On Saturday, June 22nd, over 300 people attended the 3rd annual Henrys Fork Wildlife Alliance Wildlife Festival at the scenic Harriman State Park in Island Park. The event’s purpose was to give community members a family-friendly event to engage with local non-profits and community partners and learn more about wildlife conservation issues in the area in a fun way. 

Festival participants enjoyed various activities from participating vendors, including testing inert bear spray on the Idaho Fish & Game charging bear, guided nature walks, lawn games, and many more. Becky Lewis, an Island Park resident, gave away 60 bear spray canisters to members of the public through a grant she received from multiple non-profits. Bear Guardian, a steel bear-resistant container manufacturer based in Rexburg, was the festival’s primary sponsor and donated two IGBC-certified bear-resistant containers for the festival raffle. The “Island Park is Bear Country” Coalition also sponsored the festival; the coalition consists of The Involved Property Owners of Island Park, Island Park Bear Aware, and HFWA.  

Participating organizations included the Grizzly and Wolf  Discovery Center, Henry’s Fork Foundation, Idaho Fish and Game, Idaho Master Naturalists, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Camas Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley Association, National Parks Conservation Association, Harriman State Park, Heart Of The Rockies, Teton Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Bear Guardian, and Wildlife Shutters 208. Los Tacotes Mexican Food brought their trailer and sold delicious homemade food at the festival. 

HFWA’s Communication Coordinator, Shaun Ward, stated, “The event was a huge success. Our amazing community turned out in numbers to have fun and show their support for our cherished local wildlife. We couldn’t have done it without the support of our community and our amazing partners who volunteered their time to educate members of the public about ongoing issues wildlife face in eastern Idaho.”

The raffle was a highlight of the festival, with over $3500 worth of exciting items up for grabs. The featured items included a bear-resistant trash can and a food storage container from Bear Guardian, Patagonia gear from the renowned outdoor brand, wildlife prints from local photographer Kevin Pace, and other items generously donated by local businesses in Island Park and West Yellowstone. 

Proceeds from the event help Henry’s Fork Wildlife Alliance fund continuing wildlife conservation projects within the Henrys Fork watershed.  

Photos by Tracy River