on the VCE Blog »

Thirty-seventh Annual Report of the Vermont Bird Records Committee

held its annual meeting on 11 November 2017 at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. The 37th annual report of the VBRC covers the evaluation of 46 records involving 28 species and 3 subspecies or ‘identifiable subspecific forms’. Forty records were accepted (87%) with the majority decided unanimously. There were no first state records for any species during this period. The first fully documented subspecies record for Northern Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis abieticola) observed in Springfield, Vermont and two Eastern Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus semipalmatus) at the mouth of Charcoal Creek in Swanton, Vermont were accepted. The first breeding record of Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) was accepted with a male well documented carrying food and then feeding a fledgling in Hinesburg, Vermont by several observers. Read more and download the report. »

An Emerald Found in Victory

Mike Blust and Josh LIncoln had a plan hatched by a fellow naturalist. Hike deep into the forest to a bog in northeast Vermont and find a rare emerald dragonfly that had never been seen in Vermont. Read about their trials and tribulations that led to elation at discovering this beautiful insect for the Vermont Damselfly and Dragonfly Atlas. Read the story on the VCE Blog »

Tiger Found in Vermont

Congratulations, Vermont. You’ve got a new dragonfly — Tiger Spiketail (Cordulegaster erronea). Dale Ferland, an angler who likes to poke around rivers, snapped that photo above on Monday from the Black River in Springfield. Read more on the VCE Blog »

SOS! Survey Our Shorelines for Shells!

Do you like to wander the shorelines of rivers, streams and lakes? Maybe you are a beachcomber and enjoy collecting shells. We need your help with the Vermont Freshwater Mussel Survey. It is easy and fun. Anyone can help! Visit the basics of freshwater mussel biology, identification, how to conduct shoreline surveys and how to submit your data to our Vermont Freshwater Mussel Survey project on iNaturalist. Learn more »

iNaturalist Vermont Countdown to 150,000 Observations

With less than 700 observations to go, which iNaturalist Vermont user will be the lucky one to add the 150,000th observation to the popular site? iNaturalist Vermont has grown leaps and bounds. With over 1,600 people contributing observations and over 3,700 species of plants and animals reported and confirmed, iNaturalist Vermont is quickly becoming the largest biodiversity database ever assembled for Vermont. Read more on the VCE Blog »

VAL Updating the Checklist of Vermont Moths

The checklist of Vermont moths is being updated by the Vermont Atlas of Life. Thanks to the tireless efforts of both professional and amateur Lepidopterists, since the 1995 landmark publication Moths and Butterflies of Vermont: A Faunal Checklist, nearly 400 new moth species have been found in Vermont. Preliminary results show us that there are now over 2,200 species of moths known from Vermont. And, there are likely many more awaiting our discovery. Read more at the VCE Blog »

39,000 Butterfly Checklists and Counting

From a graduate school student's lofty dream to a full-fledged citizen science program, eButterfly celebrates its 6th year with a new publication on butterfly conservation in a special issue of the journal Insects . The article - eButterfly: Leveraging Massive Online Citizen Science for Butterfly Conservation - highlights our accomplishments and outlines the bright future of eButterfly. The power of eButterfly and other massive online citizen science programs lies in the strength and diversity of its participants. Anyone with an interest in butterflies can participate - from the new enthusiast, to the backyard gardener, to the seasoned expert. Since 2012, over 39,000 checklists, representing 230,000 observations and comprising 682 butterfly species, have been submitted to eButterfly by over 5,500 participants. As more participants submit data, an environment of sharing and free data exchange will become the norm between butterfly enthusiasts, scientists, and conservationists. Read more about this publication on the eButterfly Blog. Read more at eButterfly »

May iNaturalist Vermont Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to Charlotte Bill for winning the May 2017 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. Her images of a Moose were the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’. Learn more on the VCE Blog »

VCE Launches Damselfly and Dragonfly Atlas

The Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) today launched an online atlas of damselflies and dragonflies, allowing anyone to report, track, study, discover or simply enjoy the charismatic insects. Learn more on the VCE blog. »

