NestWatch 2017: Summer Update
by Anna Autilio Lead Environmental Educator NestWatch training at VINS (Nathan Thoele) A young visitor noticed me sticking a long, bent pole up into the rafters of the Nature Nook last month. “What are you doing? What’s up there?” “I don’t know yet—do you want to help me find out?” I asked. Pointing her towards…
The Yearly Cycle: Vernal Pools
by Anna AutilioEnvironmental Educator Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) One of the most beautiful natural illustrations of the cycle of the year is found in the vernal pool. Often called “ephemeral”, these pools provide crucial, temporary homes for some distinct wild plant and animal species. Filling in the spring and drying in the summer, they track…
Project FeederWatch: Winter 2016-2017 at VINS
by Anna Autilio Environmental Educator The beginning of spring marked the last days of this season of Project FeederWatch, a citizen science project run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, aimed at documenting the abundance and distribution of wintering birds in North America. This year, VINS officially participated in this important project, which will be…
