By Tim Reynolds Dear Commissioners: I am writing regarding the above subject requests to be heard by the Commission on July 22, 2024: approval of…
Letter To P&Z Commission From A Wildlife Biologist
Category: Blog
Ferruginous Hawk – Beautiful by any measure
By Lorraine Snipper I was pondering about hawks for the past few weeks, looking forward to my return to Island Park, and anticipating re-acquainting myself…
A Heron Like No Other
By Lorraine Snipper A great blue heron is quite a stately, and large, bird, and can be found in much of the United States year-round.…
Saving the Birds From My Bird Feeder
By Caitlyn Wanner Near the end of January, I noticed something odd about a couple of juvenile house finches that were visiting my bird feeder.…
Surviving Below Zero
By Jim McGeever As of this writing, winter has a firm grasp on the Henry’s Fork Wildlife Alliance footprint. Significant and much-needed snowstorms have left…
Rise and Shine
By Lorraine Snipper I know, I know… You’re on vacation and want to sleep in. I’ve been there myself, on more than one occasion! I have…
Appreciating a Conservation Easement
by Jean Bjerke People love Island Park for many reasons. Its natural beauty, mountains, valleys, lakes, and streams. Its abundant wildlife and birds, and its…
Bats of Idaho
By Sarah Cubells For good reason, the birds and large mammals of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are the awe-inspiring “main characters” among locals and tourists…
Lessons learned from following sage-grouse
By Caitlyn Wanner This is the first summer in several years I haven’t spent doing sage-grouse research, first as a wildlife technician and then for…
Eared Grebes at Henrys Lake
By Mary VanFleet Grebes are a fun family of birds to watch at Henrys Lake. They are constantly chattering in the bays, even before the…
Grizzly Family
Article and photo by Charlie Lansche I had the good fortune of watching this Yellowstone grizzly family over the past few days as they peacefully…
Trumpeter Swans at Henrys Lake
Article by Mary VanFleet Photo by Jean Bjerke Trumpeter Swans (TS) have historically nested at Henrys Lake, but have not been breeding there much of the last 50 yrs. Historically widespread in the…
Birds of Henrys Lake
By Lorraine Snipper There is supposedly a difference between birdwatching (unintentional, unplanned) and being a birder (very intentional, seeking out birds). I had always thought…
Beavers are Forces of Nature
by Ben Goldfarb Like most people who enjoy mucking about in streams, I’ve had my share of beaver encounters. I was always impressed by their…
Birds in Island Park
By Lorraine Snipper My yard here in Island Park is a haven for many birds, in all seasons. In the spring/early summer, birds are in…
Bald Eagles
By Deb Drain I have the good fortune to be able to observe a pair of mature, strongly pair-bonded, highly successful Bald Eagles. Over the…
Struggles of the Whitebark Pine
By Jean Bjerke The famous early 20th-century naturalist John Muir said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to…
Hibernation, Migration, and Adaptation
By Sarah Cubells There are so many things to love about summer in East Idaho. But as we all are well aware, this summer has…
Western Tiger Salamander
By Sarah Cubells When learning about the iconic species of Greater Yellowstone, elk, moose, bison, bears, and the many spectacular bird species are often the…
Butterflies of Island Park
By Jean Bjerke Butterflies are amazing insects. The first thing we notice is probably their beautiful colors. They are delicate and fragile looking, but are…
Lichen: The Organism That Looks Like a Plant, But Isn’t
By Deb Drain When you are out and about, and you see rocks that have orange, grey, black, or green stuff on them that looks…
Hummingbirds in Island Park
Article and photo by Jean Bjerke Hummingbirds are beautiful jewels of color and marvels of aerodynamics. Their wings beat up to 80 beats per second,…
Great Gray Owl Recovery
By Becky Hall On October 10, 2020, a car struck a great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) in Island Park. Fortunately, it was taken to the…
Big Game is a Big Deal in Fremont County
By Gregg Servheen No doubt most Fremont county residents live here because of its high quality of life. If asked for the top three reasons…
Sage Grouse Courtship Display
Article and photo by Jean Bjerke I love the sometimes flamboyant and even outrageous behavior of birds and wildlife to attract mates. One of my…
Baby Season
Article and Photos by Lindsay Jones Welcome to baby season! What’s that you ask? Well, if you aren’t familiar with the world of wildlife rehabilitation,…
Trumpeter Swans
By Deb Drain Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) is one of the most identifiable waterfowl found in the Island Park area. They are named after their…
Bear Safety Tips – Bear Spray
By Becky Lewis When recreating in bear country, your goal should be to avoid bear encounters by being bear aware – hike in groups, make…
Bear Safety Tips – Hiking & Camping
By Becky Lewis May is “Be Bear Aware and Wildlife Stewardship” month so it is the perfect time to remind Island Park residents, visitors, and…
Bear Safety Tips – Food Storage
Spring is the time when bears emerge from their winter dens and families once again are exploring the parks and forests. May is “Be Bear Aware and Wildlife Stewardship” month so it is the perfect time to remind Island Park residents, visitors, and tourists how to safely and responsibly live and recreate in bear habitat.
The Sandhills of September
You can hear the rattling, throaty bugle of a sandhill crane from miles away. Their primordial call is one of the most distinctive sounds in nature.
Yellowstone Pronghorn: Restoring Ancient Paths
Pronghorn “antelope” have roamed the western plains for centuries. Having evolved to outrun the now extinct North American cheetah, they are the second fastest land mammal in the world.
Wildlife is Wild
It has been said that Nature has its own, unknowable heart. When you go into the woods and try to capture a bit of nature, you are at her mercy.
Owls: In Idaho and Beyond
A few weeks ago, I was walking my dog and noticed an owl perched atop the roof of my apartment. I stopped and admired it quietly for a few minutes before continuing on my walk. The next night, I looked up and spotted two in almost exactly the same spot.
Mountain Bluebirds – Idaho’s State Bird
As I was walking near our home in Island Park (IP) I heard the unmistakable sound of Mountain Bluebird (MOBL) adults and their fledglings calling to each other with their soft, low, non-musical “tew” or “peu”.
Long Billed Curlews in Island Park
By Jean Bjerke Long Billed Curlews are funny-looking, fascinating birds. They are seasonal summer residents of Island Park, flying 2,000 miles round trip from northern…
Wildlife Migration and Movement
By Gregg Servheen Lately it seems like there is a lot of talk about wildlife migration and its roll in wildlife conservation and management. Not…
Predators and Prey
By Sarah Cubells I am fascinated by predator-prey relationships. I relish the opportunity to catch a glimpse of charismatic apex predators especially, like a large…
Tangled with Western Tanagers
By Charlie Lansche The first flashes of vibrant yellow and red in the lodgepole canopy signaled the arrival of summer in Island Park. Each June,…
Bears of Yellowstone
Last summer, after a night in the backcountry of North Yellowstone, some friends and I were breaking down camp when we spotted a black bear…
Swans of Island Park
By Ruth Shea From atop her nest at Swan Lake, the Trumpeter Swan mother watches heavy traffic pass by. She cares tenderly for the tiny…
When the love of skiing endangers wildlife
A world-renowned athlete stopped skiing in sensitive areas. Can she convince others to do the same? By Christine Peterson, High Country News, March 16, 2020…
ITD Sat On Data Invalidating Animal Detection Systems
Idaho Department of Transportation Sat On Data Invalidating Animal Detection Systems Effectiveness For HWY 20 (Originally published at the Idaho Wildlife Federation on February 1,…