Vermont Edition

This summer's already seen a number of big blockbuster movies – The Odyssey, the new Spiderman, Toy Story 5. You can reliably catch all these movies at theaters across our region. But there are also many opportunities this summer to see movies produced, directed, or curated by your neighbors.This hour we'll preview a number of the upcoming film festivals that highlight new and up-and-coming filmmakers in Vermont, and the ways in which Vermonters can get started on their filmmaking journeys. We're joined by Jay Craven, filmmaker and curator of the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival which begins on August 26th. Also joining us is Emma Schlenoff, producer of the film The Obelisk, a board member of the Vermont Production Collective and founder of Witness Oak Productions, and Dillon Tanner, founder of the Mothership Monthly Film Fest which features the films of many first time filmmakers. Broadcast live on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Every month, Vermont Edition spends an hour learning about a different municipality in the state for our monthly series, Town by Town. Today, we'll learn about Guilford, in Windham County. Guilford was once the most populous town in the state. It doesn't hold that designation anymore, but it's home to a bustling community center, local businesses and a rich history. We'll talk with a local poet, a town historian, and the co-founder of the Guilford Gazette. We'll also hear about a legendary recording studio in town. Artists like the Pixies and Noah Kahan have made records there.At the end of the hour, we'll spin a big wheel to select our next town. 

Are you classical-curious but don't know where to start? Our roundtable of experts share some tips on where to start.Broadcast on Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Local business leaders want Vermont to adopt the "abundance agenda." Remove administrative burdens so we can build more housing, and attract more working age people.Today on Vermont Edition: the abundance agenda. We'll break down exactly what this buzzy phrase means and the challenge it poses specifically to liberals and progressives.Then: Vermont's primary is about two weeks away. Two people are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House. We'll hear from one of the candidates today – Gerald Malloy. He's an Army vet and defense contractor. He hopes to take on Congresswoman Becca Balint in the general election.

 Vermont Edition's Mikaela Lefrak moderates a debate between the two candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for Vermont's next governor, Amanda Janoo and Aly Richards. Broadcast on Thursday, Jul. 23, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Many of us dream of learning another language. But becoming fluent as an adult is so hard that it can feel impossible.Here's some good news: our region is full of linguaphiles who have cracked the code on achieving fluency in multiple tongues. We discuss the different methods of language learning with: linguistics professor Thor Sawin, the Associate Dean of Curriculum for Middlebury Language Schools; Gabe Wyner, a four-time graduate of Middlebury Language Schools, author of Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It, and creator of the Fluent Forever app; and Eric Agnero, a journalist and French tutor with Alliance française.Broadcast on Wednesday, Jul. 22, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Vermont Edition host Mikaela Lefrak moderates a debate between the three Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor: Esther Charlestin of South Burlington, Molly Gray of Burlington and Ryan McLaren of Essex Junction. Broadcast on Tuesday, Jul. 21, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

The Ben and Jerry's Foundation announced it will shut down by the end of the year. It's the latest update in a legal dispute with Ben and Jerry's parent company, Magnum. Today on Vermont Edition, we learn what's going on at Ben and Jerry's with co-founder Ben Cohen. He's leading a charge to buy back the ice cream company from its corporate owners. We'll also hear from Tim McQuiston with Vermont Business Magazine and the president of the Ben and Jerry's Foundation, Liz Bankowski. Then, UVM Health is trying to cut costs. Its support staff want job security and good wages. A union rep will tell us about the upcoming negotiations.

Vermont has six correctional facilities located across the state. Together these prisons house more than 1,500 incarcerated Vermonters.  On Thursday, Vermont Edition, Department of Corrections Commissioner Jon Murad on corrections staffing levels, the department's overtime spending, and overcrowding in some of the state's prisons. Plus, with the Seven Days staff writer Colin Flanders on the Chittenden County state's attorney race.

The popular service Front Porch Forum celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. For many Vermonters, it's a beloved way to connect with neighbors, share local news and find lost cats. The company's also faced criticism for how it moderates content.Today on Vermont Edition, we're joined by the founders of Front Porch Forum, Michael and Valerie Wood-Lewis. They'll tell us about some of the very best posts they've read over the last two decades. We'll also discuss how their team moderates posts, especially about politics.Then: hot weather draws crowds to local rivers, lakes and streams, but every year, tragedies occur on the water. Vermont's search and rescue coordinator will share important information on how to stay safe on the water this summer.

