In the scraggly high-elevation forests of our region, the Bicknell’s
Thrush makes its summer home. But threats to both its summer habitat in
the northeast and its winter habitat in Hispaniola are causing a decline
in the tiny songbird’s population. Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is considering placing the bird under protection of the federal
Endangered Species Act. We talk with Chris Rimmer of the Vermont Center
for Ecostudies and Mollie Matteson of the Center for Biological
Diversity about the impact that human development and climate change
have on the Bicknell’s Thrush.
Also
in the program, how the Vermont FoodBank makes use of extra farm
produce that otherwise would go to waster. We learn how the FoodBank
works with farms and volunteers in their gleaning program to redirect
400,000 pounds of high quality produce to hungry families in the state.
And, we visit the Bread and Puppet Circus in Glover for a lesson in puppeteering in this week’s installment of Summer School.
