The Outside Story By Rachel Mirrus Many of us avoid close encounters of the eight-legged kind, but if you’ve ever come eye to eye with a spider, you’ve probably noticed they have several more eyes than we do: most have four pairs. What do they do with so many eyes? Well, it depends on the…

Many of Vermont’s pollinator species continue to remain in peril, and as Vermonters are returning to their gardens and landscaping projects this spring, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. shared few simple and supportive decisions people can make to greatly benefit the essential pollinator species. “The majority of our flowering plants need pollinators in order…

With more people staying closer to home this summer, due to concerns over the coronavirus and Covid-19, interest in gardening has surged. But with this come questions about personal safety, especially for gardeners sharing space with neighbors and friends and through community gardens. Dr. Omar Oyarzabal, University of Vermont (UVM) Extension food safety specialist, and…

Tree Talk By Gary Salmon One is a novel and the other a “how to book” detailing nature restoration, both serving to the reader an unforgettable message. Richard Powers’ powerful novel “The Overstory” reveals much of the ugly history of tree management in this country. Nearly a dozen characters are developed in “The Overstory” and…

RUTLAND– Jones’ Donuts will be putting a unique spin on their classic, crowd-pleasing recipe June 13 and 14, 8 -11 a.m. to “raise some dough” for Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum. Jones’ Donuts will offer a special purple donut and a donut with purple sprinkles, available by the dozen or half dozen, proceeds to benefit the museum…

Saturday, June 13—Vermont’s annual, statewide summer Free Fishing Day is Saturday, June 13 this year, which will also be opening day of the regular bass fishing season. “Vermont’s Free Fishing Day gives anglers the opportunity to go fishing without a license for the day in Vermont lakes and streams,” said Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Louis…

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has announced the 2020-2021 migratory bird hunting season dates and bag limits. A printable copy of the Migratory Bird Syllabus can be downloaded from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife website (vtfishandwildlife.com) under “Hunt” – “Waterfowl.”  A printed version also will be available from license agents and post offices by…

RUTLAND—The Chaffee Art Center is preparing to reopen in a few weeks. It will be a phased process as it navigates the restrictions and recommendations when dealing with the coronavirus, with a focus on keeping everyone safe. This period of closure has allowed time to “re-imagine” the Chaffee…to look at things from different views, and to…

Monday June 15 at 10 a.m.—QUECHEE—The VINS Nature Center is excited to announce that it will be reopening to the public on Monday, June 15, welcoming guests once again to its outdoor spaces and exhibits, including the Forest Canopy Walk, nature trails through the VINS Nature Center forest, raptor enclosures and songbird exhibit. In order to…

By Paul Allen-Webber In 2019, the FHHS hosted a Memorial Day decorating contest for businesses in the town center.  It proved so popular; it was decided to open the event to all homes and businesses in Fair Haven.  In order to maintain social distancing, all registration and voting was done online. In all, 12 homes…

Friday, June 12 at 2 p.m.—RUTLAND— The Pines has invited families  to “line the driveway with love” on June 12. This is an opportunity to drive through The Pines and wave to loved ones, since Covid-19 visitation restrictions have been so hard on everyone. Meet at 1:30 for the line up at the RMS/RHS Allen…

Thursday, June 11 at 5:30 p.m. —The ALS Association Northern New England Chapter is excited to announce its 2020 Vermont kickoff event for the 20th anniversary Walk to Defeat ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Gathering in person this year won’t be possible, so the association has a fun and engaging virtual event planned. Please join virtually on…

MIDDLEBURY—Since the Covid-19 pandemic descended on the country, the state, and the community, MNFF organizers have been patiently watching developments and maintaining a cautiously optimistic position that a limited version of the 6th annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival could be staged in late August.  Indeed, the progress that the state of Vermont has made in…

‘Jaws’ kicks off the season on July 3 RUTLAND—The Paramount Theatre and Vermont State Fair are partnering to open a drive-in theater on the fairgrounds in Rutland. The summer movie series will kick off on July 3 with the original summer blockbuster, “Jaws.” Covid19 has made it impossible for Paramount to host shows in its…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger and Polly Mikula The coronavirus pandemic has transformed nearly every aspect of the American education system. And high school graduations, a hallmark springtime rite of passage, will be no exception. Many of the touchstones of such ceremonies — large crowds, a handshake from the principal — are forbidden by public health directives. So schools…