Category: conservation

Holiday Herp Update: Current Herp Activity, Fundraiser — December 25, 2022

Current Herp Activity Herpers, hopefully the above ground herp activity has ceased until the next warm and wet spell.  Though only two days ago on December 23, herper (and birder) Sue Wetmore reported hearing a calling Northern Leopard Frog when

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Our Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas Fundraiser for 2023 is Beginning

Herpers and all wildlife lovers, it is time for our: 2023 Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas Fundraiser Four years ago we organized our first fundraiser.  It was motivated by a decline in our regular grant funding, a pressing need to get all

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Herp Update: Night Activity, Habitats+Highways Award, Kickstarter continues — November 29, 2022

Recent Herp Activity Last Sunday, November 27th, with the temperature at 41 F and a steady rain since mid-afternoon, I headed out around 9 PM to check to see what amphibians had been encouraged to move at our Morgan Road

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Herp Update: Kickstarter for Field Guide, Fall migration activity—November 15, 2022

Kickstarter campaign for the first ever Field Guide to Vermont’s Amphibians Teage O’ Conner of Crow’s Path contacted us this spring asking for our collaboration in putting together a waterproof, tearproof, foldable, and super handy field guide to the amphibians

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Herp Update: Fall migration activity, successful concert, spring salamander search—November 10, 2022

Upcoming Herp Activity tomorrow night, Friday, November 11 Herpers, I know that many of you have been out during the spring on a “big night” when many amphibians are moving from overwintering habitat to breeding or foraging habitat. Awareness of

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Herp Update: Concert, herp activity—October 25, 2022

Patti Casey and Colin McCaffrey Fundraising Concert this Saturday in Salisbury The Patti Casey and Colin McCaffrey concert, originally scheduled for a few weeks ago, had to be postponed since one of our performers had covid. All the players are

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Herp Update: Fall turtles, Field trip with salamanders, Concert—September 19, 2022

Baby Snapping Turtle emerging from nest. PHoto by Pat Perry and used with permission.

Recent Herp Activity We have received quite a few reports of baby Snapping Turtles emerging over the last week (see the Pat Perry photo).  Snapping Turtles emerge from their underground nests in the fall of the same year that the

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Herp Update: videos, snake hotels, ratsnake, vernal pools—July 12, 2022

New herp videos available Our Herp Atlas videographer and editor Matt Gorton has posted a couple more of our short videos on YouTube. Snake Hotels Putting out artificial cover is a time-honored method of survey and monitoring for snakes. Many

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Herp Update: Field Trip Winner, Cellamanders, Exotics – March 1, 2022

Field Trip Winner One of the promotional gifts during our annual fundraiser is entering anyone who contributes $200 to $999 in a drawing for a free herp field trip in Vermont for them and up to ten friends. Yesterday, I

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Herp Update: Critical Habitat Protection – February 11, 2022

Spiny Shoftshell turtle basking on a barkless log, in the sun. Photo copyright Josh Lincoln and used with permisson.

Protection of Critical Habitat Herpers, as of this week, the state of Vermont has for the first time designated specific areas of habitat as critical habitat to be protected for two state-listed species. This has been in the works for

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