The Nature Conservancy in Vermont

09/03/2026

School’s back in session, and The Nature Conservancy’s Nature Lab online learning platform has everything teachers—and caregivers—need to help students learn how nature works and how we can help keep it running strong. Explore virtual field trips, lesson plans, family guides, and other teaching tools at:
https://nature.ly/4xAOQVU

08/31/2026

We are so grateful to have the AP cover our work to bring back the American Elm! Check out the short segment they produced for an inside look at our experimental elm orchard.

A group of 6,000 young American elms in Vermont could help save one of the country’s most iconic trees.

08/28/2026

Saving a species is an all-hands on deck effort! Thank you to our partners and to Senator Peter Welch, who took the time to visit our living laboratory in Benson and see science in action. Thank you, Sen. Welch, for your ongoing advocacy for funding that supports our shared efforts to save the American Elm.

Intervale Center NorthWoods Stewardship Center U.S. Forest Service Vermont Fish & Wildlife University of Vermont

📷: Lauren Oates/ TNC

08/25/2026

Roads can be dangerous for animals. Not only are speeding vehicles a major killer, but roads fragment habitat and cut off migratory routes. Thankfully, the Roadless Rule has protected nearly 60 million acres of wildlife habitat in national forests across the country.

Now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to rescind the Roadless Rule—threatening one of our country’s most promising and popular approaches to habitat protection and natural resources management.

Speak up for our public lands here: https://nature.ly/3T45WsX

Photo: Dave Shaffer/TNC Photo Contest 2022

08/20/2026

An intrepid group of lepidopterists have submitted the results of an ongoing species survey at our Black Mountain Natural Area into an iNaturalist project. Over the past few years, more nearly 100 observers have recorded more than 2,000 observations of over 800 species in this area! These citizen science observations are incredibly important for understanding our natural areas so please add any observations you find. Check it out and be amazed at the incredible diversity of life in this special place!

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/black-mountain-nature-area

Thank you to JoAnne Russo for bringing this project to life on iNaturalist! She captured this photo of a Pink Star Moth at Black Mountain, which has not been observed anywhere else in Vermont!

08/18/2026

You may have noticed ghost pipes popping up in the woods of Vermont recently 👻 . These eye-catching native plants are not mushrooms, they are actually a relative of blueberries! They have no chlorophyll. Rather than using sunlight to make food, ghost pipes tap into an underground fungal network. This allows ghost pipes to thrive in deeply shaded woods where other flowers can't grow.

08/13/2026

We are pleased to see the Town of Northfield and our partners find success on this long-awaited dam removal project which will improve flood resilience for the community, as well as brook trout habitat.

A long-awaited dam removal project is now underway on the Dog River in Northfield.

08/11/2026

TNC Vermont's stewardship team has been in the process of completing our bat count monitoring the past few weeks. Our Otter Creek Swamps Natural Area is a biodiverse preserve within a vast swamp complex that surrounds Vermont's longest river.

After a fire to a nearby covered bridge a decade ago, many bats were displaced from a critical roosting site where they could feed beginning in the twilight hours. TNC worked with VT F&W and volunteers over the ensuing years to install bat houses and eventually a sizeable bat condo to replace the lost roost habitat and restore the bat colony.

Bat counts give our team an idea of how successful reestablishment has been. Starting at dusk we have a 30-minute window where bats flee from their roosts in high quantities to start their nightly hunt for insects. We’ve monitored the population for years and are happy to say the population appears to be thriving, with an approximate 400 bats across the provided infrastructure.

Video: Ethan Robbins/TNC

08/06/2026

"Several towns and land trusts across Vermont have secured funding to permanently conserve more than 2,000 acres of land, starting this summer. The properties protect summits, expand town forests and will create new trail access to some remarkably old trees."

Read about the 4 conservation projects we supported, including a 1,500-acre forest that hosts the second known occurrence of the false mermaid wildflower in Vermont, a dainty spring ephemeral.

These conservation projects expand town forests, protect endangered species and involve new trails.

08/04/2026

We are thrilled to welcome Shannon Scarbrough as a new Land Protection Manager. In her role she will oversee land protection projects across the state and support our work to protect the focal landscapes of the Resilient and Connected Network. Shannon comes to TNC with a diverse background spanning land management, environmental compliance, and community engagement. Most recently, she ran her own practice advising solar developers, asset owners, and civil construction companies on land use strategy and implementation for utility-scale solar projects. Prior to that, Shannon led the land management for a solar portfolio of more than 40,000 acres and launched a nationwide sheep grazing vegetation management program. Shannon holds a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Water Resources from the University of Vermont. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, playing soccer, snowboarding, trail running, cooking, and gardening.

📷: Shannon Scarbrough