Officials to public: Help protect nesting loons

Loons nesting along lake shorelines are susceptible to human disturbance, and their nests can be flooded and destroyed by motorboat wakes, Vermont officials say. (VF&W Photo / Mitch Moraski)

Few birding experiences rival hearing the haunting call of the loon or seeing them glide by in protected coves on a lake.  However, for the birds’ protection, Vermont Fish and Wildlife is asking boaters and anglers to enjoy loons from a safe distance this summer.

“Loons were removed from Vermont’s endangered species list in 2005, but they face continued threats from human disturbance during the breeding season and ingestion of fishing gear,” said Rosalind Renfrew, wildlife biologist with Vermont Fish and Wildlife.

“Many areas where loons nest on Vermont’s lakes are surrounded by signs reminding people to give loons the space they need, but not all nesting areas are marked,” she added. “We’re asking people to enjoy loons from a distance rather than approaching them, whether you are in a boat or on shore.” 

Renfrew also reminds people to avoid using lead fishing tackle.  Every year Vermont loons die from lead poisoning after swallowing fishing tackle.  Lead sinkers weighing one-half ounce or less are prohibited in Vermont, but larger tackle­­­ still has the capacity to slough off lead into the environment over time.  Renfrew also recommends anglers to be careful to not attract loons to their bait and lures, and especially to not leave any fishing line behind as it can entangle and kill loons.

Eric Hanson, biologist with the Vermont Loon Conservation Project and Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE), asks anglers to reel in for a few minutes if loons are diving nearby.  To give anglers a place to discard their lead tackle, VCE will be placing collection tubes for lead tackle and discarded fishing line at over 20 boat access areas beginning this summer.  VCE coordinates the loon project in partnership with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

Hanson and his colleagues monitor Vermont’s loon population and have put out game cameras around loon nests to monitor the behavior of people around them.  Hanson says most people are respectful of nesting loons and give them space, but people sometimes inadvertently harm loons without meaning to.

“Loon chicks can be difficult to see, so we ask motorboaters to note where loon families are and to avoid those areas,” said Hanson.  “We also ask that motorboaters obey ‘no wake’ laws within 200 feet of shorelines because boat wakes can flood and destroy shoreline loon nests.” 

As Vermont’s loon population continues to increase and canoeing and kayaking continues to become more popular, there is greater potential for people to come into conflict with loons. Hanson reminds boaters to avoid pursuing loons in a canoe or kayak, especially loons with young. 

“Occasionally a loon will be curious and approach people, and if that happens, just enjoy it,” said Hanson.  “However, loons that are constantly swimming away from you are stressed and may abandon their young if they feel they are in danger.”

Hanson also urges shoreline property owners to maintain appropriate habitat for loons, including shrubby and forested areas along shorelines, where loons can nest.  Having shrubs and trees instead of lawns along shorelines also improves water quality which is essential for healthy lakes, aquatic insects, fish eggs, fish, and loons.

Volunteers interested in monitoring loons for the Loon Conservation Project should contact Hanson at loon@vtecostudies.org.  Volunteers can monitor lakes all summer long with a focus on lakes with loon pairs and nesting. 

Volunteers can also survey one or two lakes on Loonwatch Day, being held on July 15 this year, between 8 and 9 a.m.  The goal is to survey all lakes greater than 20 acres at the same time, which provides a population count and checks on small lakes that are surveyed less often during the rest of year.  

— Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department

Vermont Ice Fishing Festival coming to Barnard

To celebrate Free Ice Fishing Day, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department will hold an Ice Fishing Festival for kids and others new to ice fishing at Silver Lake State Park in Barnard on Saturday, Jan. 28. (VTF&W Photo by Joshua Morse)

One of Vermont's favorite statewide events is coming back this month. The state’s Free Ice Fishing Day is Saturday, Jan. 28.

Free Ice Fishing Day is held annually on the last Saturday in January. The day is geared toward giving new ice anglers an opportunity to try ice fishing before purchasing equipment, but any angler may ice fish on any waterbody open to ice fishing statewide without a fishing license on Free Ice Fishing Day.

To celebrate, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is holding an Ice Fishing Festival at Silver Lake State Park in Barnard — its first since the start of the pandemic. The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is free and open to all ages as well as families with kids. 

“The Ice Fishing Festival typically draws between 500-700 participants for a day of fishing, skill-building, and community,” said Education Specialist Corey Hart. “Everyone at the department is excited to be bringing this favorite winter celebration back after a two-year hiatus.”

Vermont Fish and Wildlife staff, as well as instructors from Vermont’s Let’s Go Fishing Program, will be on-hand to teach ice fishing skills. These include knot tying, baiting and using an ice fishing rod, and most importantly, how to stay safe on the ice. They will also discuss fishing regulations and fish identification. 

Fish and Wildlife staff will operate a fish fry station to cook up participants’ catch, and there will be plenty of cocoa on hand. Participants are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather, and ice cleats are strongly recommended.

“Ice fishing is one of the most accessible forms of fishing and can be a great way to introduce people to how much fun fishing can be,” said Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Christopher Herrick. “This festival will demonstrate that ice fishing isn’t just about catching fish. It’s also a great way to spend some time outdoors with friends and family. You can skate, sled, make a snow fort, and have a cookout — all while waiting for the flags on your tip-ups to signal when you’ve caught a fish.”

Fishing equipment will be loaned for this fun day on the ice, or participants may bring their own.  For more information, visit the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website. Registration can be completed online in advance at https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/189542

People may also register when they arrive, although registering in advance will enable participants to get on the ice faster.

— Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department

Ice fishing tip-ups being arranged. These are used to suspend bait at a set depth. (VTF&W Photo by Joshua Morse)

Vt. plant believed extinct since 1908 is rediscovered

The purple crowberry (pictured) grows low to the ground in exposed, high elevation habitats.  The purple crowberry is easily mistaken for the common and closely related black crowberry (not pictured). (VTF&W Photo Courtesy Glen Mittelhauser)

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department recently announced that the purple crowberry, a diminutive alpine shrub last documented in Vermont in 1908, has been rediscovered on Mt. Mansfield.