Rodeo culture is alive and well in Vermont, thanks in part to Pond Hill Ranch, a 2000-acre family-run business in Castleton, VT. It's the largest horse leasing service east of Mississippi, and has been hosting professional rodeos for over 50 years. Every summer, bronc riders and barrel racers come from around the country to compete at the ranch.  It's where novices come for practice and experience, and where pros come to get points before nationals. We're joined by Harry O'Rourke, the head of Pond Hill Ranch. Vermont High School Rodeo Association started in 2020, competing at local jackpot events. Over the years, they've gained more members, and with that have started expanding events, including: barrel racing, goat tying, pole bending, breakaway roping, and light rifle shooting. At the end of the season, the top competitors get to go to their respective national competitions. This year, Junior High Nationals were held in Oklahoma, and High School Nationals are happening later this month in Nebraska. We chat with the High School President of the team, Erin Hance and  Junior High President, Peyton NicholsThen, we spoke with novelist Meg Richardson. Her new book, Paradise Pawn, centers around two best friends who work with their dads at a pawn shop in Cherry Beach, Florida. Early on in the story, they learn that Kayla's family can't afford to send her to a private school, but Jackie's can. So they hatch a plan to embezzle from their families' business. It's a story about family, friendships, and class.

On Monday, Vermont Edition aired interviews with the two candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for Vermont state auditor. Political newcomer Nicholas Graeter is running against the current deputy state auditor and former state senator, Tim Ashe.The Republican candidate for auditor, H. Brooke Paige, is running uncontested. The primary election is on Aug. 11, and early voting is already underway. 

On Monday, Vermont Edition aired interviews with the two candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for Vermont state auditor. Political newcomer Nicholas Graeter is running against the current deputy state auditor and former state senator, Tim Ashe.The Republican candidate for auditor, H. Brooke Paige, is running uncontested. The primary election is on Aug. 11, and early voting is already underway. 

With America's 250th, there's been a lot of focus on Vermont's early history. You can always read about it in a book, but historical reenactors are out there bringing those stories back to life.Today on Vermont Edition, we go back in time with two members of Whitcomb's Rangers. These Revolutionary War reenactors portray an actual Continental Army Ranger unit. They'll tell us about their upcoming annual event marking the Battle of Hubbardton.Then: Vermont Human is a new video series that slows down and explores the lives of your neighbors. Creator David Littlefield will pull back the curtain on his work, just for us.

Summer in our region provides many opportunities to see live music outdoors. This year, Montréal's summer festival season is more packed than ever.Vermont Edition's managing producer Jon Ehrens sits down with Seven Days music editor Chris Farnsworth to discuss the Montreal music scene writ large, and some of Chris's favorite new acts. We also explore the curious case of the anonymous duo Angine de Poitrine. They've gone viral in the last year, and they recently drew a crowd of 70,000 to Montreal's Jazz Fest. Dr. Robert Zattore, a cognitive neuroscientist and professor at McGill University's Montreal Neurological Institute, tells us why he thinks Angine de Poitrine tickles the brains of listeners. He's the author of the book "From Perception to Pleasure: The Neuroscience of Music and Why We Love It."We also hear about the annual African and Caribbean music festival Nuits d'Afrique, which runs through Jul. 19th. It celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The festival's co-founder Suzanne Russeau tells us about the festival's past and present, and about some of the notable acts performing this year.Broadcast on Wednesdau, Jul. 8, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital plans to close its labor and delivery unit within the next year. As other rural hospitals scale back on maternity care, what will fill in the gap? Today on Vermont Edition: the cost — and curtailing — of rural maternity care. In the last 5 years, around 140 rural hospitals nationwide have stopped delivering babies, including Copley Hospital, in Lamoille County.We'll hear from a nurse midwife who used to work there. She's now the co-founder of a new non-hospital birth center in Waterbury. The top OB/GYN at Dartmouth Hitchcock understands the financials behind rural obstetrics. She says we need to completely rethink how maternity care is funded.Broadcast on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Vermont's dairy industry has constricted dramatically over the last decade. According to data from UVM Extension, there were 838 dairy farms a decade ago. That number dropped to 414 at the start of this year. Current projects indicate that another 50 will close by the end of this year. The processing sector is consolidating, too. Last month, Franklin Foods announced it's closing its dairy processing facility in Enosburg Falls. The month before, the infant formula maker Perrigo laid off more than 160 people from its soon-to-be shuttered plant in Georgia. In April, the HP Hood dairy processing plant in Barre closed for good.This hour we look at dairy industry consolidation from local, state and national perspectives. Guests include: Anson Tebbetts, Vermont's Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets; Kevin Kouri, chair of the Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance and the nutrition and sales director at Phoenix Feeds and Nutrition; and Claire Kelloway, the food systems program manager at the Open Markets Institute, a think tank focused on the negative impact of monopolies on the economy and democracy.We also talk with Jon Ovitt, the longtime plant manager at Franklin Foods in Enosburg Falls. The plant is set to shutter in August, but Ovitt has plans to reimagine the business and reopen it this fall.Broadcast on Monday, July 6th, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

