About Kate Kampner
Kate Kampner is a senior English major with minors in environmental studies and writing. She loves reporting on science and wildlife for her environmental journalism beat. Kate’s favorite book is The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.
As feds become less reliable, Vermont aims to track its own greenhouse gas emissions
H.740 would give the Agency of Natural Resources more authority to source data for its greenhouse gas inventory.
Waters of the state could be safeguarded under prospective study group
A Senate bill has proposed a study group of Vermont officials to evaluate state water quality.
With rodenticide bill dead in the water, experts say Vermont wildlife will bear the brunt
H.326 was supposed to regulate the state’s usage of pellet poison
‘Cheaper and faster and easier’: environmental bill would streamline wastewater connection and treated water supply review
A manual for developers would provide guidance to accelerate the permitting process under the Agency of Natural Resources
Bill banning herbicide linked to Parkinson’s moves to Senate
Paraquat, one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S., would be phased out over five years
‘Not everyone satisfied’ with bills repealing Supreme Court ruling
Legislators are debating how to reformat a law that would exempt farmers from municipal regulation
Lawmakers debate whether including infant formula in public health bill is premature
A new bill aims to protect children from overexposure to heavy metals in foods, but debate over the inclusion of infant formula has taken the reins.
Energy coaching program passes in the Senate
The bill looks at how to make community-based energy education more accessible across all income levels
From podcasts to politics: Vermont politico Joanna Grossman announces her Senate candidacy
Campaign manager Joanna Grossman is going after a Vermont Senate seat, focusing on small businesses, education reform and housing affordability
Dam emergency preparedness bill keeps public safety in mind
A dam safety bill passed in the House Committee on Environment on Feb. 20.
Faith Climate Action Day shortens the distance between science and religion at the State House
After almost six years of lobbying, faith-based activists have added a new piece to their annual tradition.
Bill would enable climate change education in Vermont schools
Educators who support S.175 still have concerns about integrating the subject into their curriculum.
Rural Vermont roots for farmers as it keeps watch on new legislation
The advocacy group will zero in on PFAS, local regulations and more on behalf of local farmers
Proposed bill makes plug-in solar easier to own
A new bill that would allow customers to install plug-in solar systems without a previously required middle man passes the Senate
Despite a low count of broad-winged hawks, experts don’t raise concern for the overall population
Vermont hawkwatch counting sites saw fewer numbers for the broad-winged hawk population this year.
Water-focused cremation offers a middle ground for eco-friendly funerals
Alkaline hydrolysis — a cremation process that dissolves body tissue in water and chemicals — has been introduced to Vermont as a greener afterlife alternative.
Vermont Wildlife officials are asking for deer teeth
From Nov. 15-30, Vermont Fish and Wildlife will be collecting deer teeth from hunters to evaluate deer population management decisions.
Small farmers turning to new tech tools
A new wave of agritech tools — from maple monitors to virtual fences — is revolutionizing how small farms manage labor, costs, and climate challenges.
As Vermont CSAs adapt to the climate crisis, members notice the changes
Community Supported Agriculture, also known as a CSA, has taken over the Vermont agriculture world. As farms deal with and adapt to climate change, their members are seeing how a warming world creeps onto their dinner plates.
Vermont’s ‘Bird Diva’ introduces a new form of birding
Slow Birding, a meditative and insightful form of birding, is a new concept in Vermont and beyond. Birding enthusiast Bridget Butler has emerged as the reigning “Bird Diva.”
Wild swimming helps Vermonters connect to nature
Swimming in natural waters, also known as open water swimming, has taken over the world recreationally and competitively. These Vermont swimmers talk about the serenity it brings them, but also how it empowers their connection to nature.
How ice cream could sweeten sustainability in Vermont energy, farms and water
A St. Albans food digester that opened in May transforms organic waste into energy, fertilizer, and water.
This Bolton Valley rec group puts the babe in bro-cultured extreme sports
The Bolton Babe Force, an all-female and nonbinary sports group, wrapped up their mountain biking camp this past July.
An electric canoe quietly hits the waters of Vermont state park
The Green River Reservoir State Park needed an alternative to a gas-powered boat. Park supporters gave them an electric canoe in order to maintain the land properly without causing a noise disturbance.
New cottage food law keeps Vermont products in home kitchens
A food-start up bill exempts home based food producers from requiring state food safety permits if they keep their sales under $30,000.
Vermonters turn to forests for therapy
Researchers have studied how greenspace influences human health. These forest bathing participants find benefit in surrounding themselves with nature.
Dread your commute? These folks suggest trying a trail instead
“Our whole mission is trails that go somewhere,” one org director said. “The whole point is that you could use it to commute.”
Putney Mountain Hawkwatch reports ‘best year ever’ for sightings
Group members say weather patterns may have contributed to the huge uptick in sightings this year.
Radio tags let scientists monitor muskies in the Missisquoi
Following a population dip in the 1960s and 1970s, the muskellunge were seemingly wiped out after an untreated waste spill.
Charlotte voting this year a friendly experience
Despite election anxiety, Charlotters report a welcoming atmosphere at the polls.
How Lake Champlain scientists are prepping for future floods
The July 2024 flooding was more destructive downstream while the December 2023 flooding resulted in higher flow because it involved snow and rain, said one scientist.
Citizen science key to preserving monarch butterflies’ grand migration, experts say
“The only way we know a lot of this stuff is because thousands of people have helped us collect data across the landscape,” one Vermont expert said.
To Vermont faith groups, ‘climate crisis is a spiritual crisis’
Another approach to addressing climate crisis in Vermont? One grounded in spirituality.
Vermonters planting native gardens to help pollinators prosper
The mission is to reduce the distance pollinators like bees and butterflies must go to get nectar and pollen. The gardens, in effect, form a highway.
Lake Champlain researchers pin murky plumes on flood-induced runoff
Researchers also announced the Lake Champlain Sea Grant was awarded just under $300,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In Vermont vineyards, grape growers take a healing tack
A number of Vermont vineyards and wineries practice regenerative agriculture — that goes beyond minimizing farming’s costs on land to instead help restore it.
Officials: Vermonters should prepare to protect their lungs with Quebec fires expected again
“We’re not on the level of having gigantic fires in Vermont yet,” Dillner said. But officials believe Vermonters should pay attention and prepare to protect their homes and health.
The future of fertilizer? Pee, says this Brattleboro institute
The institute, its partners and others in the sustainability industry see the practice — dubbed “peecycling” — as a cheap, easy and less-destructive method than synthetic fertilizer.
Wary of future floods, Vermont’s senators pitch bill to create extreme weather insurance for farms
In a survey by the state after last summer’s flooding, 70% of farmers said they didn’t have crop or livestock insurance. Another 10% said the insurance didn’t apply to their industry — meaning only around one in five had coverage for those losses.
Amid parking woes, Stowe Mountain Resort consults state to temper traffic
Management last year rolled out parking fees, carpooling incentives and bus service improvements — but it may not be doing enough.
Winooski working on new walk-bike plan
Winooski residents want infrastructure improvements along Main Street to make crossing, walking and biking safer, according to local leaders working on a new walk-bike plan for the city.
VT legislative preview: Mollie Burke talks feebates for gas guzzlers, EV charging
The Community News Service is a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost. Reducing personal use of gasoline powered vehicles is a top priority of state Rep. Mollie Burke, D-Brattleboro, heading into the next legislative session. “The priorities have been so […]