“This is an extraordinary find,” said Bob Popp, a botanist with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, in a statement.  “The purple crowberry is easily overlooked alongside the closely related and more abundant black crowberry.  This discovery emphasizes the benefit of having a community of keen botanical observers on the ground.”

The purple crowberry (Empetrum atropurpureum) grows low to the ground in rocky habitat above the tree line.  The species is identifiable by needle-like leaves and purple berries, and is found in the Northeast in Maine, New Hampshire, and New York.  The purple crowberry is listed as uncommon in New Hampshire and state-endangered in New York.

Vermont botanists had searched Mt. Mansfield — the site of the 1908 historical record — for the purple crowberry unsuccessfully in recent decades and had determined that the species was no longer present in the state.

A fresh set of eyes on an overlooked stretch of Mt. Mansfield upended that conclusion.

“I’m always looking for new purple crowberry populations,” said Liam Ebner, a recent graduate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a trained summit steward with the Adirondack Mountain Club.

At the time of his discovery, Ebner was on Mt. Mansfield as participant in the 2022 Northeastern Alpine Stewardship Gathering, a biennial conference hosted this year by the Green Mountain Club and The Waterman Fund. 

“Since I saw a crowberry plant, I decided to check it out and was pretty surprised to see that it was purple crowberry up there,” Ebner said in a recent announcement.

Ebner reported his find to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department the following day.  He added that as an alpine stewardship professional he was able to approach the plant — which was off the trail — while staying on exposed rock, preventing damage to the crowberry or the plant’s surroundings.

Popp revisited the site on Oct. 19 and confirmed three clumps of purple crowberry.

“That observant members of the public rediscovered two different plant species believed lost from our state in the same year is a tribute to our community’s flourishing interest in and knowledge of the natural world,” said Popp, who worked with community scientists earlier this year to confirm the rediscovery of the small whorled pogonia, a federally threatened orchid, in Vermont.

“At the same time, we do not encourage anyone to venture off trail in search of rare alpine plants,” Popp added. “The work of the Green Mountain Club as stewards of our delicate alpine areas is part of what has allowed the purple crowberry to persist in this highly trafficked area for more than a century.”

The newly discovered purple crowberry population is located safely off the trail and at low risk of trampling.  The department is not disclosing the purple crowberry’s exact location to protect the plants from accidental damage.

“The discovery of a purple crowberry population after so many years really underscores the importance and effectiveness of the Green Mountain Club’s Backcountry Caretaker program,” said Nigel Bates, caretaker program supervisor at the Green Mountain Club, in a statement.

The club, which manages 500 miles of hiking trail in Vermont, including the alpine zones in the state, employs caretakers trained in stewardship and alpine botany to educate hikers and encourage responsible use during the hiking season. 

“We take this sighting as proof that our practices on the mountain are working,” said Bates. “And we thank visitors for their commitment to walking on durable surfaces, leashing their dogs, and protecting the fragile alpine flora communities in Vermont.”

In the short term, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and the Green Mountain Club will monitor Mt. Mansfield’s purple crowberry population for signs of predation or encroachment by other plants.  In the longer term, the department will consider the purple crowberry for designation on the state’s threatened and endangered species list as more is learned about the species’ viability in Vermont.

— Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department

Composting with bears in mind

Vermont officials are providing tips on how to avoid attracting bears to composting areas. (VTF&W photo by John Hall)

Many Vermonters have seen some determined bears looking for food near their homes recently, state officials say. With the food scrap ban in effect, the state is providing tips for people who are composting at home so they can avoid attracting hungry bears. 

“We have been receiving lots of reports of bears on decks, tearing down bird feeders, wrecking beehives, killing chickens, and getting into trash, compost and garbage containers,” said bear biologist Jaclyn Comeau, of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. 

“First though, to deter bears, bird feeders need to be taken down until we have a foot or more of snow in December. Then, make sure anything else that might smell like food is picked up. And keep your trash container secured inside a sturdy building and don’t put it outside until the morning of pickup. Beehives, chicken coops and compost bins can be protected with electric fencing.”

If you know bears are active in your neighborhood, the best way to avoid attracting them is to take food scraps to one of the drop-off stations. You can locate them by contacting your local solid waste management district or town at www.802recycles.com, or ask your trash hauler if they pick up food scraps for composting. 

Composting at home while minimizing the chances of attracting bears can best be done with these tips:

• Use three parts of brown material for one part of green material. Browns can be dried leaf and yard debris, wood chips, which often can be delivered to your house free by a local tree service company, or shredded paper. Greens include kitchen scraps, vegetables and small amounts of fruits. Adding lots of brown material minimizes smells and speeds up composting.

• No meat, bones or seafood leftovers. They do not break down quickly and are strong wildlife attractants. The food scrap ban allows people who compost at home to dispose of meat, bones and seafood in the trash, so they can be kept in a freezer until trash day.  

• Give your compost oxygen by frequently mixing it or turning it over if it is in a container.  This reduces odors and speeds up composting.

• Does your compost smell? If so, turning it, adding more brown material and adding a layer of wood shavings or sawdust to the top should solve the issue.

• Enclose your composter with electric fencing or compost in a hard, durable container with a lid that will be challenging for a bear to open. Some types of tumblers are bear-proof.

• Electric fencing, with food scent added to the wires will discourage even persistent bears. 

• If you are currently having a bear issue, delay starting your new compost pile until the bear issue resolves. Until then, keep food scraps in the freezer or bring them to a collection site.

To learn more about properly composting food waste, go to the Department of Environmental Conservation’s website at www.VTrecycles.com.

The public is encouraged to contact their local warden if they are having a bear issue. You can find out who your local warden is at this link, and you may also submit a black bear incident report online. Contacting your warden or submitting an incident report helps wildlife officials keep track of bear issues around the state and may help shape future regulations regarding black bears.