About 150 Vermonters are incarcerated in Mississippi. Brave Little State explains why.

Today is the latest installment in our monthly series, Town by Town. Each month, we hone in on a different town or municipality in the state. This month, we're shining a light on Middlesex in Washington County. Fitting for a town with the word “middle” in its name, Middlesex is in central Vermont along I-89 and Route 2. It has a reputation as a commuter town where lots of people who live there work in Montpelier or elsewhere.Middlesex is situated on a bend in the Winooski River. That location in a floodplain led to major flooding in 1927. Middlesex now borders the Wrightsville Reservoir and the town co-manages Wrightsville Beach, a popular place for swimming, picnicking and hiking.To tell us all about Middlesex are Sarah Seidman and Patty Wiley, the co-founders of the Middlesex Historical Society and co-authors of the oral history Middlesex in the Making. Russ Bennet, founder and owner of NorthLand Visual Design and Construction, told us about developing property in Middlesex, including Camp Meade. We also heard from best selling-author and former Middlesex town clerk, Sarah Strohmeyer. Broadcast on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

UVM Health, Vermont's largest health care provider, needs to reduce expenses by at least 300 million dollars over the next three years. That's the recommendation an independent liaison team sent to the hospital network and state regulators in May.  This comes on top of major revenue losses due to Medicaid changes.  This past month, 76 jobs were permanently eliminated earlier this month at UVM Health as part of an effort to reduce costs. Employee unions are concerned about providing adequate care and more reductions are likely.  Dr. Stephen Leffler, CEO of UVM Health and the president and COO of UVM Medical Center, joined Vermont Edition to talk about those job cuts, price increases and more. We also talked with the chair of the Green Mountain Care Board Owen Foster, who oversees the regulation of hospital budgets and health insurance premiums. 

This hour, Vermont Edition brings you the stories of three creative people in our region and their new projects.We begin with Richard Hawley of Ripton. He recently celebrated the publication of the seventh volume of his series On My Way Out: A Reflection on Closure. A mixture of memoir, diary and philosophical musings, the book explores such topics as mortality, retirement and friendship.Musician and Champlain College art professor Al Larsen reunited his band Some Velvet Sidewalk for the first time in 30 years. The band, woven into the fabric of the Pacific Northwest's '90s grunge scene, has released a new album, Critters Encore. A month-long show of Larsen's artwork is also now on display at the Champlain College Art Gallery. Artist and organizer Katherine Leungof Milton makes zines and other art that explore her Cantonese and Jewish identities. Leung is the creator of a new, six-part podcast called Ritual about Asian Jews in Vermont. The podcast was created with the support of Vermont Folklife, where Katherine is one of their inaugural communities fellows. Broadcast on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

As it turns out, many people visit the Green Mountain state just to tee off here. We'll parse over the numbers, and discuss how the golf industry is attempting to counter perceptions that it's not ecologically friendly and a sport just for the elite. Joining us to discuss the sport are David Jankowski, president of the Vermont PGA, and Mark Finch, director of grounds at Country Club of Vermont and the vice president of the Vermont Golf Course Superintendents Association.If trying to get a small round ball into a cup isn't quite your cup of tea, there's also disc golf. Two of the premier courses in the country are in Vermont. To tell us more is Jeff Spring, the head of the Pro Disc Golf Tour, who also designed the Brewster Ridge course at Smuggler's Notch, and Aidan Trombley, the resort's manager of disc golf operations.Smuggler's Notch is a Vermont Public business sponsor.Broadcast on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

