Transits of Venus - where the planet is visible as a tiny black dot slowly crossing the sun - are rare. The next one is happening on Tuesday, June 5th, and will be visible from North America, for a few hours just before sunset. After that, it won't happen again for 105 years.

As honeybee populations decline, there's a new focus on the role of bumblebees in pollinating plants, and a first-ever effort to document Vermont's native species.

State wildlife biologist Forrest Hammond discusses Vermont's efforts to control the bear population, we hear about dairy issues and milk supply and we learn about a Middlebury College team of poets competing in a national competition.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh was a prolific writer, publishing a number of books during her lifetime, many chronicling her life with her aviator husband, Charles. Now, her daughter Reeve Lindbergh is sharing a new chapter in her family's story, publishing "Against Wind & Tide," a book of her mother's letters and journals that span 1947-1986.

Time to get out your waterproof binoculars, and download the latest birding app - it's time for Vermont Edition's annual bird show.

Representative Peter Welch has been speaking out about what he says is the necessity of keeping interest rates on Stafford Loans from doubling, and the greater issues of student loan debt and college affordability.

Wednesday marks the date that Vermont Yankee's original 40-year operating license ends. But supporters and opponents of the nuclear power plant are enmeshed in legal and regulatory proceedings about extending the license, and the plant continues to produce electricity.

The day he turned 65, Howard Frank Mosher also finished radiation treatments for prostate cancer. The very next day, he set out on his own to drive across the country. In his newest book, Mosher writes about his adventures, and reflects back on his life and career as a writer.

Native Vermonters are famously proud of their roots here. But increasingly, the state is made up of people who were born somewhere else - today, 49 percent of Vermonters are transplants. We talk about Vermont identity, and how the fabric of the state has changed with the influx of people "from away."

Dr. Brad Duchaine relates how those with face blindness compensate for their lack of facial recognition and the research he is conducting at Dartmouth College.

Ben & Jerry are synonymous with ice cream, but they have also been long-time advocates for social change. Now, they are setting their sights on corporate America, by backing a constitutional amendment to ban "corporate personhood."

In three short weeks, incandescent light bulbs will begin to be phased out in the U.S. The 100 watt incandescent bulb will be the first to go. A local lighting designer says there are a lot of great energy efficient lighting options out there, from CFL to halogen to LED.

We speak with Governor Peter Shumlin about the impact of Irene and hear about two Vermont-Russia connections.

Share your favorite music from 2011 and learn what other VPR listeners are recommending.

In his new novel, Author Russell Banks finds inspiration in his New England and Adirondack roots, and some Vermont musicians are keeping folk songs alive.

One month after the devastating floods of Tropical Storm Irene, the state and communities are assessing what's been done to recover - and what remains to be done.

Irene's floodwaters took a toll on Vermont's fish populations, and wildlife officials are assessing mortality rates and the changes to habitat.

The Burlington political landscape has been racked by controversy and contention as the mayoral race is beginning to get crowded, Vermont community libraries were impacted by flooding from Irene and the hospital budgeting process concludes.

With all of Vermont's schools back in session, we look at some of the challenges school districts and supervisory unions have had to overcome to get children back in the classroom.

Governor Peter Shumlin addresses the damage from Tropical Storm Irene that he has seen around the state and outlines his plans for recovery.

Broadcasting from the banks of the Connecticut River at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont, we look at the river's history, health, geology, energy generation and recreational opportunities.

State symbols are the subject of grade school projects, tourism marketing and a bit of cynical derision. But dig into the stories behind official symbols, and they reveal our history, culture and economic values.

Ethan Allen is a towering figure in early Vermont history, and now his biography is told in the new book, “Ethan Allen: His Life and Times” by historian Willard Sterne Randall.

Butterflies are starting to show off their colors, cicadas, grasshoppers and crickets have struck up their noisy symphony and the horse flies and deer flies are doing what they do. We get the latest on the world of entomology. Slideshow: Listener Insect Photographs

Peony problems, compost conundrums, and dandelion dilemmas? Garden expert Charlie Nardozzi joins us live to answer your questions.