By Caitlyn Wanner With more massive wildfires making the news each summer and filling the air with smoke, public concern is growing over the risk of wildfires in Island Park.…
Fire Ecology Field Trip in Island Park
Tag: HFWA
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 world-class fishing. Its lush meadows,…
Hundreds attend wildlife conservation event in Island Park
ISLAND PARK – Two hundred members and guests celebrated Henry’s Fork Wildlife Alliance’s first big event since the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday night at Meadow Vue Ranch in Island Park.…
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 alike. But, outside of Halloween…
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 my master’s thesis. I am…
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 ice is off. You can’t…
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 foraged and grazed in an…
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 US, by 1900’s there only…
Fire Ecology Field Trip – Island Park, ID
Community members joined HFWA on a Fire Ecology Field Trip in Island Park and learned about the origins of wildland fire, it’s relationship to wildlife habitat, and controlled burns. The group…
Idaho Gives 2022
Idaho’s largest giving event is May 2-5! And when you donate via the link below between May 2 and BEFORE the end of the day on May 5, your gift…
Wildlife Festival 2022
HFWA hosted a family-friendly community festival on July 15th at Meadow Vue Ranch in Island Park! Attendees tested out their bear spray skills on Idaho Fish & Game’s mechanical bear, won some…
Certified bear-tested trash containers provided to Island Park
By News Team ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) – At West Yellowstone’s Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center (GWDC), Grizzlies test containers by spending an hour or more attempting to break into them.…
Henrys Fork Wildlife Alliance hires volunteer and project coordinator
By News Team ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) – Henrys Fork Wildlife Alliance has announced Caitlyn Wanner will be their Volunteer and Project Coordinator. Wanner grew up in eastern Idaho and is…
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 that birders check off lists,…
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 underwater grace, their ingenuity, and…
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 the process of picking mates…
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 past 4 summers they have…
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 everything else in the…
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 been particularly hot and dry.…
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 center of discussion. Personally, I’ve…
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 tougher than most people imagine.…
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 like a plant, but not…
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, and they are the only…
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 Teton Raptor Center (TRC) in…
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 why Fremont county’s quality of…
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 favorites is the mating display…
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, and many aren’t, I’d like…
Trumpeter Swans
By Deb Drain Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) are one of the most identifiable waterfowl found in the Island Park area. They are named after their call, which sounds like a…
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 noise, and watch for bear…
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 tourists how to safely recreate…
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.