Composting without attracting wildlife takes careful planning. For information about living with bears and to report bear damage, visit Fish and Wildlife’s website www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

— The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department

State: With bears roaming, time to take bird feeders down

With snow melting everywhere, bears are starting to emerge from their winter dens. (VTF&W Photo by Kris and Norm Senna)

As I look over the wildlife adventures we’ve had over the past two years, nothing compares with bear encounters. And I’m not talking about encounters I’ve had. It’s my wife who has been lucky enough to cross paths with multiple bears over the past two summers. If this happens during your next hike, she recommends remaining calm, and no, don’t run (more safety tips here). In fact, over this time, our ursine friends became such a part of the neighborhood that a neighbor of ours named one of the bears Ursula. 

Cute as that might be (and I’m smiling as I write this), the folks at Vermont Fish and Wildlife are hoping Vermonters can help cut back on the number of times that bears wander into residential areas. To that end, they’re asking Vermonters to take down their bird feeders now — about two weeks earlier than usual. 

With the spring thaw advancing, and reports of bear sightings starting to trickle in, wildlife officials hope this small request will make a difference, so that everyone can live together without too many frequent visits from the bears, whether walking near your home, or trying to take out the trash — which bears love to get their paws on. Hopefully less bird seed for bears means less of those other visits. Though for sure, we don’t mind seeing them once in a while - we do, after all, share a beautiful state together. 

To see Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s full press release, keep on reading. And thanks! 

— Gareth Henderson

_

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says warm spring weather and melting snows will cause bears to come out of their winter dens in search of food.  The department recommends taking down bird feeders and keeping them stored until December, to avoid attracting bears. 

“Although we typically recommend taking down bird feeders by April 1, we are asking Vermonters to take them down early this year,” said Jaclyn Comeau, the department’s bear biologist.  

The department is already receiving bear reports as of March 7, and encourages Vermonters who experience a conflict with bears to submit a report through the Living with Black Bears web page.  The warmer temperatures predicted now will stimulate more bears to emerge from their dens to seek any food sources they can smell. 

“Preventing bears from having access to human-related foods, such as bird seed, is key to successful coexistence,” Comeau added.   

Bird feeders are just one of the things that can attract hungry bears.  Other sources of food that bears find appealing are garbage, open dumpsters, backyard chickens, pet food, barbecue grills, campsites with accessible food, and food waste.  

“Purposely feeding a bear is not just bad for the bear,” said Comeau. “It is also dangerous for you, it causes problems for your neighbors, and it is illegal.” 

The department offers the following tips to coexist with bears: 

• Take down birdfeeders between late March and December. 

• Store garbage in bear proof containers or structures—trash cans alone are not enough  

• Follow the steps on our web page for composting in bear country 

• Use electric fences to keep chickens and honeybees safe 

• Request a bear-proof dumpster from your waste hauler 

• Feed your pets indoors 

• Never feed bears, deliberately or accidentally 

And for Vermonters who wish to connect with and appreciate songbirds after taking down their birdfeeders this spring, the department will be partnering with Audubon Vermont to highlight alternatives like the Native Plants for Birds Program.  

“Birds and native plants co-evolved over millions of years together,” said Gwendolyn Causer, Audubon Vermont’s communication coordinator and environmental educator. 

“Native plants provide essential food resources for birds year-round and also host protein-rich native butterfly and moth caterpillars, the number one food for songbird nestlings.  And best of all, they do not attract bears.”  

To help better understand peoples’ interactions with bears and inform measures for coexistence with this species, the department asks Vermonters to submit reports of bears engaging in potentially dangerous behavior like targeting bird feeders or garbage bins, feeding on crops or livestock, or investigating campgrounds or residential areas, through our website’s Living with Black Bears tab.

Endangered no more: Bald eagle reaches Vt. milestone

A nesting pair of bald eagles in Barnet, Vermont. (VTF&W Photo by John Hall)

It was a big week for conservation in Vermont. On Thursday, officials revealed that the bald eagle was no longer endangered in the Green Mountain State. Wildlife officials announced this upcoming change in spring of 2021, after years of restoration efforts throughout Vermont. 

“The bald eagle’s de-listing is a milestone for Vermont,” Wildlife Division Director Mark Scott said in a statement. “This reflects more than a decade of dedicated work by Vermont Fish & Wildlife and partners. It shows that Vermonters have the capacity to restore and protect the species and habitats that we cherish.”

That conservation capacity will be essential moving forward, officials noted. But the bald eagle wasn’t the only animal to make statewide news this week. Seven species and three critical habitats were the subjects of changes on Vermont’s Endangered and Threatened Species List.

Along with de-listings for the bald eagle and short-styled snakeroot, a flowering plant of dry woodland habitats, Thursday’s update included a range of new listings. Two invertebrate species, the American bumblebee and a species of freshwater mussel known as the brook floater, and two plant species, Houghton’s sedge and rue anemone, have been listed as endangered. State endangered species are considered at immediate risk of becoming locally extinct in Vermont.

One bird species, the Eastern meadowlark, received a new designation as threatened. State threatened species are considered at risk of becoming endangered without timely conservation action.

Three Vermont landscapes also received new designations as critical habitats that are essential for the survival of threatened or endangered species, according to Thursday’s official announcement. The newly listed sites support species including the common tern and Eastern spiny softshell turtle, as well as little brown, Northern long-eared, and tricolored bats.

“These new listings reflect the stressors affecting Vermont’s plant, fish, and wildlife species,” said Wildlife Diversity Program Manager Dr. Rosalind Renfrew. “In the face of climate change and habitat loss, our mission is to conserve these species and others to the very best of our ability on behalf of all Vermonters, who demonstrate time and again that they care about the survival of wildlife populations.”

The new listings are a vital step towards enabling the department to carry out that mission, officials said. They trigger additions to existing species and habitat management plans, development of recovery metrics, initiation of population monitoring, and strengthening or establishing critical partnerships.

