Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center

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Mud Season Speaker Series: Discover the Power of Community Science

February 10th, March 3rd, March 25th (webinar) & April 15th

6:30-8p

Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro

This series is free and open to all!

Sponsored by the Davis Conservation Foundation

Spring in Vermont means one thing: mud season! It’s also a perfect time to discover how you can meaningfully contribute to science and conservation in our community. Join Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center for an inspiring Mud Season Speaker Series at the Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro featuring experts and enthusiasts who will share stories, tips, and inspiration for getting involved in community science. Explore how people like you are making a difference by observing wildlife, eradicating invasive plants, and assisting in BEEC’s annual Salamander Crossing initiative and Beaver Brigade action team.

Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or a curious beginner, you’ll leave inspired and equipped to make a meaningful impact. This event is a great opportunity to learn, ask questions, and find meaningful ways to engage with the natural world and with BEEC, our community’s nature sanctuary.

February 10th – 6:30-8:00pm (Brooks Library) Dana Williams of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies – Conservation Discovery in Vermont: How Engaging in Community Science Can Have a Big Impact

Come along on the adventures of scientists and community members in Vermont who have participated in research with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. Learn about the important conservation successes their work has achieved and how you can participate in the ongoing efforts to conserve Vermont right from your backyard!

Dana Williams is the Community Science Coordinator at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, where she helps community members contribute to conservation efforts across the state of Vermont. Previously, she worked in nature education for all ages as the programs director at Williamstown Rural Lands, a small land trust in Massachusetts. She holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she researched the social relationships of animals.

March 3rd – 6:30-8:00pm (Brooks Library) Jim Andrews of the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas – Vernal Pool Reptiles and Amphibians and How You Can Help Document Them

Jim will show us a variety of frogs, salamanders, snakes, and turtles (herptiles) in our area that depend on vernal pools or similar habitat. The southeastern corner of Vermont supports some very rare pool-associated reptiles and amphibians that we should be looking and listening for and reporting any time they are observed. He will also identify some fairly common amphibians that need to be reported from certain towns in our area (Spring Peeper in Marlboro). He will introduce us to these herptiles and encourage us to help document the herptiles that we see.

James S. Andrews graduated from UVM with a BS in Environmental Studies and later received his master’s degree in Biology from Middlebury College. He has been working full-time as a herpetologist/wildlife biologist in Vermont since 1990. He has worked closely with state, federal, and private agencies; and individuals on herptile conservation throughout Vermont. He currently serves as chair of the Reptile and Amphibian Scientific Advisory Group to the Vermont Endangered Species Committee. He also coordinates the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas and is a research and teaching associate with Vermont Family Forests in Bristol, Vt. In addition, he teaches courses on Vermont reptiles, amphibians, trees, and birds at various institutions. He also runs herpetological research and education projects and provides independent consulting and herpetological surveys.

March 25th – Webinar, 7:00p (online only): Ben Goldfarb – Paved Paradise: The Ecological Impacts of America’s Road System

Click here to access the Webinar via Zoom.

Some 40 million miles of roadways encircle the earth, yet we tend to regard them only as infrastructure for human convenience. While roads are so ubiquitous they’re practically invisible to us, wild animals experience them as alien forces of death and disruption. More than a million animals are killed by cars each day in the U.S. alone; creatures from antelope to salmon are losing their ability to migrate in search of food and mates; and the very noise of traffic chases songbirds from habitat. Today road ecologists are seeking to blunt that destruction through innovative solutions. Conservationists are building bridges for mountain lions and tunnels for toads, engineers are deconstructing the labyrinth of logging roads that web national forests, and community organizers are working to undo the havoc highways have wreaked upon American cities. In his talk, Ben Goldfarb will discuss the ecological harms wrought by transportation and the movement to redress them — and how we can create a better, safer world for all living beings.

Ben Goldfarb is an environmental journalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic, the Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, and many other publications, and has twice been anthologized in the Best American Science & Nature Writing. His most recent book, Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, was named one of the best books of 2023 by the New York Times and the New Yorker, and received the Rachel Carson Award for Excellence in Environmental Writing and the Banff Book Competition’s Grand Prize. His previous book, Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, won the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Elise, and his dog, Kit — which is, of course, what you call a baby beaver.  

April 15th – 6:30-8:00pm (Brooks Library) David Allen Sibley – Birding for Science: Uncovering the Mysteries of Our Feathered Neighbors

David Allen Sibley, renowned ornithologist and illustrator, invites backyard birders to step into the world of scientific discovery. While birdwatching is often seen as a leisurely hobby, Sibley will reveal how everyday observations can contribute to cutting-edge science. Sibley will explore the exciting and often overlooked mysteries surrounding even the most common bird species.

Drawing from his own work and experience, Sibley will illustrate how birders can develop a deeper connection to the birds around them by becoming “scientists in their own backyards.” He’ll share examples of how birding has led to surprising discoveries, such as new migration routes or shifts in species distribution caused by climate change. Sibley will stress the importance of collaboration in the birding community, showing how every observation matters and how collectively, birders are helping to build a richer, more comprehensive understanding of bird life.

In the end, Sibley’s talk will not only encourage birders to look at their backyard birds with fresh eyes, but also inspire them to become active participants in the ongoing work to protect these fascinating creatures and the habitats they rely on.

The Sibley Guide to Birds, published in 2000, was the realization of a lifelong dream for David Allen Sibley, who began painting birds when he was seven years old and has continued painting them for over three decades. The Sibley Guide to Birds contains over 6,600 original illustrations by Sibley, now recognized as America’s leading ornithologist/illustrator. The Sibley Guide to Birds became the fastest-selling bird book in history, earning Sibley the moniker “the Beatle of birding” among the press. Stories about Sibley have run in The New York Times, Audubon, Time, and Science, and the author has appeared on ABC World News Tonight and on NPR’s Science Friday and The Connection. David Allen Sibley has been called the heir apparent to John James Audubon and Roger Tory Peterson, and his long-awaited guidebook immediately became the gold standard for bird identification when it was published.

The Long and Low — Sunday, January 26

We dedicate an entire session to the mustelid clan: the long-tailed and short-tailed weasels, mink, fisher, and otter. These ever-active carnivores have distinctive ways of moving and create some of the most interesting trails to follow.

March 15: Trail Cameras – A Window into the Wild

Workshop Overview: Learn how to set up and use trail cameras to capture wildlife in action. These cameras provide a behind-the-scenes view of the natural world—revealing nocturnal animal behavior, seasonal changes, and the hidden life of our forests and fields. Whether you’re interested in tracking local wildlife or simply want to learn how to better capture outdoor moments, this session will help you get started with basic trail camera skills.

Why You Should Attend: Trail cameras are a powerful tool for nature observation, and in this workshop, we’ll teach you how to use them with ease. No prior tech experience needed!

What You’ll Learn:

• How to set up and position a trail camera
• Understand camera settings and how to get the best shots
• Basics of interpreting the images and data captured
• How trail cameras contribute to wildlife monitoring and conservation efforts
• Beginner tips for troubleshooting and maintaining your trail camera