The 2016 Vermont eBird County Quest Awards

From a Great Horned Owl on Snake Mountain on January 1st, to Long-tailed Ducks at the South Hero Causeway on December 31st, Vermont birders scoured fields and fens, mountains and meadows, lakes and lawns to discover as many species as possible during the 6th annual Vermont eBird County Quest. The year-long contest pits county versus county, birder against birder — all engaged in a friendly rivalry for top birding honors. The main idea behind the year-long Quest is simply to get people out birding, promote camaraderie, and better document bird life across the state, using Vermont eBird. Visit our blog and learn who were the winners! Learn more on the VCE Blog »

iNaturalist Vermont Becomes Biodiversity Big Data in 2016

With over 122,000 observations of nearly 5,000 species contributed by 1,321 citizen scientists, in just four years iNaturalist Vermont, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life, has become a big data biodiversity source in the Green Mountain State. Read more on the VCE Blog »

December 2016 iNaturalist Vermont Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to Dean and Susan Greenberg for winning the December 2016 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. Their image of a Bobcat (Lynx rufus) looking back at the camera was the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’. Learn more on the VCE Blog »

Bird Watchers Post Big Data to Vermont eBird in 2016

This year marks the 14 year anniversary of Vermont eBird, the first state portal for eBird. In just a decade-and-a-half, the bird checklists that bird watchers have shared have helped make Vermont eBird, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life, the largest citizen science biodiversity project in the state and around the world. Read more on the VCE Blog »

October 2016 iNaturalist Vermont Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to Daron Tansley for winning the October 2016 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. His image of a Red Fox hunting small mammals was the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’. Read more on the VCE Blog »

New Damselfly Found in Vermont

It was a routine warm September day in the field for naturalist Joshua Lincoln. Wandering along the Waterbury Reservoir shoreline, his net was swiping at mostly Darners – recording Lance-tipped, Lake, and Shadow darners with his camera before releasing them. He stalked a pair of Orange Bluet damselflies to photograph. Thirty minutes later, he captured several closeup images of a blue damselfly perched on vegetation, a group that is notoriously hard to identify. Read the whole story on the VCE blog »

Lynx Found in Southern Vermont

A lone Canada lynx was photographed in the southern Vermont town of Londonderry this June, marking the first confirmed evidence of lynx in Vermont outside the Northeast Kingdom in decades. Lynx are listed as ‘threatened’ under the federal Endangered Species Act and ‘endangered’ in the state of Vermont. Read more on the VCE blog. »

September 2016 iNaturalist Vermont Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to Joshua Lincoln for winning the September 2016 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. His image of a predatory Sand Wasp (genus Bembix) with a fly was the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’. Learn more on the VCE blog. »

New Phoenix Project Mission Needs Virtual Volunteers

Last year we announced an exciting new web site that allowed us to connect with volunteers the the virtual internet world to help us enter thousands of historic bird records that only existed on paper and filed away in boxes. We called it the Phoenix Project, part of the Vermont Atlas of Life. Many of you answered our call for help. Volunteers joined our virtual expedition and digitized nearly 6,000 pages of historic spring bird records in just 3 months! Now we need your help with our second virtual expedition. Read more on the VCE blog »

Vermont Butterfly Big Year in High Gear

Summer is in high gear and so is the Vermont Butterfly Big Year. More than 70 butterfly enthusiasts have added over 1,600 butterfly observations from across the state comprising 66 species, more than half of the butterfly species known to occur in the state, so far this year. Read more on the VCE Blog »

Rutland County Audubon Marks 15 Years of Monthly Vermont eBird Monitoring Walks at West Rutland Marsh

Over 2,000 participants, 666 miles, 180 bird checklists recorded comprising 149 species, and its all available for research, education and conservation at Vermont eBird. The monthly bird monitoring walk started on August 16, 2001 at West Rutland Marsh when 15 participants teamed up with Rutland County Audubon Society to record 45 species (including a rare Least Bittern); and it’s been happening every month since. Read more on the VCE blog »

Vermont iNaturalist Discovers a New Population of a Rare Dragonfly

As a novice photographer, James Welch enjoys documenting the biodiversity he sees around his home turf. With his camera in hand while walking his dog last week, Welch stumbled upon a rare find in Vermont near the Winooski River, a Midland Clubtail. Read more »