“We dedicate incredible resources through population monitoring, habitat conservation and improvement, and education and outreach to preventing species from reaching these thresholds in the first place,” said Scott, the Wildlife Division director. “But, when necessary, we also draw on our successful track record leading endangered species recovery efforts including restoring Vermont’s populations of common loon, osprey, peregrine falcon, and now the bald eagle. We will bring that same dedication to each of these new listings.”

— Gareth Henderson

Click here to find out more about Vermont’s endangered species and related recovery plans.

Nesting loons have a record year in Vermont

A record 109 pairs of loons nested in Vermont in 2021, with 125 chicks hatched and 84 surviving through August. (VTF&W Photo by Tom Rogers)

Vermont’s loons are thriving with a record 109 nesting pairs reported in 2021, the highest since loon monitoring began in 1978, according to wildlife experts.

“Across Vermont, 77 loon nests produced 125 chicks this year, and 84 of those chicks survived through August,” said Eric Hanson, wildlife biologist with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE). 

VCE leads the Vermont Loon Conservation Project in partnership with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. In a Tuesday’s announcement, officials noted the importance of that collaboration.

“We are very grateful to Eric Hanson and the many volunteers who help monitor Vermont’s nesting loons,” said Fish and Wildlife’s bird biologist Doug Morin. “The loon has been the flagship species of our nongame work ever since the nongame tax checkoff and conservation license plate programs have been helping to fund these efforts.” 

“Vermont’s loon project is a tremendous success story,” added Morin. “It’s hard to believe that in 1983 there were only seven nesting pairs.”

Loons were removed from Vermont’s endangered species list in 2005 following decades of recovery efforts.  One of the main threats still facing loons as they continue to recover is human disturbance during the breeding season.

Keeping your distance from loons is of great importance, but Morin also reminds people to avoid lead fishing tackle.  Loons sometimes swallow stray fishing tackle and suffer the effects of lead poisoning.  Lead sinkers weighing one-half ounce or less are prohibited for fishing in Vermont.  And, Morin recommends that anglers be careful to not attract loons to their bait and lures, and especially don’t leave any fishing line behind as fishing tackle does kill loons. 

“Many areas where loons are nesting on Vermont’s lakes are surrounded by signs reminding people to give loons the space they need, but not all nesting areas are marked,” said Morin. “We ask people to enjoy loons from a distance, whether they are in a motorboat, a canoe or a kayak.” 

Check out the VCE website for more information about the Vermont Loon Conservation Project and how you can get involved.

— Gareth Henderson

Groundbreaking data project aims to protect wildlife

2016 lidar-derived tree cover (light and dark green), overlaid with 2011 habitat blocks (yellow), highlights the opportunities to improve Vermont Conservation Design with new data that account for connecting landscapes, state officials said. (Image Provided)

Vermont’s conservation efforts are getting an important data technology upgrade, thanks to some new grant funding. 

This week, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department won a $106,256 competitive federal grant to use groundbreaking new data to help conservation planners protect plants, animals and natural habitats in the face of climate change, according to Wednesday’s announcement. The process is based on Vermont Conservation Design, a science-based assessment of Vermont’s ecologically functional landscape. The new data approach helps guide strategic fish and wildlife conservation, notably through upgraded mapping capability.

“With this grant, we are excited to fine-tune our assessment to better identify lands and waters that contribute to Vermont’s healthy environment with climate change in mind,” said Director of Wildlife Mark Scott in a statement. 

This work will help priority species, from moose and northern long-eared bats to native bees and rare plants, remain healthy and able to adapt to changes in the climate, Scott added.

First released in 2015, Vermont Conservation Design maps the habitat needed to ensure Vermont’s wildlife remains healthy and abundant. Six years later, new state-wide “Lidar” data from the Vermont Center for Geographic Information provide an opportunity to upgrade this conservation tool, officials said. 

Lidar, short for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses aircraft-mounted laser scanners and a global positioning system to map landscape texture, giving researchers a more accurate understanding of land cover. It provides 400 times higher resolution than any previous landcover data.

The new data will reveal critical details for wildlife movement and ecological connections, like hedgerows through fields and forest edges close to roads. These connections allow animals to move from one habitat block to the next as they adjust their ranges to climate change, as officials said in this week’s announcement.

“These very detailed land cover maps will help us find the places where wildlife, such as black bears and bobcats, can travel between large patches of forest,” said Jens Hilke, a conservation planner at Vermont Fish and Wildlife.  “It is critical that wildlife have the ability to move around the state and beyond, especially as climate change pushes plants and animals into new habitats.”

— Gareth Henderson

Fall foods abundant for wildlife

Mountain ash berries are among the many fall foods enjoyed by wildlife this year. (VTF&W Photo by John Hall)

As the cold weather intensifies, woodland creatures are having no trouble finding food. Vermont Fish and Wildlife is reporting that several important fall foods for wildlife are abundant this year following last year when many foods were lacking.

Fish and Wildlife staff survey mast stands around the state each fall season, and in 2020 they documented that many important berry and nut species were lacking. That helped cause a dramatic increase in the number of bears harvested in the hunting season due to the bears searching widely for alternative foods including corn.

Results for this year are markedly different, with most species of nuts and berries available to wildlife and some, such as apples, choke cherries and mountain ash berries being very abundant. Acorn numbers were the highest in 20 years. It was a good year in most areas for beech nuts, for although many of the beech stands surveyed contained abundant nuts, other stands contained few or none. 

“The great variation in beechnut numbers between sites that were sampled was a surprise to us, as we had predicted it to be an excellent year for beechnut production following such poor numbers last year,” said State Wildlife Biologist Jaclyn Comeau who was recently chosen to fill the position of Black Bear Project Leader. 

To learn more about the animals that inhabit the Green Mountains, check out this Vermont Fish and Wildlife page. 

