As monarchs slowly return to Vermont, reports of observations are starting to come in throughout the state. With sightings all around it was only a matter of time before they returned to our campus meadow. The last two years we have been keeping track of their summer return. In the summer of 2019 the first sighting of a lone butterfly was on 6/8. This year the first two were spotted today, the 15^th of July! Several eggs were also observed on milkweeds throughout campus. After a great summer last year for monarchs, the overwintering populations were actually down slightly from the previous year. We are waiting to see what this summer will bring for monarch populations on campus.
Another aspect of our monarch monitoring involves a health check up for the butterflies for Project Monarch Health through the University of Georgia. “It is a citizen science project in which volunteers sample wild monarch butterflies to help track the spread of a protozoan parasite across North America.” –Monarch Health. This involves sampling for Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) a parasite that infects monarch and other species of butterflies. OE is a single celled protozoan that can be found on the butterflies. When not living in a host, it survives as spores that can be collected from the butterflies’ abdomen using a clear sticker. Once the sample is collected, the butterfly is marked and released. The collected samples are then sent to the lab at the University of Georgia. Last year we sampled 60 butterflies and recently received the results. Of the samples we sent in, four had heavy OE spore loads. This means that over 100 spores were found when looking at the sample under a microscope.

So what does that mean for our monarchs? OE can cause a monarch chrysalis to fail and not produce a butterfly. Because of this, the spores have the potential to negatively impact the populations of monarchs but do not seem to have an effect on the adults. “Infected adults emerge covered with spores. Once butterflies are infected, they do not recover. By the time adults emerge with parasite spores, all physical damage by the OE parasites has been done – the parasites do not grow or reproduce on the adults.” –Monarch Health. The eastern migratory population of monarchs has the lowest rate of infection with about 8% found with spores. This project is just one more way to help protect the monarch butterfly and is another long term data set that we can generate here on our campus.

To learn more about Monarch Health click here!

The post Monarch Health, A Citizen Science Project appeared first on Nature Blog.

Female Monarch butterfly

Visitors help release a tagged butterfly

Now comes the hard part–waiting for recovery reports to filter in. The findings from the wintering grounds will not be posted until next summer. With 200 butterflies our odds of a recovery improve, but with millions of Monarchs that end up in Mexico we may not hear anything back. All we can do is hope for a good migration for all the butterflies heading south!

Environmental Educator Jim Armbruster demonstrating proper Monarch handling technique.

The post 2019 Monarch Tagging Season Wrap-Up! appeared first on Nature Blog.

photo by John Jones

In 2018, we mark the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, nature lovers around the world are joining forces to celebrate 2018 as the “Year of the Bird.” November’s call to action is to “share your shot”, go out and capture a piece of the wonder of birds through the lens of your camera. Share your vision to inspire passion for nature in others around the world…

You may have heard the phrase, upon entering a wild ecosystem, “take only photos, leave only footprints.” In the age of camera phones, this has become a simple way to share your experiences with other people. One of the easiest ways to share your passion for nature with others who haven’t experienced it with you is to share your photos of the wild flora and fauna you encounter.

But even if trying to think through things like lighting, shutter speed, composition, and depth of field make you uneasy, there are some basic tips to help you take better pictures of wildlife. What follows are a few easy rules to help you photograph wildlife, and leave the landscape as beautiful and wild as you found it:

photo by John Sutton

1. Let the scene be natural. Don’t try to set up a specific situation, or bate animals to a spot by providing food. This endangers humans by letting sometimes dangerous wildlife get too accustomed to people, and endangers the wildlife in turn.

2. Don’t get too close, and don’t chase. This is especially important near nests, where your presence near new bird parents could cause them to abandon the nest. You wouldn’t chase your human subjects during a family photo-shoot, would you? Choose one spot to stay in, and let the wildlife come to you, if they choose. Remind you fellow-photographers of this rule often.

photo by Samantha Driscoll

3. Sharpen your observation skills. Going into the field with an understanding of animal behavior or just a willingness to learn will really help you get those amazing shots. What time of day does that groundhog come out? How long does it take that Red-tailed Hawk to take flight after it ruffles its feathers? The more you look at their world, the better at showing it to others you will become.

4. Be patient. Sometimes the best photos will come only after the animal has gotten used to your presence in their environment, has decided to ignore you and go about their natural behaviors. That can take time! Plan an afternoon outing of photography, and you won’t be disappointed.

5. Don’t be afraid to get dirty! Some wildlife may think you are less threatening if you are low to the ground. Plus, you can get interesting, different perspectives and angles lying on your back or your stomach with your camera. Try it out!