In the latest installment of our series, Vermont Edition At Home, we head to the Montpelier home of writer Katherine Paterson. The award-winning author has written more than 40 books, including The Great Gilly Hopkins, Jacob Have I Loved, Bread and Roses Too, among many others. Her best-known book, Bridge to Terabithia, was adapted into a Hollywood movie in 2007. Paterson is one of only six American authors to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award. The Library of Congress named her a ‘Living Legend' in 2000.Paterson tells us about her early life in China as the daughter of missionaries, grappling with the rush of success and making writer friends in Vermont. We'll also hear how she balanced motherhood with a burgeoning literary career.

Earlier this year, Vermont's first director of animal welfare, Lisa Milot, released a report on how the state responds to animal welfare and cruelty cases. She discussed plans to modernize the system, emphasizing the need for clearer standards, stronger enforcement and additional resources.We also heard from Medora Plimpton, who runs Howling Mountain Wildlife Rescue from her home in Starksboro. She is one of only a few people in Vermont licensed to work with rabies-vector species such as foxes, skunks and raccoons. Plimpton also shares what to do if you encounter an injured or baby animal.

A new graphic novel tells the story of Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake, two seamstresses in 1800s Addison County. The two women lived together as a couple for nearly half a century, and they were accepted and beloved by their community. They're buried under the same gravestone in Weybridge.Norwich cartoonist Tillie Walden tells this love story in her new historical graphic novel 'Charity & Sylvia.' Walden is the former Vermont cartoonist laureaute and the author of more than a dozen books.We also talk with Coco Moseley, executive director of the Henry Sheldon Museum in Middlebury, which holds Charity and Sylvia's archives. And Vermont Humanities executive director Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup helped bring the story to Walden's attention. Vermont Humanities will distribute thousands of copies as this year's pick for the Vermont Reads program. (Note: Vermont Public is the media sponsor of Vermont Reads.)

This Friday is Juneteenth, a holiday marking the date that some of the last enslaved people in the Confederacy received word that they were free. Juneteenth celebrations date back to the 1860s, but it didn't become a federal holiday in 2021. Now, communities across our region mark Juneteenth with storytelling events, speaker series, community meals and music.The Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro will host Singing a Journey of Freedom: Songs of Slavery and Emancipation on Friday. The program began as a research project by Mat Callahan, a musician and author currently residing in Bern, Switzerland. He uncovered songs composed and sung by enslaved people and abolitionists that had been buried by history. Callahan then teamed up with Dr. Kathy Bullock to bring this music to life. Bullock is a visiting professor of music at Bennington College, as well as a singer, arranger and choral conductor specializing in gospel, spirituals and classical works by composers from the African diaspora. We are also joined by Rev. Leon Dunkley, an ethnomusicologist and a minister at the North Chapel in Woodstock.Then, Joan Gorman of the Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh shares the history of the museum, which used to be a stop on the Underground Railroad. 

The FIFA World Cup is underway in stadiums across the US, Canada and Mexico. Toronto and Vancouver in Canada are two of the World Cup host cities. For Vermonters, the closest place to see a match is Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. It's been temporarily renamed Boston Stadium for the duration of the Cup, on FIFA's insistence.Giving us the lowdown on Boston is GBH News reporter Esteban Bustillos. In addition to the Boston matches, he's been covering celebrations from local immigrant communities and the residence of the French national team at a nearby university. For a Vermont perspective, we brought together a trio of Englishmen with a deep love of the game: Tyler Caton and Riley Moloney, two members of the Vermont Green FC; and Joseph Fox, owner of the SLIDE IN Pub in Shelburne, Vermont's first soccer bar. 

Burlington High School says goodbye to its Macy's location

Howard Dean is a former Vermont governor, presidential candidate and Democratic National Committee chair. But before all that, he was just a local physician who really wanted Burlington to have a bike path.In the latest installment of our occasional series Vermont Edition At Home, Howard Dean invites us into his living room in Burlington. He talks candidly about his upbringing in New York and his ongoing grief over his brother's early death. We also hear his thoughts on the current political climate and Vermont's struggle to provide affordable healthcare to all residents.Broadcast on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

