The Bobolink Project, a collaborative partnership between Audubon Vermont, Mass Audubon and Audubon Connecticut with help from UVM's Dr. Allan Strong, reached new highs in 2017. The project uses donations from the general public to pay farmers to alter their haying practices to benefit grassland birds. 

In 2017, Audubon Vermont worked with 15 Vermont farmers to manage roughly 600 acres of grasslands. This is up from previous years' totals of approximately 500 acres. In addition, an estimated 229 pairs of Bobolinks nested on those managed grasslands, producing a record number of fledglings. Biologists estimated about 639 chicks survived to fledging, surpassing 2015 and 2016 estimates of about 500 fledglings in each year.

Audubon Vermont's Mark LaBarr said, "Another great year for the Bobolink Project and we could not have done it without the support of all the conservation minded donors that make this inovative project work." A number of fields were also managed in Massachusetts in 2017, making this a regional effort.

You can find more information on the Boblink Project and how you can donate to the 2018 field season at www.bobolinkproject.com or contact Mark LaBarr at mlabarr@audubon.org or Margaret Fowle at mfowle@audubon.org. Learn more about Audubon Vermont's role in the Bobolink Project: http://vt.audubon.org/bobolink