Join us and World Story Exchange at the VINS Nature Center on Saturday, November 24th to pick up and practice your new photography skills, then share your photos with National Geographic in their “Your Shot” Gallery: https://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/.

The post Do’s and Don’ts of Wildlife Photography appeared first on Nature Blog.

 According to Monarch Watch, this year’s numbers seem promising for a successful migration. Several roosts of butterflies have been observed on their path to Mexico with some roosts estimated to contain 1000 or more monarchs. During the migration of 2017/2018 there were 124 million monarchs estimated on the wintering grounds taking up 2.48 hectares of forests (24,800 square meters). But monarchs are not all doing well. Although these numbers seem huge, this is actually down 14.8% from last season. 20 years ago, monarchs covered 18 hectares and were estimated at 1 billion individuals. This year’s prediction is for monarchs to cover 5 hectares, with 6 hectares being considered the target for monarch recovery.

There is still a lot that scientists don’t know about monarch migration. It is unclear what factors may lead to a big year of migration and what specific habitats are crucial to this species. Luckily, many of the citizen science projects that we at VINS participate in can be done in your own backyard. This means that we can all take part in helping to better understand and protect the magnificent winged creatures that are the Monarch butterflies.

Monarchs are still emerging, even in the October chill.

Monarch Watch
Project Monarch Health

The post Stellar Monarch Tagging Season at VINS appeared first on Nature Blog.

A male Monarch butterfly on our datasheet.

Have you ever watched a monarch butterfly struggling to fly on a breezy day and thought to yourself, “I wonder how they get where they want to go?” It might surprise you to know that in fact these butterflies can control their flights and can travel up to 3,000 miles.

That’s right, the butterfly you see dancing on the wind in your yard might someday migrate south and purposefully end up in Mexico. But it depends on when and where they hatched. Eastern monarch butterflies that emerge from their chrysalis in early summer live for two to five weeks. Their main goal in that time is to reproduce and create the next generation. Butterflies that emerge in late summer and early fall live eight or nine months and have another important task. They will need to complete a difficult journey south to reach their overwintering grounds in places like Mexico.  How monarchs make this incredible journey and how successive generations can navigate to the same locations each year is still not known to scientists. 

Tagging the monarch is a delicate process.

This year at VINS we are taking part in the magnificent monarch migration. During the end of August and the first weeks of September we are participating in a citizen science project to catch and tag monarch butterflies before they leave on their winter vacation. The hope is that butterflies tagged on our campus will be recovered at the end of their trip in Mexico. 

Each butterfly gets a sticker with a unique identification number, placed on its wing so as not to impact flight. If the butterfly is recovered at any point on its migration the number can be reported to the study. This information can then be used by scientists to figure out how monarchs can accomplish this amazing feat. Tracking butterflies is vitally important to learn about migration patterns and to determine what sites along the route are critical for the survival of the species.

The tag will stay with the monarch through its migration.

In this first year of tagging we have already placed stickers on 25 monarchs with the hope of adding more before the season ends. We are looking to certify our meadow habitat as a Monarch Way-station, designating it as critical habitat for monarchs. We hope to expand the project in coming years to include more help from the public and more butterflies tagged. 

So if you happen to see VINS educators leaping around our meadow with nets, know that we are not just having fun chasing butterflies during work hours, but are helping to protect the incredible species that is the monarch butterfly. And yes it is also very fun to chase butterflies. 

For more info on how you can help the monarchs contact Jim Armbruster at jarmbruster@vinsweb.org or check out monarchwatch.org.

The post Migrating Monarchs Tagged at VINS appeared first on Nature Blog.

 

Exploring your public lands is a great idea for this summer. Get closer to the unique flora and fauna of your region in these places that belong to all of us equally. Plan a picnic, a birding trip, wading in the water, or a lazy afternoon absorbing the woods in your local state park this weekend!

The post Discover Your Parks and Public Lands this August with VINS appeared first on Nature Blog.

Red-humped Oakworm Moth by Kyle Jones.

Isabella Tiger Moth by Erika Mitchell.

Hickory Tussock Moth by Susan Elliott

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail by Grae O’Toole.

Monarch by Judy Welna

The post What’s That Caterpillar? appeared first on Nature Blog.

Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum)

The vernal pool at VINS went through a wet year in 2016-2017. Although it dried up in the summer, it filled again in the fall, and stayed filled through our warm yet snowy winter. A large snapping turtle even hibernated in the muddy bottom—she was seen catching some rays on an unusually warm December day.

Spring (May 2016)

Summer (July 2016)

Fall (October 2016)

Winter (December 2016)

Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina)

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