By Emma Cotton/VTDigger These days, birds are susceptible to a scourge of threats — pests, diseases, habitat loss and climate change among them. Still, one species has been thriving in Vermont: the common loon. This summer, across the state, more loons laid eggs than ever before. In 1983, seven pairs made nests in Vermont. This…

By Alan Sculley It’s no secret that like virtually every other music act, the a cappella group Straight No Chaser was unable to tour because of the pandemic, a situation that wiped out several 2020 tours for the ensemble. What the pandemic also did was to change plans for making the group’s latest holiday album,…

By Curt Peterson Word has spread across Windsor about Bistro Midva (Slovenian for “the two of us”), a newly-opened dinner spot along Route 5. Saturday, chef and co-owner Chad Lumbra arranged an outdoor dining table below the sidewalk with a view of the totally-renovated restaurant, which accommodates 25 diners. Lumbra shuns being “tied down by…

Saturday, Sept. 18 - Oct. 20 —WOODSTOCK — Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock presents the Voices from the Land exhibit by celebrated Vermont photographer Jim Westphalen. The exhibit, in partnership with the Woodstock Inn & Resort, is open from Sept. 18 -Oct. 20. Voices from the Land will tell the story of Americans who…

Saturday, Sept. 18 — QUECHEE — Join the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) as it celebrates owls this fall. The annual owl festival will take place at VINS Nature Center in Quechee on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This much-loved annual event is one that the VINS community looks forward…

Saturday, Sept. 18 — POULTNEY — Slate Valley Trails is partnering with MTBVT to host the first annual Meeting of the Grinds, an all-day cycling festival on Sept. 18. Bringing together cyclists of all genres, the event will raise money to support the stewardship efforts of Slate Valley Trails and is based out of its…

Saturday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. — BRANDON — Firm favorite Chelsea Berry returns to Brandon Music on Sept. 18. Berry is a singer-songwriter with the edge, power, and finesse of legends. Singer-songwriter Livingston Taylor calls her vocals “world class” and says of Berry, “A voice of remarkable power and control with a joyous soul.…

Saturday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. — RUTLAND— The Paramount Theatre is set to reopen its 830-seat theatre in downtown Rutland this Saturday with acapella superstars Straight No Chaser kicking off a lineup of six events. The show is the first to be performed inside the auditorium since the pandemic forced its temporary closure in…

RUTLAND — The newest mural to grace downtown Rutland will soon urge all who see it to “Open your heart.” A 28 foot by 22 foot photographic mural will soon grace the south wall of the former Strand Theater, which now houses Roots – The Restaurant, and faces Washington Street and Rutland City Hall, joining…

Sept. 17 and 24 — FAIR HAVEN — The "Itty Bitty Committee" is excited about once again decorating the park this fall with stick figures. The theme this year is essential workers and includes doctors, nurses, farmers, truck drivers and grocery store workers, among many others. The figures will be in the park for the…

September 18 at Pittsford Village Farm Saturday, Sept. 18 at 9 a.m.—PITTSFORD—Children of all ages and adults alike are invited to climb aboard a variety of vehicles at the Touch- A-Truck event on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Pittsford Village Farm. The rain date is Sept. 25. The community, family-friendly event offers children and families a…

By Brooke Geery Green Mountain Pug Rescue (GMPR) held its annual pug social on the athletic fields of the Rutland Rec Center on Saturday, Sept. 11. The 18th annual meet-up saw nearly 300 people and 50 pups turn out from all over New England and beyond. There was even one pug, Lily, that traveled 586…

There is still time to adopt your little plastic ducks for the Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) Duck Derby! The Duck Derby will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 23 at Pittsford Recreational Area. Adopted ducks will enter the creek and race to the finish for cash prizes. All proceeds go towards the…

By Merisa Sherman It’s been bugging me for almost a week, maybe even two. The plant border that I built during Covid has been slowly changing during that time, my beloved black mulch becoming almost buried. I had, of course, built this south facing border at the edge of a forest lined with deciduous trees,…

By Laurie D. Morrissey I have often been stopped in my tracks by the sight of a white-tailed doe standing in the lush summer grass. Depending on the sun’s slant, the animal’s coat is a rich shade of rusty brown or burnt orange. More delightful still is the sight of a fawn, reddish brown with…