— Gareth Henderson

Bears are some of the many creatures who will benefit from this year’s abundant fall foods. This photo was taken in November 2015. (VTF&W Photo by Kris & Norm Senna)

Hike and learn: State offers virtual program for young students

The eastern wild turkey is one of the animals to be studied in a virtual education program being offered by Vermont Fish and Wildlife. (VTF&W Photo by John Hall)

Throughout the country, the education sector has been a place of innovation over the past 18 months. Within that, the pandemic has driven lots of interest in outdoor programs. Along with being a healthy option, those programs also offer meaningful opportunities to learn about the environment in a local setting. 

Now, Vermont educators have one more such opportunity. On Thursday, the state Fish and Wildlife Department announced “Scats and Tracks”, a virtual program for elementary school classes grades 1-6 designed to get kids outside with their teacher, while also learning about the wildlife in their community. The 4-week program gives educators plans and support to lead nature hikes on school or nearby grounds.  

Each week’s hike teaches students to identify scat and tracks for a different native species, and it is supported with access to a virtual class visit on nature facts from Fish and Wildlife experts. Indeed, the Green Mountains offer a variety of wildlife to study, meaning such opportunities are never far away. This year’s program focuses on the gray fox, beaver, gray squirrel, and eastern wild turkey.

There are two ways for classes to participate, designed to meet the needs of different schedules and student groups: 1) pre-recorded lessons; or 2) live virtual presentations with a department staff member once a week. Fish and Wildlife officials understand that many educators have questions about leading a nature hike of their own, a news release stated. Staff are available to answer any questions about that portion in advance and to provide tips.

The live virtual sessions will take place weekly during January 2022, and educators that choose the pre-recorded option will receive the video links and additional information in late 2021.

— Gareth Henderson

Notice: To register for the program, educators should contact Education Specialist Corey Hart by emailing him at corey.hart@vermont.gov, or calling him at 802-505-5562. Please indicate which option you prefer, school, grade level, and how many students will be participating. The homeschool community is also encouraged to reach out.

Conserving our winged friends: ‘Bat Week’ coming soon

Bat houses are a great alternative for bats you need to evict from your home, but they do require some maintenance in the late fall or winter. (VTF&W photo)

Bats are busy this time of year, and it’s not because of Halloween. Vermont has nine native bat species, and summer groups of bats that roost in buildings begin to scatter in the fall, in preparation for migration or hibernation, according to state wildlife officials. They say it’s an important time for conservation-minded Vermonters to learn about and help conserve these creatures, which play an important role in the region’s ecosystem. 

If you have noticed bats roosting in your attic, barn, or office over the summer, fall is the perfect time to safely evict these uninvited guests from your property. You can learn how to safely evict bats from your building at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s best management practices page.

You can also help bat conservation efforts by reporting large colonies of bats living in structures to the department’s website. Locations with rare colonies of one of our endangered species, the little brown bat, are eligible for free bat houses from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

Bat houses provide an alternative location for safely evicted bats to remain in your yard and continue eating huge quantities of insects that may be forest, agricultural, or human pests, according to wildlife officials. Bat houses can be put up any time of year but do require some simple maintenance. Late fall or winter is the time to look up inside your bat house and make sure all the bats have left before cleaning out any abandoned wasp nests and planning any needed caulking or repainting.

“Fall also means Halloween, and scary images of bats, but this presents an opportunity to bring positive attention to bats as well,” state biologist Alyssa Bennett said in a statement. “So, we celebrate ‘Bat Week’ in the days leading up to Halloween.” Bat Week takes place Oct. 24-31 and aims to raise awareness about the vital ecological function of bats and to dispel the many myths and misinformation about them, officials said.

This year, Bennett will be giving a public talk about Vermont’s nine native bat species at the Intervale Center in Burlington. You can register for the talk on the department’s events page.  Anyone interested in learning more can visit the official Bat Week website at www.BatWeek.org, or email Alyssa.Bennett@vermont.gov for more information about what they can do right here in Vermont to promote bat conservation.

“Vermont is home to several species of threatened and endangered bats that we are working to conserve and recover — we hope Vermonters will support these efforts and come to enjoy seeing bats in their natural environment,” Bennett added. “Bats are a very important part of our natural world and now, more than ever, they need our help.”

— Gareth Henderson

State seeks volunteers to conserve turtle nesting sites

A spiny softshell turtle hatchling looks out into the world. The state is looking for volunteers to help prepare nesting areas for this threatened creature. (VF&W Photo by Tom Rogers)

Wildlife officials are looking for volunteers to help a creature listed as threatened in Vermont: the spiny softshell turtle.

People are invited to join the Fish and Wildlife Department’s annual beach cleanup day, which prepares turtle nesting sites for next year. It takes place on Saturday, Oct. 16, and gives people a way to help conserve Vermont’s spiny softshell population. Loss of nesting sites through shoreline changes and development is a key reason this turtle is threatened in Vermont.

On cleanup day, participants are asked to arrive at 10 a.m. at North Hero State Park (directions below). After finishing at North Hero, the group will carpool to another site in Swanton. 

Volunteers will pull up vegetation on nesting beaches to prepare the nesting sites. They may also find a few hatchlings that occasionally remain in nests underground this late in the year, officials said. In addition to spiny softshell turtles, these nest sites are also used by map turtles, painted turtles and snapping turtles. 

State biologist Toni Mikula will have hatchling spiny softshell and other turtles on hand and will talk about the long-term turtle recovery efforts.  Some of these hatchling turtles will be raised in captivity by the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain while they are small and most vulnerable to predation, according to the state. They will be released back into Lake Champlain next spring.

“This is a great way to help conserve threatened wildlife right here in Vermont,” Mikula said in a statement. “It’s also a fun way to learn more about the turtles and to see some recently-hatched baby turtles.”

Participants are asked to dress in layers of warm clothes and to bring water, work gloves, a leaf rake, short-handled tools such as trowels, and their own lunch. Families and kids are welcome.  The cleanup may run until 4 p.m., although participants can choose how long to assist.

“This has turned into a very popular annual event for people interested in conservation,” Mikula said. “We’re always glad to see so many people care about wildlife.”

