Posts by jbird24
One Duck’s Tale
Ducks seem to be everywhere in Vermont. It’s easy to spot a merganser or two floating down a river, a wood duck in a tucked-away pond, or a sord of mallards on a lake. But imagine one woman’s surprise to see a drake — a male mallard — wandering around the parking lot of a…
Read MorePaint for Rain
Rain barrels are not only an excellent way to collect runoff rainwater for watering gardens and washing cars. They also make excellent canvasses! Join the Vermont Institute of Natural Science this Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., to learn about rain barrels and water conservation, and try your hand at painting a barrel. The Art on A…
Read MoreLook For It Now: Foam Flower
Foam flower (tiarella cordifolia) is blossoming in Vermont. Look for this woodland plant’s delicate white flowers on a tall, leafless stalk. Foam flowers’ leaves, which look a bit like maple leaves, grow in clumps on the ground. This flower is a member of the saxifrage family, and is sometimes referred to as “false miterwort” due…
Read MorePoor Sam Peabody: Rumpless Wonder
The white-throated sparrow is a year-round mainstay in Vermont and throughout much of New England. Their distinct song, which some say sounds a lot like someone calling, “Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody,” is a treat to hear in the deep woods or amidst a green-lawned suburb. Some folks further north think the bird sings, “Oh,…
Read MoreRecipe for Amazing Summer Camp Experience
By Beth Roy, Camp Programs Manager and School Programs Coordinator Take 8 individuals with a passion for the environment and education. Sprinkle in 4 masters degrees and 7 bachelors degrees. Include a heaping scoop of more than 45 years of combined experience. And what do you get? VINS’ Nature Camp staff for the summer of…
Read MoreLook For It Now: Trillium
Look For It Now is a new weekly series on the VINS Nature blog. Each post will feature something in nature (be it a bird, a flower, a bug, a tree, etc.) that you can find (blooming, blossoming, breeding, nesting, etc.) right now in nature. We hope our Look For It Now series will inspire…
Read MoreThree’s Company
Well looky here! Three gangly baby ravens that squawk like wild monkeys have made their way to VINS for care. Watch a video of these giant babies in action! A few days ago, loggers in Danville, VT cut down a tree, not knowing a raven’s nest full of three babies rested upon the high branches.…
Read MoreA Low Heart & A Common Loon
Recently I hosted a party at my home, and the conversation and laughter that had been going full-bore came to a dead halt when we heard something we hadn’t heard in quite a long time. A common loon called from the lake across the street from my home. We silenced ourselves to be sure we…
Read MoreFostering Future Conservation Efforts
By Beth Roy, VINS Camp Program Manager and School Program Coordinator As a child, I grew up outside exploring every inch of my parents’ property, building forts and tree houses out of whatever I could find, usually with my dog and sometimes a sister in tow. Often I would hear the words, “Go outside and…
Read MoreStinky… but important!
Turkey vultures are stinky birds. Not only do they eat old, rotting carcasses (by choice!), they throw up as a defense mechanism. And if you’ve never smelled turkey vulture vomit, let me tell you it will curl your hair and send you running for the hills. They even defecate on their own legs to keep…
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