The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department recommends Vermonters wait to put up bird feeders until Dec. 1 to avoid attracting bears.
"Winter bird feeding is a good way to attract birds arriving from Canada, including evening grosbeaks and purple finches, as well as resident birds including northern cardinals and black-capped chickadees," said Doug Morin, Vermont Fish and Wildlife's bird project leader. "Black oil sunflower is a good seed choice that will attract a variety of birds. Adding other seeds or suet can help to attract certain species. Thistle, for example, attracts many of the finches. Gardeners will find leaving late-blooming flowers uncut provides seeds which can also attract birds."
While watching your bird feeders, you can participate in one or more bird monitoring projects by looking up the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, the Great Backyard Bird Count and Project Feeder Watch - all three collect important information for understanding bird populations.
The Fish and Wildlife Department offers these tips for bird-friendly bird feeding:
Keep cats inside. Domestic cats are the leading cause of bird death in North America, and feeders can make birds particularly easy prey.
Place feeders closer than 4 feet or farther than 10 feet from a window. Being close to, or far from, a window may reduce bird collisions.
Clean feeders regularly. To eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses, feeders should be washed every few weeks with a 10 percent bleach solution, then rinsed and allowed to dry before refilling.
Feed birds only between December 1 and April 1 but remove feeders if you see signs of bears. Most bears should be in dens during this time, but some delay entering their dens while even those that have denned may re-emerge to feed if there is a period of warm weather. Bears that learn to get food from people will continue to do so, potentially leading to property damage and dangerous encounters with people which can result in the bear's demise.
Feeding birds, even in the winter, runs the risk of attracting bears. During winter thaws some bears will occasionally take advantage of the mild weather and leave their den in search of food. If a bear visits your bird feeder or the feeder of someone in your community, it is important to take down your feeder for a week. If the bear can't find easy food it will quickly return to its winter den.
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SVMC Summer Gala Raises $1.5M for New Cancer Center
BENNINGTON, Vt. — The Summer Gala—Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Foundation's signature fundraising event and the region's premier philanthropic occasion—netted a record-breaking $1.5 million on June 8 at the 1768 Hubbell Homestead at Colgate Park in Bennington.
The event, which hosted nearly 400 people, broke all previous fundraising records in support of building a new regional cancer center at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC).
"The tremendous generosity we received this year is a testament to the exceptional cancer care SVMC's team provides and the importance of having a facility that matches their level of excellence and expertise," said SVMC's Vice President of Corporate Development Leslie Keefe. "Our Summer Gala Committees, guests, sponsors and employees sent a powerful message with their contributions. The matching dollars committed by Honorary Gala Committee Co-Chair Susan Hunter and her husband, Doug Watson and SVMC's Board of Trustees brought this cause to the next level, making it a monumental night for our organization and the communities we serve."
The plans for the new Hoyt-Hunter Cancer Center at SVMC is part of Vision 2020, A Decade of Transformation. The capital campaign previously raised $25 million for major renovation projects at the hospital, including the nearly completed renovation of the hospital's Emergency Department and main entrance. With plans to break ground on the new cancer center by spring 2025, the building will double the number of infusion and exam rooms. The state-of-the-art facility will also enhance the center's affiliation with Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only three National Cancer Institute-Designated comprehensive cancer centers in New England.
The Summer Gala celebration included the presentation of the Vision Award for Health Care Leadership to Eric Seyferth, MD and the Sean L. Casey Distinguished Community Service Award to Constance "Consie" West.
"Dr. Seyferth and Consie West represent the very best of our community," said Keefe. "Both of them, in their respective areas and vocations, have demonstrated great leadership, selflessness and a tireless commitment to improving the lives of others. They were the perfect honorees for such a notable evening."
The event was organized with the help of a group of volunteer Gala Committee members, including Chair, Monique Geannelis, and members Rachel Caswell, Caroline Maran Ivanov, Vicki Jerome, Carol Patterson, Janet Thibodeau and Debra Wilkin. The Honorary Summer Gala Committee members, whose generous contributions to the Putnam Challenge and live auction contributed to the success of the event, included Co-Chairs, Susie Hunter and Doug Watson, along with Bill Hoyt and Tony Hoyt and members Donna and Gordon Calder, Marianne Chaikin, Susan and Lael Kellet, Juliette and Stallworth Larson, Norene Peck, Sallyan and Steve Pelletier, Jane Told and Debbie and Bill Wight.
The game-winning rally started when Pittsfield junior Jack Abel led off by crushing a 1-1 pitch to left-center and racing all the way to third base, sliding in just ahead of the tag to give the Generals a sterling scoring opportunity. click for more
The Pittsfield baseball team Saturday rallied for five runs in the top of the sixth inning to break a 5-5 tie and went on to a 12-5 win over Clinton in the quarter-finals of the Division 4 State Tournament. click for more
Amanda Pou was named the most valuable player of the regional final after striking out four and walking none in a complete-game effort in the circle. She also ripped a two-run double in Pittsfield’s four-run fourth-inning rally to break open a scoreless game. click for more