To get to North Hero State Park, follow Route 2 north past Carry Bay in North Hero. Take a right on Lakeview Drive, just before Route 2 swings west toward Alburgh. Follow Lakeview Drive almost to the end until you reach the North Hero State Park entrance sign on the left. Drive to the end of the road always bearing right. 

For more information, please contact Mikula at Toni.Mikula@vermont.gov.

— Gareth Henderson

Notice: This event is outdoors and there is enough space for social distancing. Hand sanitizer will be provided. Some hand tools will be provided but attendees are also encouraged to bring their own.

Volunteers help during a previous beach cleanup day in Vermont to help spiny softshell turtles. (VF&W Photo by Tom Rogers)

Vermont seeking input on wildlife management

A Vermont buck observes its surroundings. (VF&W Photo by John Hall)

What do peregrine falcons, deer and bear have in common? They all share a natural habitat that’s at the center of a wildlife management effort in southern Vermont.

The state is developing a new long-range management plan for the Castleton Management Unit, which encompasses over 4,200 acres of land in the Birdseye and Blueberry Hill Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). This long-range plan serves as a guide for management of Agency of Natural Resources land, and typically lasts for 20 years. Currently, the state’s focus is hearing from Vermonters. 

“Soliciting input from the public is an important part of the management planning process, and it is a chance for us to hear from the public early in the process about how they use and what they value about these lands,” said Travis Hart, a state wildlife biologist involved with developing the plan, in a statement. 

Part of this early stage is an upcoming public meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 29, to explain the proposal and gather input from Vermonters. The in-person meeting is from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Kehoe Conservation Camp in Castleton, and the public can also share comments online. 

The Birdseye and Blueberry Hill WMAs are iconic in Vermont, forming a uniquely rugged set of mountains and valleys in a part of Vermont popular with outdoor enthusiasts.  In total, these WMAs span 4,285 acres of important wildlife habitat, including the geologically remarkable Birdseye WMA cliffs where peregrine falcons nest each spring.  These WMAs are popular destinations for deer, bear and upland bird hunters during the fall hunting seasons and turkey hunters in the spring.  Given the large size of these WMAs, people can also enjoy backcountry experiences with wildlife. 

The online survey will be open until Dec. 3. The same information to be presented at the Sept. 29 meeting is on Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website, www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

The public will get another chance to weigh in after the first draft of the long-range plan is complete, officials said. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources is administering the long-range planning process through the Fish and Wildlife Department, and the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.

— Gareth Henderson

State to drivers: Look out for moose

Moose are more likely to be crossing roadways at this time of year, especially after dark or early in the morning. (VTF&W Photo by Benjamin Young)

It’s that time of year again: Moose are on the move, and state officials are warning people to keep an eye out for them when driving. 

Moose are more likely to be crossing roadways at this time of year, especially after dark or early in the morning, because this is breeding season for moose, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. 

“We are asking drivers to be especially careful and for people to enjoy watching moose from a distance,” said State Game Warden Lt. Carl Wedin in a statement. “Moose can be unpredictable and dangerous if you get too close and they feel cornered or get irritated.”

Motorists hit 39 moose on Vermont highways during 2020 and 41 so far this year, the state reported. Wildlife officials said there are measures people can take to avoid them on the roads: 

• Always be alert — moose cross the road randomly, as well as at their regular crossings.

• Increase your roadside awareness and reduce your speed when you see Moose Crossing signs along the road. When on secondary roads, the recommended speed is 40 mph or less in these moose crossing areas.

• Drive defensively. Moose are more active at night and early morning, and they are difficult to see because of their dark color.

• If you see a moose ahead, slow down or stop. Trying to speed past them before they can move can be a serious mistake.

Vermont highway sections most frequented by moose include the following:

-Rt.105 from Island Pond to Bloomfield.

-Rt.114 from East Burke to Canaan.

-Rt.2 from Lunenburg to East St. Johnsbury.

-Interstate 91 at Sheffield Heights.

-Interstate 89 from Bolton to Montpelier.

-Rt. 12 from Worcester to Elmore.

-Rt 118 near Belvidere Corners and the Rt. 109 intersection.

The breeding season for moose lasts from mid-September to mid-October. To learn more about moose, click here for more information from Vermont wildlife officials.

— Gareth Henderson

Celebrating pollinators: the cornerstone of our food supply

A butterfly visiting the Sunflower House at Billings Farm. (Billings Farm & Museum Photo)

The bees, butterflies, birds and moths we see zipping from flower to flower in the summer are integral for growing close to 90% of our food supply. This weekend, an event in Woodstock is focusing on exactly that. 

Billings Farm & Museum’s Pollination Celebration will highlight this big contribution from such small creatures with hands-on activities and interactive programs for all ages, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For example, people will get a chance to meet local beekeepers from Hall Apiaries and Vermont Beekeepers Association. You can also explore the Sunflower House in full bloom, and hear a talk with the team from the Woodstock Inn & Resort that created it. Games and activities for kids will also be part of the weekend, as will some foods. People can sample herbal tea or corn and tomato salad made with ingredients pollinated in the Billings Farm gardens. Good news for culinary enthusiasts: They’ll be able to take home some pollinator recipes.

The event underscores the great importance of pollinators to our way of life. Earlier in the year, the state released information on this very topic, including a quote from state zoologist Mark Ferguson. 

“The majority of our flowering plants need pollinators in order to produce seeds,” Ferguson said. “Vermont is home to hundreds of species of pollinators from bees to butterflies to beetles and other bugs that play a vital role in pollinating our flowers, trees and food crops.” 

The upcoming celebration is one more way to learn about and appreciate these animals, and what they mean to the sustainability of the world. For more details on the Pollination Celebration, visit billingsfarm.org.

— Gareth Henderson

Composting with bears in mind

Composting without attracting wildlife takes careful planning. After an increase in bear incidents at homes, Vermont wildlife officials are sharing tips to address the issue. (VF&W Photo by John Hall)

Plenty of bears are looking for food near local residences, and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department keeps hearing from concerned homeowners. With the state’s food scrap ban in effect, officials are providing tips for people who are composting at home so they can avoid attracting hungry bears. 

