Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Home
United States
White River Junction, VT
Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Directions Website

Uniting People and Science for Conservation As mounting human activity transforms ecosystems around the world, many wild animals face an uncertain future.

The problem is complex and international in scope, but the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) has developed an effective strategy to conserve biodiversity. We deliver the science people need to make good decisions for wildlife. We then join with partners to implement and evaluate conservation actions. Our programs capitalize on VCE’s core strengths to advance three complementary goals: to sustain the health of northeastern ecosystems, to protect vital Caribbean habitats, and to map biodiversity for conservation. Each program monitors for warning signs, identifies threats to wildlife, and promotes science-based actions before populations become imperiled. Involving citizen scientists in this work creates advocates for sound conservation policy. Collaborations with government agencies and other non-profits puts good policy into practice. In this way, we translate robust conservation science into measurable benefits for wildlife.

11/04/2026

Dive into the delight of butterflying—and how it helps address the butterfly crisis—with our scientists in this new video about the Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas!

Butterfly watching is now a "real thing in Vermont." For decades, s...

11/02/2026

Get the inside news and touching stories from the 2026 Vermont loon season straight from our loon biologist Eric himself! Wednesday, November 11th at 7 pm ET on Zoom. Register here:

Wondering where you can connect with VCE staff to learn more about our work? Check out our upcoming in-person and virtual events and workshops to find out.

10/29/2026

VCE Data Manager and passionate birder Megan Massa rallied us at our staff retreat for a game she created: Migratory Bird Co****le. The distance from the board was determined by drawing a bird and its average migratory distance from a bowl. Distances ranged from Black-capped Chickadee (no migration) to the Arctic Tern (25,000 miles or 18 yards from the board.) Watch the whole video to see who slayed…and who died on the way to their wintering grounds.

10/26/2026

A heartwarming story thanks to volunteer efforts to monitor loons!

10/26/2026

We're grateful to the USGS Bird Banding Lab for helping us explore Bicknell's Thrush migration and stopover route, so we can find out what is preventing them from reaching their wintering destinations in the Caribbean!

Gray-cheeked Thrush or Bicknell's Thrush? That is the question.

Every fall migration, East Coast birders wonder just which thrush they are looking at. Even in the hand the similarities can be tricky. At the USGS Bird Banding Lab's Fall Migration Station, every thrush is carefully examined and measured. For the last year, the station has been collecting a wide variety of data on these thrushes for the Vermont Center for Ecostudies research on migratory stopover usage.

Current research shows that Bicknell's Thrushes can be separated, with caution, by a smaller wing and tail measurement. While the majority of individuals that pass through the station are Gray-cheeked Thrushes, there are usually one or two individuals every year that give the team pause.

📸: Bicknell's Thrush. Credit: Mikey Lutmerding, USGS Public Domain.

10/21/2026

Here at VCE, we love Bicknell’s Thrush. This shy songbird has been core to our organization’s research program for over 30 years.

While sometimes it makes the news (usually because of our research findings), appears in a documentary, or draws crowds because of a rare sighting, Bicknell’s Thrush is not exactly a household name. The species is largely overlooked by the non-birding public because of its remote habitat, small geographic range, and nondescript appearance.

But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t gotten any spotlight! Here are a few recent appearances of BITH in popular media.

Megan is the Data Manager at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies with a background in ecology, ornithology, and field research. She supports VCE scientists by handling data cleaning, storage, and reporting so researchers can spend more time in the field and less time on spreadsheets.

10/15/2026

Wild & Able is the clear fan favorite in the Bicknell's Thrush Race to the Atlantic, with only a few days left before they make their 36+ hour flight over the Atlantic. If you or anyone you know is on the fence, today is your final day to choose a bird to win! Learn more and choose your bird here: https://vtecostudies.org/bith-race

10/13/2026

Did you catch the story on NPR Morning Edition about our intrepid tagged Vermont Monarchs?

By the way, if you download the Project Monarch app, you can see that some of VCE's tagged Monarchs are already to Louisiana and Texas! You can even follow individual monarchs and get a notification when it pings a bluetooth device. Allez Monarchs!!!

Researchers all over North America are attaching tiny transmitters to Monarch butterflies as they begin their migration to Mexico, to learn more about their stops and challenges.

10/02/2026

Check out these beautiful pictures from our loon volunteer Anastasia Zinkerman of a loon at Lake Rescue in Ludlow!

Our loon biologist Eloise Girard explains: "As autumn approaches, adult loons begin an important transformation in preparation for migration. Before leaving their breeding lakes, they undergo a partial molt, replacing some of their feathers while still retaining enough flight feathers to remain airborne. Once they reach their wintering grounds on the ocean, they will complete their full annual molt, replacing the rest of their flight feathers."

Learn more in our Field Guide to October: https://vtecostudies.org/blog/field-guide-to-october-2026

Address

20 Palmer Court
White River Junction, VT
05001

Website

http://www.vtecostudies.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Vermont Center for Ecostudies posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.