UVM Field Naturalist Program

The Field Naturalist Program’s Friday Field Walks series kicked off this afternoon with Robert leading a journey into the cute and tiny world of mosses. Which ones do you recognize? 👀

Team Winter Ecology ‘24 met up in the field for another outing this afternoon. They explored the boundary between the Green Mountains and Northern Piedmont biophysical regions of Vermont while zooming in on some small stuff.

Another year and another successful Winter Ecology trip to Maine. The Boxelders (cohort AN) were treated to two winter storms, cayote carcasses, and an incredible tour of Bernd Heinrich’s personal specimen collection.

Cohort AN, recently dubbed the Box Elders (Acer negundo), had their writing class on the rocky shore of Lake Champlain just before Thanksgiving break. Our writing assignment for the week was darkness-themed, so we started class at sunset. We were stoked to catch these magnificent colors as we arrived!

On Friday, the Field Naturalist Practicum class presented to the Lewis Creek Association on ideas for engaging the public to promote watershed stewardship. Thank you to the LCA board members who attended!

Taking a closer look at spring ephemerals on this last Friday Field Walk. We were guided by expert botanists Cathy Paris and Grace Glynn.

Have you seen a salamander, frog, or snake recently? If so, submit a report to the VT Reptile and Amphibian Atlas! Students were excited to see these aquatic adult stage Eastern Newts at a clayplain forest last week and contributed the first reported courtship of the season. According to an individual at the Atlas, the male holds the female in place, releases pheromones, and wiggles his tail so the pheromones reach her nostrils.

Got Herps?
That’s what Field Naturalists Catherine Wessel and Alicia Daniel will be helping us find out this Wednesday!

Join us 4/12 at the Lake Iroquois Recreation District for an evening of frog song and amphibian observation. We will be departing from Jeffords Hall at 6:30PM and the walk will commence upon arrival ~7PM. There is parking at the beach, but if that road spur is closed we will meet at boat access.

Hope to see you there with boots, a headlamp and a curiosity for the semi-aquatic!

Never a bad time to take a look at the little things. Hand lens out for lichens and mosses!

FN cohort member Will Durkin takes a closer look:

🐝Resin bees in Centennial Woods? The waxy plug of a hole in this standing dead is evidence to suggest there are resin bees overwintering here.👍

But, was"Caitlin Bain" in Centennial Woods? This hypothesis is also supported by the findings of this investigation😆