Vermont Butterfly Big Year Takes Flight

With the help of an army of citizen scientists, we aim to record every species of butterfly in Vermont this year. It’s a blend of science, education, competition, enjoyment, and a quest to monitor the changing nature of the state. Join the Big Year! »

February 2016 iNaturalist Vermont Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to Larry Clarfeld for winning the February 2016 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. The image of a Red Fox, was the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’. Visit iNaturalist Vermont, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life, and you can vote for the March winner by clicking ‘fav’ on your favorite photo-observation. Make sure you get outdoors and record the biodiversity around you and submit your discoveries and you could be a winner this month! Learn more on the VCE blog »

Champions Crowned for 5th Annual Vermont eBird County Quest

From a Harlequin Duck at the Grand Isle Ferry landing on first day of the year to a Northern Shrike during the waning days of 2015, hundreds of Vermont birders scoured fields and fens, mountains and meadows, lakes and lawns to discover as many species as possible during a single calendar year. Check out the results on the VCE Blog »

Lifetime of Beetles in a New Book

With the help of the Vermont Atlas of Life at VCE, a lifetime of work on the ground beetles of Vermont and New Hampshire has reached fruition and is now available in Carabidae of Vermont and New Hampshire by Ross T. Bell, Professor Emeritus of the University of Vermont. Read the blog »

eButterfly Visits the White House

This week eButterfly co-director and VCE research associate Katy Prudic is at the White House in Washington, D.C. where she was invited to a small White House conference called Open Science and Innovation: Of the People, By the People, For the People. The meeting is focusing on the new federal citizen science toolkit and other crowdsourcing sites like eButterfly. Read more »

September iNaturalist Vermont Photo-observation of the Month

Congratulations to Susan Elliott for winning the September 2015 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. Her image of an Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum), was the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’. Read more »

Vermont eBird Update

A lot of exciting developments have happened recently with eBIrd and the Vermont eBird portal, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life, and we wanted to share those with you, as well as express our gratitude and appreciation for all that you Vermont eBirders have helped bring to life. We hope this overview provides a picture of the current direction of eBird, while also highlighting some features and details about eBird that you might not have known before. Read more »

Historic Spring Bird Sightings Digitized at Record Pace

Just over 3 months ago we announced an exciting new web site that allowed us to connect with volunteers virtually to help us enter thousands of historic bird records that only existed on paper and filed away in boxes. We called it the Phoenix Project. You answered our call for help. Volunteers have digitized over 5,000 pages of spring bird records and we’re done! Read more »

Vermont adds to threatened, endangered species list

Vermont has added nine species, including 3 bumble bees, to its list of threatened and endangered species thanks to data from the Vermont Atlas of Life. The additions also included four plants, one bird and one amphibian. Vt. Fish and Wildlife Biologist Steve Parren and Vt. Secretary of Natural Resources Deb Markowitz appeared on WCAX news to speak about it. Watch the story on WCAX »

Atlas of Vermont Dragonflies and Damselflies Updated

The atlas of dragonflies and damselflies of Vermont has been updated at Odonata Central by the Vermont Atlas of Life. Two new discoveries in 2014 now brings the total number of Odonata, the order of insects containing dragonflies and damselflies, to 142 species. Read more »

Checklist of Vermont Moths Updated

The checklist of Vermont moths has been updated by the Vermont Atlas of Life. Thanks to the tireless efforts of both professional and amateur Lepidopterists since the 1995 landmark publication Moths and Butterflies of Vermont: A Faunal Checklist, 168 new moth species have been found in Vermont. There are now 1,858 species of moths known from Vermont (918 macro and 940 micro moths). There are likely many more awaiting our discovery. Learn more »

In This State: Vermont eBird is an Avian Database for All

Birder Larry Clarfeld was walking along his usual path through the Burlington Intervale about three weeks ago when he spotted a small bird that looked out of place. But it wasn’t until later in the day, when he entered the sighting on Vermont eBird, a website database, that he realized just how unusual his sighting was. Most white-eyed vireos are in the Deep South by November. None had ever been seen in Vermont this late in the year. By recording and researching his find on Vermont eBird, Clarfeld had made the leap from observer and appreciator of nature to citizen scientist. Read more at Vtdigger.org »

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