“We have been receiving lots of reports of bears on decks, tearing down bird feeders, wrecking beehives, killing chickens, and getting into trash, compost and garbage containers,” said bear biologist Forrest Hammond in a statement. “We are offering some guidance on how to compost at home without attracting bears.”

Hammond recommends deterring bears by taking bird feeders down until there is a foot or more of snow in December.

“Then, make sure anything else that might smell like food is picked up,” he said. “And keep your trash container secured inside a sturdy building and don’t put it outside until the morning of pickup.  Beehives, chicken coops and compost bins can be protected with electric fencing.”

If you know bears are active in your neighborhood, the best way to avoid attracting them is to take food scraps to an available drop-off station, according to the state. You can locate them by contacting your local solid waste management district or town at www.802recycles.com, or ask your trash hauler if they pick up food scraps for composting. 

Composting at home while minimizing the chances of attracting bears can best be done with these tips:

• Use three parts of brown material for one part of green material. Browns can be dried leaf and yard debris, wood chips, which often can be delivered to your house free by a local tree service company, or shredded paper. Greens include kitchen scraps, vegetables and small amounts of fruits. Adding lots of brown material minimizes smells and speeds up composting.

• No meat, bones or seafood leftovers. They do not break down quickly and are strong wildlife attractants. (The food scrap ban allows people who compost at home to dispose of meat, bones and seafood in the trash, so they can be kept in a freezer until trash day, officials added.)  

• Give your compost oxygen by frequently mixing it or turning it over if it is in a container. This reduces odors and speeds up composting.

• Does your compost smell? If so, turning it, adding more brown material and adding a layer of wood shavings or sawdust to the top should solve the issue.

• Enclose your composter with electric fencing or compost in a hard, durable container with a lid that will be challenging for a bear to open. Some types of tumblers are bear-proof.

• Electric fencing, with food scent added to the wires will discourage even persistent bears.

• If you are currently having a bear issue, delay starting your new compost pile until the bear issue resolves. Until then, keep food scraps in the freezer or bring them to a collection site.

To learn more about properly composting food waste, go to the Department of Environmental Conservation’s website at www.VTrecycles.com.

The public is encouraged to contact their local warden if they are having a bear issue. You may also submit a black bear incident report. Contacting your warden or submitting a black bear incident report helps wildlife officials keep track of bear issues around the state and may help shape future regulations regarding black bears.

For more details, visit the black bear section of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website.

— Gareth Henderson

Protecting pollinators: State explains how we can help

A honey bee on an apple blossom. (VF&W Photo by John Hall)

One of today’s biggest wildlife issues is one that impacts all of us: the decline in pollinator species. These animals, such as bees, are critical to the agricultural sector and overall food supply. 

Though it’s a large-scale issue, there’s action we can take to help, according to Vermont wildlife officials. They recently shared a few suggestions that would benefit essential pollinator species, and they also laid out the factors involved.

“The majority of our flowering plants need pollinators in order to produce seeds,” said state zoologist Mark Ferguson in a statement. “Vermont is home to hundreds of species of pollinators from bees to butterflies to beetles and other bugs that play a vital role in pollinating our flowers, trees and food crops.” 

These insects are responsible for pollinating 60 to 80% of Vermont’s wild plants, Major said, and are critical to the survival of gardens, berry farms, and apple orchards.

But many pollinator species in Vermont are in trouble. Habitat loss, invasive species, single-crop farming, disease, and pesticides are a few of the threats affecting populations of these insects across the state. Vermont’s native bees, including over 300 unique species and three that are threatened or endangered, are among our pollinators being impacted the most. 

A recent examination of the state’s 17 different bumble bees concluded that several species have drastically declined or disappeared from Vermont, including the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee. 

Officials said Vermonters can help conserve native bees and other pollinators with a few simple household considerations:

• Provide a variety of vibrant flowers and native plants to attract pollinators to your yard and garden.

• Learn to live with wildflowers and weeds growing in your yard and fields.  Pollinators prefer a variety in their habitat, even if it looks untidy to humans.

• Keep an eye out for bare patches of lawn where ground-nesting bees may make their home.

• Use pesticide alternatives such as pollinator-friendly barriers to keep unwanted pests off your plants.

• Avoid using insecticides (especially those that contain neonicotinoids such as imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, or clothianidin).

• Reduce the amount of property that is mowed, mow less often, and consider leaving fields un-mowed until October when most pollinators have finished their pollinating activities.

• Meadows that are narrow in shape or less than 10 acres in size are not suitable to provide habitat for grassland birds, but they can be extremely valuable pollinator habitat.  Consider leaving these small fields, and also large fields managed as grassland bird nesting habitat which are not needed for hay harvest in August or September, un-mowed until October when most pollinators have finished their pollinating activities.

To better understand not only the number and diversity of our native bee species, but also their distribution and population trends, the department and partners are conducting a three-year study of Vermont bees.  Vermont Fish and Wildlife is working closely with the Vermont Center for Ecological Studies (VCE) and is inviting any members of the public interested in contributing to this data collection to send their bee observations to iNaturalist.

Wildlife officials said people can also help these animals by contributing to Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s habitat conservation projects though the Vermont Habitat Stamp program.

To learn more about Vermont’s pollinators and additional ways to help, visit Vermont Fish and Wildlife online or contact Mark.Ferguson@vermont.gov.

— Gareth Henderson

State: If you see a fawn, steer clear — they’re OK

Fawns are being born now and should be left alone; their mothers are almost always nearby, officials say. (VF&W Photo by John Hall)

People throughout the Green Mountains are enjoying nature this time of year, and it's also the season when deer fawns are arriving. 

With that in mind, wildlife officials are asking the public to leave fawns alone if they see them in the wild. Most deer fawns are born in late May and the first and second weeks of June, according to Vermont deer biologist Nick Fortin. He said people often assume a fawn that is alone is lost or needs rescuing, but the mother is almost always nearby. 

