Αρχεία Ημερολογίου για Μάρτιος 2023

Μάρτιος 02, 2023

February 2023 Photo-observation of the Month


A stunning portrait of a Barred Owl dusted with snow. ©
@ckhunt

Congratulations to @ckhunt for winning the February 2023 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! His snowy Barred Owl portrait received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month.

There’s more than one kind of “snowy” owl in Vermont! Craig’s stunning image of a Barred Owl dusted with snow offers an intimate glimpse at the facial discs surrounding the eyes that funnel sound towards this owl’s highly-sensitive ears. Barred Owls are able to use their heightened auditory abilities to listen for the faint sounds of shrews, mice, and other small mammals, even when they’re under the relative cover of snow. When the snowpack is soft enough, Barred Owls often secure a meal by plunging talons-first, wings-splayed into the snow, leaving behind an unmistakeable imprint and story of a life lost and a meal gained. The Barred Owl is the species of owl most likely to be encountered by people in Vermont, and though they often appear quite comfortable around people, it is important to give them space as you would any wild animal. Thanks to a long telephoto lens, Craig’s photo allows us to appreciate the astonishing details of this owl while it snoozes and relaxes on a snowy February day.


With 2,250 observations submitted by 500 observers in February, it was very competitive. Click on the image above to see and explore all of the amazing observations.

Visit the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist where you can vote for the winner this month by clicking the ‘fave’ star on your favorite photo-observation. Make sure you get outdoors and record the biodiversity around you, then submit your discoveries and you could be a winner!

Posted on Μάρτιος 02, 2023 0746 ΜΜ by nsharp nsharp | 1 σχόλιο | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Μάρτιος 06, 2023

Invasive Pests and Forest Health Presentation Thurs., March 9th at 7 PM

Friends of Missisquoi NWR is hosting a series of free online events on invasive species. The first session in the series, Invasive Pest and Forest Health, is this Thursday, March 9, at 7:00. Savannah Ferreira, Forest Health Specialist from the VT Agency of Natural Resources will be sharing her knowledge of the destructive pests and pathogens that are threatening Vermont's forests. Learn how to identify the Emerald Ash Borer, the Asian Long-horned Beetle, and other forest invasives, and become aware of what to do if you find them. She will present important identification information that all birders should be aware of when heading out into Vermont forests in order to help keep a look out for these invasive pests. Registration for this event and others in the series can be found at https://friendsofmissisquoi.org/calendar/

Posted on Μάρτιος 06, 2023 0224 ΜΜ by kpmcfarland kpmcfarland | 1 σχόλιο | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Μάρτιος 27, 2023

Vermonters Invited to Help Search for Butterflies

Vermonters now have another excuse to get outside on sunny days: to join a statewide survey of the most angelic insects—butterflies. The Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) is recruiting volunteers to help search fields and fens, mountains and meadows, and even their own backyards to help document the status of Vermont’s butterflies.

Butterflies were largely a mystery in Vermont before hundreds of volunteer community scientists helped complete the first Vermont Butterfly Atlas (2002-2007), heralding a new era for their conservation. Twenty years later, the second atlas is poised to detect changes in butterfly populations and provide essential information for environmental management and policy.

“The 2nd Vermont Butterfly Atlas is a rare opportunity for us to understand long-term trends in butterfly populations and prescribe conservation actions to both keep common species common and reverse the trends for those in trouble,” said Kent McFarland, VCE biologist and director of the atlas.

The Vermont Butterfly Atlas is a five-year survey completed every 20 years to document the abundance, distribution, and conservation status of butterflies across Vermont with the help of volunteer community scientists. It is part of a network of atlases across the Northeast, spanning from Connecticut through the Canadian Maritimes, and gives a landscape view of the butterfly fauna invaluable for conservation and a priceless snapshot for future comparisons. Vermont is poised to be the first state or province in the region to repeat a butterfly atlas 20 years later.

Most anyone with a sharp eye can contribute. Everyone knows what a butterfly looks like, and many carry a digital camera at all times—their smartphones. With a bit of training, it's easy to watch butterflies and report results to the Vermont Butterfly Atlas at e-Butterfly.org, a worldwide butterfly reporting system built by VCE, the Montreal Space for Life, and other partners. There is even a built-in computer vision system to help users identify the butterflies in their images.

“We’re excited to offer training sessions for new participants at butterfly hotspots across the state as well as online workshops on butterfly atlasing,” said Nathaniel Sharp, VCE biologist and atlas coordinator. “While there are tons of great field guides and online resources listed on our website, getting outside searching for butterflies is the best way to meet other butterfly lovers, learn how to identify our local species, and get motivated to document the butterflies in your neighborhood and beyond.”

Vermont is home to over 100 butterfly species, with several new species discovered by butterfly watchers since the last butterfly atlas, including North America’s largest butterfly, the Eastern Giant Swallowtail.

“Name a color, and you’ll find it on a butterfly's wing,” McFarland said. “Yet butterflies can also tell us a lot about the state of Vermont’s environment under the forces of changing land use practices, climate change, and other human-induced pressures.”

Financial support for the atlas is provided by the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife – State Wildlife Grant, Charles E. & Edna T. Brundage Foundation, Davis Conservation Foundation, the Park Foundation, and individual supporters and donors of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies.

To learn more and join the survey, visit https://val.vtecostudies.org/projects/vermont-butterfly-atlas/.

Posted on Μάρτιος 27, 2023 0235 ΜΜ by kpmcfarland kpmcfarland | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

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