Fly Fishing Film Festival

All proceeds benefit The Nature Conservancy's Silver Creek Preserve.
7 pm Thursday, June 21
NexStage Theatre, Ketchum

Silver Creek Outfitters presents the annual Fly Fishing Film Festival featuring the finest fly fishing films from around the country. The festival includes the wild adventure film, "Running Down the Man," which demonstrates fly fishing behavior at its most extreme as anglers literally chase feeding roosterfish by sprinting along beaches all day.

All proceeds are donated to The Nature Conservancy’s Silver Creek Preserve. Tickets are available for $12 at Silver Creek Outfitters or by phoning 726-5282. Limited seating available.

Around the Web

Photo by Karen Ballard

In the Air: Read about The Nature Conservancy's Hells Canyon Project in this month's issue of Nature Conservancy Magazine.

In the Water: You can now check Silver Creek's flow, water levels and temperature in real time.

Across the State: Laura Hubbard reflects on the challenges of non-native, invasive species in this Idaho Statesman opinion.

Dunes

Photos by Phares Book

Southern Idaho is full of geologic wonders, from the crystal-clear waterfalls of Thousand Springs, to the moonscape of Craters of the Moon, from the high-desert oasis of Silver Creek to the rugged canyons of the Owyhees. Traveling the sagebrush country is a constant reminder of the dramatic impacts that volcanoes, lava flows, floods and time has had on the landscape.

This Sunday, I visited Bruneau Dunes, another of these special places. A depression carved by the Bonneville Flood 15,000 years ago, the dunes are held in place by opposing wind currents. Wind is a constant here, which can create tough hiking conditions:

But even in this oft-harsh land, life thrives. Beetles appear for a second, then burrow quickly back into sand. Small tracks reveal the presence of the nocturnal kangaroo rat; as its name suggests it hops about the sand on its hind legs. With its super-efficient metabolism of water, this rat can get all its water needs from eating desert plants. Jackrabbits hide in the thickets; raptors soar overhead. Learn more about life in the desert, and how The Nature Conservancy is working to protect the desert's unique creatures.

Driving on the interstate going 75 mph never reveals the real story of Idaho's sagebrush country. Get out and explore one of Idaho's last great places and enjoy the rugged landscapes, unique wildlife and world-class outdoor recreation. --Matt Miller, blog editor

Osprey Cruise - Sign Up Now

The Nature Conservancy is proud to support the Coeur d’Alene Osprey Cruise, scheduled for Saturday, July 7. Join wildlife experts, state, and federal natural resource agencies and conservation groups for the eighth annual cruise around the Cougar Bay Preserve on Lake Coeur d’Alene. View live osprey and learn about the life history of these magnificent raptors, as well as other area birds and wildlife species. Representatives from the Conservancy and the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation will discuss conservation projects that help sustain the diversity of wildlife in the area. The event is sponsored by the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce - Natural Resources Committee, and registration information is available on the chamber's web site. Photo by Tom Munson.