“It’s in the best interest of Vermonters and the wildlife that live here, for all of us to maintain a respectful distance and help keep wildlife wild,” Fortin said in a statement. He added that, for its own safety, taking a wild animal into captivity is illegal in Vermont. 

Fawns do not attempt to evade predators during their first few weeks, instead relying on camouflage and stillness to remain undetected, officials explained. During these times, fawns learn critical survival skills from their mothers.  Bringing a fawn into a human environment results in separation from its mother, and it usually results in a sad ending for the animal, officials added.

Fortin encourages people to resist the urge to assist wildlife in ways that may be harmful, and he offered these tips:

• Deer nurse their young at different times during the day and often leave their young alone for long periods of time. These animals are not lost. Their mother knows where they are and will return.

• Deer normally will not feed or care for their young when people are close by.

• Deer fawns will imprint on humans and lose their natural fear of people, which can be essential to their survival.

• Keep domestic pets under control at all times, as they may harm fawns and other baby animals.

Leaving a fawn alone in a secluded spot is primarily a way for deer to hide their young from predators while feeding, Fortin explained in an interview with WCAX. People may see a fawn alone in the wild multiple times without ever seeing the mother, and should still avoid disturbing it, he added.  

— Gareth Henderson

Stocked fish on the move; planning on tap to help reservoir, wildlife

This photo was taken during a drawdown of Sugar Hill Reservoir in Goshen, Vt. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Local anglers will find more trout in Chittenden and Pittsford ponds this year, part of a re-stocking effort due to work being done at a dam in central Vermont. 

After work at Goshen Dam is complete, planning will commence for a restoration project to preserve the reservoir and help sustain its aquatic communities for the long-term. All in all, it was a fitting announcement for the week of Earth Day.  

On Wednesday, the state announced that 1,800 trout originally planned for the 2021 stocking season at Sugar Hill Reservoir, also known as Goshen Dam in Goshen, Addison County, will be stocked at other waterways for anglers. These fish are being reallocated to four locations in south and central Vermont: Lefferts Pond in Chittenden, Smith Pond in Pittsford, Silver Lake in Leicester, and Prentiss Pond in Dorset.

The shift is being made to ensure there are plenty of opportunities to get out and enjoy Vermont’s waterways, while on-going safety enhancements are made to the Goshen Dam, wildlife officials said in a statement.

“Goshen Dam has always been a popular place for anglers. The yearling and trophy-sized brook trout we stock there attract anglers from all over the area,” said Shawn Good, fisheries biologist with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. “It’s in a beautiful setting in the Green Mountain National Forest, and the fishing platform and access facilities Green Mountain Power and the National Forest provide and maintain make it a great fishing destination.”

The reservoir was slated to receive an April stocking of 1,350 yearling brook trout averaging nine inches and 450 two-year old “Trophy Brook Trout” averaging 13 inches in length, according to Good. 

A drawdown for dam enhancements on the 58-acre waterbody began last year and the need for additional work was identified over the winter.  New plans call for water levels in the reservoir to be drawn down further in the early spring, reducing the maximum depth to about 1 foot with a surface area of approximately 1.5 acres.

“Obviously, this is important work to enhance safety, and it will make it impossible for normal trout stocking there and will also eliminate fishing opportunities at the work site," Good said. "In the meantime, trout normally destined for Goshen Dam will provide anglers with increased opportunities at other area waterways.” 

State and federal agencies will be working with Green Mountain Power to develop a plan to restore Sugar Hill Reservoir and its aquatic and fish communities for 2022 and beyond, once dam work is completed and the reservoir is refilled.

Most facilities at Sugar Hill Reservoir will be inaccessible this season for safety while work is continuing. Those facilities include the roundabout at the reservoir, the access road across the dam, and the road to the plunge pool area due to contractor parking, vehicle traffic, and equipment operation.

In a statement, U.S. Forest Service biologist Jeremy Mears says plenty of fishing opportunities remain available on the area’s federal forest land.

“There are still many places for anglers to enjoy fishing on the National Forest," he said. "Stream fishing for native brook trout is abundant throughout the area, and there also are opportunities for shore fishing at Chittenden Reservoir, Blueberry Lake, or Silver Lake.  Please be sure to check the Green Mountain National Forest website for updates before you go.”

— Gareth Henderson

To find Vermont fishing locations near you, visit the department’s access area and family fishing pages.

State: Brake for frogs and salamanders

Vermont wildlife officials are looking to protect early-spring amphibian road crossings important to salamanders and frogs, like this wood frog shown above. (VTF&W Photo / John Hall)

Roadways near ponds and wetlands are about to get a lot more traffic, but not the human kind. 

Every year, salamanders and frogs cross these roads during their breeding season, and Vermont wildlife officials are asking people to slow down while traveling them at night in early spring, or find alternate routes. 

These amphibian highways, if left mostly undisturbed in the evening hours, can offer a chance to observe some creatures rarely seen by the human eye.

“One of the benefits of checking out amphibian road crossings is that you can see many individuals and species in a short period and small area, and some species may not be seen the rest of the year," said Luke Groff, a herpetologist with the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, in a statement. "The spotted and blue-spotted salamanders, for example, belong to a group called the 'mole salamanders,' because after breeding, they retreat underground or under logs or stumps, and are rarely seen until the next spring.”

Biologists rely on these road crossings for data collection on otherwise hard-to-find species. For example, the four-toed salamander is rare in Vermont, and its distribution is not well understood. This information is used by Fish & Wildlife, the Agency of Transportation and other conservation partners to assess the need for wildlife passages and barriers in road construction plans that allow all wildlife, not just frogs and salamanders, to more safely cross roadways. 

In these opening weeks of spring, wildlife officials are also asking for the public's help in identifying amphibian road crossings. Groff is encouraging Vermonters to report these crossings by sending him an email (Luke.Groff@vermont.gov). If people can safely take photos of these animals crossing the road, officials will gladly receive the pictures as well.

— Gareth Henderson