By Sandra Dee Owens Every summer, my skin was covered in ooze. My immune system’s response to the itchy rash of blisters caused by southern Vermont’s most prolific crop—poison parsnip. Minutes after mowing, weed trimming, or hiking, the skin on my hands, arms, chest, torso, and legs would become hot and itchy, a precursor to…

By Declan McCabe Earlier this summer, I joined graduate school friend and beetle biologist, Kristian Omland, in search of the elusive cobblestone tiger beetle (Cicindela marginipennis). We loaded a canoe with insect nets, jars, and binoculars to view beetles while minimizing handling. Absent from our kit: entomologist’s killing jars. Ours was a catch-and-release mission. The…

By Dom Cioffi As a lifelong sportsman, I’ve always had the opinion that, given enough time and effort, I could probably become adept at most any activity. I’m not saying that I’m a gifted athlete, but rather, I’m coordinated enough to be able to transfer those abilities to a myriad of disciplines. For example, I’ve…

By Dom Cioffi While I was traveling last week, I decided to pop into a bakery that I’ve frequented over the years. It’s one of those quaint little places that, as soon as you walk into, you know it’s good simply based on the smell. Filled with breads, pastries, pies, and fresh brewed coffee, I…

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul Several years ago, I was awakened nearly every day of late spring by a recurring – and very loud – bird sound. I say “sound,” rather than “song” because this particular noise was not so melodious as the cheery whistling of the robin or the musical trilling of the hermit thrush.…

By Liz DiMarco Weinmann At this time of year, many people are heading to lakes, ponds, beaches, and pools, perhaps toting their mobile devices, and booting up a frothy beach read or two, or an intellectual nonfiction bestseller. If you’re one of them, either you’re doing everything you can to escape from work, or you’re…

By Kevin Theissen The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) found in a recent study that one in five adults over age 50 knows a family member who has been victim to a scam. The Federal Trade Commission reported 96,000 victims over the age of 60 just in the first quarter of this year, along…

By Mary Ellen Shaw I realized that I am “stuck” in the '50s when Venetian blinds are still my choice for privacy and keeping out the sun. Apparently, the majority of consumers have moved on to more modern options! About a year ago my husband picked up a replacement blind for one of our living…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime is finally bringing their show to Rutland, after it got canceled last time for bad weather. Badfish is kicking off the Friday Night Live Concert Series on Center Street this Friday 7 p.m. Badfish has been around for 21 years, currently in their 22nd year. I…

By Catherine Schmitt Some things are so familiar, so common, that they are often overlooked. Such is the case with northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis). Also known as eastern white cedar, this tree grows throughout the Northeast, but only in certain places, in part because it has evolved many ways to live and grow that…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg You have three chances to see an amazing artist who is new to Killington but only one chance to eat a six course meal while doing so. Rivershed Killington will have Valerie Barretto performing Friday and Saturday, July 22 and 23, 6-9 p.m. She’s also performing that Sunday, July 24 from…

By Kevin Theissen If you’ve been to the grocery store recently, you’ve noticed sharp increase in prices. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are still affecting global supply chains. Recent U.S. inflation levels have surpassed 9% year-over-year in June, according to Statista. The price of eggs rose 33% between June 2021 and June 2022 and…

By Dom Cioffi According to the CDC, fentanyl is now the No. 1 cause of death for Americans between those aged 18-45. The drug has surpassed suicide, Covid, and car accidents to take the top position. In 2021, over 100,000 people died from overdoses in the U.S.; two thirds of those deaths were from fentanyl.…

By Merisa Sherman I sigh as I stare at the pile of green loops. One after the other, they are stacked on top of each other; well, as organized as a pile of loops can possibly be. I reach for the one exposed end and start walking away. I could do the hand over hand…

By Declan McCabe Phantom midges are among the most common, but least seen, planktonic insect larvae in lakes and ponds. These members of the genus Chaoborus earn the “phantom” moniker from both their unique appearance and their unusual behaviors. Measuring nearly an inch long, phantom midges are virtually impossible to see. Their almost transparent bodies…