The U.S. Mint ceased making new pennies in November. Our humble, one-cent, copper-and-zinc coin can still be used as currency, but its circulation will dwindle in the years ahead.Vermont's first coin — before it became a U.S. state — was also made of copper. These coins date back to days of the Green Mountain Boys, when Vermont was its own republic. Historian Jon Mathewson of Middletown Springs shares the history of Harmon's mint in Rupert. Joe Watkins of Vermont Coin & Jewelry in South Burlington gave us his coin collector's perspective on how to make a pretty penny from collecting rare pennies.For insight from the banking world, we talk with Jennifer Smith, a regional leader with Union Bank in Morrisville. We also hear from Matt Cota, managing director of the Vermont Retailers & Grocers Association. He tells us about a new state law that creates a system for rounding cash purchases up or down at the register.When it comes to idioms and common English phrases, the penny punches above its weight: penny pincher, a pretty penny, penny-wise, a penny saved and so many more. Helping us make sense of the penny's place in language is Maeve Eberhardt, associate professor of linguistics at the University of Vermont.

Need a book recommendation? Check out Vermont Edition's summer reading list

Battery energy storage systems — BESS — are popping up across the country. They strengthen the electrical grid by storing energy and releasing it at high demand times, and can lower energy costs for customers. But some neighbors of some proposed facilities have concerns about safety and aesthetics.In Vergennes, residents are pushing back against plans by the company Lightshift to build one on Panton Rd. But local officials and Lightshift representatives say the worries are unfounded.We talk through how these systems work with Cyril Brunner. He works in the energy sector — currently for Texture, which builds software to operate the grid, and formerly for Vermont Electric Cooperative. We also talk with Vergennes property owner Carrie Hathaway, a vocal opponent of the proposed battery energy storage site. Adirondack Explorer reporter Gwendolyn Craig fills us in on similar debates over battery storage that are currently underway in Adirondack Park.A representative from Lightshift shared a statement from the company with Vermont Edition ahead of today's show:“Battery energy storage is playing an increasingly important role in advancing Vermont's renewable energy goals, strengthening grid reliability, and helping manage electricity costs. The proposed Panton Road facility uses lithium iron phosphate batteries, a technology widely recognized for its strong safety record. The proposed footprint is approximately 0.17 acres in an industrially zoned site near other larger commercial businesses. Lightshift has met with local officials and residents to present the project and answer questions, and local fire officials have stated they have no safety objections.If approved, the project will provide important benefits to the state and ratepayers. It will help lower energy costs, decrease fossil fuel reliance, and strengthen grid resilience during periods of severe weather and system stress. The project is designed with multiple layers of safety protection, will meet all required safety codes, and does not present a greater safety risk than other types of industrial businesses in the area. The noise level will be studied and mitigated if necessary to ensure no undue adverse impact. The project's aesthetic impact will also be studied and mitigated if necessary to thoughtfully complement its surroundings.Our focus is on providing clear information about battery storage technology and safety, continuing to engage openly with residents and local officials, and participating fully in Vermont's rigorous regulatory review process. We are committed to ensuring that the process is guided by facts and grounded in a shared commitment to Vermont's energy future.It is important to recognize that we are in the early stages of development. We look forward to continuing to engage with interested parties, including the town and residents, to try to incorporate community input as much as reasonably possible.”Broadcast live on Monday, June 8, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

It's is the latest installment of our Town by Town series. where every month, we take an hour to learn about a randomly selected town or city in Vermont, with the goal of hitting all 252 of them.Today: Brattleboro, in Windham County. Home to a little over 12,000 people, making it one of the larger municipalities in the state. The town sits right along the Connecticut River. It was named after Colonel William Brattle of Boston, who had bought some of land here in 1716. Dummer Meadows, in the southeastern corner of Brattleboro, was likely the first permanent English settlement in Vermont, in the 1720s, but indigenous people lived here long before that.We're joined this hour live in the Latchis Theater by Kate Trzaskos, the executive director of the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance, Danny Lichtenfeld, the executive director of the Brattleboro Museum & Arts Center, Wendy O'Connell, host and executive producer of the interview program Here We Are on Brattleboro Community TV, Joe Wiah, the executive director of the Ethiopian Community Development Council, and Ann Latchis, of the Latchis Theater.Broadcast live on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Design-build architects are trained not just to envision a home or structure, but to build it themselves and to improvise based on their on-site experiences.For years this movement centered around Prickly Mountain in Warren. A handful of visionary young architects moved to Vermont's Mad River Valley in the 1960s to explore the more creative and experimental aspects of homebuilding. Waitsfield filmmaker Allie Rood grew up in and around Prickly Mountain homes. Her feature-length documentary, “Prickly Mountain, and My Design/Build Life,” premiered last fall. It won the best documentary award at Vermont Public's Made Here Film Festival.There are many local architects who were inspired by the work of Prickly Mountain. We learn about the design-build movement of today with Britton Rogers, executive director of Yestermorrow in Waitsfield, and Danny Sagan, architecture professor at Norwich University.

First, we're joined by Vermont's Attorney General Charity Clark, who discusses her ongoing legal battle against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Then, a roundtable of historians and curators discuss the events going on around the state this summer to commemorate the 250th birthday of America. We're joined by Stephen Perkins of the Vermont Historical Society, Angie Grove of the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum, and Martin Mahoney of the Bennington Museum. 

The Vermont Legislature adjourned for the session Friday evening after Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Phil Scott reached an agreement on education reform. Lawmakers also passed a budget bill and a yield bill to set tax rates, and Gov. Scott is expected to sign all three. To help us make sense of this sessions' hot topics are a trio of Vermont Public statehouse reporters: Peter Hirschfeld and Lola Duffort in Montpelier, and Report for America fellow Carly Berlin, who covers housing and infrastructure for Vermont Public and VTDigger.

What hours of bodycam footage reveal about ICE operations in Vermont

Have you ever thought about just how many insect species call your yard home? There are thousands of species to discover just outside your door.The app iNaturalist lets users upload photos to identify insects, animals, fungi and more. Each iNaturalist entry helps the team at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) catalogue every living species in the Vermont Atlas of Life. Two VCE biologists discuss ways to spot and catalogue local species: Kent McFarland, VCE's co-founder and the force behind the Vermont Butterfly Atlas, and Spencer Hardy, a bee biologist who runs VCE's Wild Bee Survey and the co-owner of The Farm Upstairs in Jericho.Amateur naturalist and community scientist Bernie Paquette of Jericho is one of the top bee observers in the world on iNaturalist, where he posts research-grade photographs of insects. Last year, he received the 2025 Julie Nicholson Community Science Award from VCE.

Vermont Edition went down the rabbit hole with a recent episode of Brave Little State to find out if there really are more twins per capita in the town of Sheldon — and if so, how it happened.Two sets of Vermont twins told us about going into business together. Leah Klatzker and Rachel Klatzker, co-owners of So Full Sisters, run two food trucks as well as a Middlebury College coffee stand. Circus artists Elsie Smith and Serenity Smith Forchion co-founded the nonprofit New England Center for Circus Arts and the creative circus production company Nimble Arts. They shared what it's been like to work together everywhere from the trapeze to the board room.Broadcast live on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Some movie stars or celebrity chefs have massive followings on Instagram or YouTube. Others gain followers by posting addictive content. But some people simply post about what they love, and build a community from there.Today on Vermont Edition, three Vermonter content creators showcase their passions on social media. Mirna Valerio is an endurance athlete, writer and brand ambassador for major brands like Darn Tough, Lululemon and LLBean. She also advocates for inclusion in the outdoors community. Graham Montague snorkels in local lakes and ponds and posts about his underwater wonders. Christine Tyler Hill is an artist and Burlington crossing guard. She mails a monthly printed newsletter about what she sees, but people on Instagram have caught on, too.They've each learned a lot about how to make social media meaningful instead of soul-sucking. And they also have some big adventures planned for this summer.

Military academies and ROTC clubs teach children and young adults — most of them boys — how to fight in war. But this education comes with its own risk of scars.Vermont-based freelance journalist Jasper Craven explores American military education in his new book, God Forgives, Brothers Don't: The Long March of Military Education and the Making of American Manhood.Craven has reported on the military and veterans' issues for local and national publications including VTDigger, Mother Jones, The New Republic and the The New York Times Magazine.Broadcast live on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

We're nearing the traditional end point of Vermont's legislative calendar. Adjournment at the statehouse in Montpelier is tentatively scheduled for May 29, but there's a lot left to settle before the state's part-time lawmakers head home. Throughout this legislative session you've heard lawmakers on Vermont Edition discuss these issues. Now, we get to hear from the state's top elected official, Gov. Phil Scott.