Imbalance, or In Balance?

Walk along any Idaho stream or river this spring, and you may catch a glimpse of the creature above: the American mink. Mink are common in Idaho, but never occur at very high densities.


They roam along streams, feasting on frogs, muskrats, crayfish and fish. They're a small predator, but quite efficient. Their sleek form allows quick movements and rapid attacks. But whether it's frogs or crayfish, stream creatures have evolved to better escape the mink's attacks.

Such is not the case in England, where mink are not native. Enough American mink have escaped from fur farms to establish substantial wild populations.

Which is bad news for England's stream creatures, particularly the water vole (pictured above).


On a recent trip to England, I saw one of these little mammals, which my brother described as a swimming guinea pig. They are, however, becoming an increasingly rare sight--the water vole is England's most rapidly declining animal.



Water voles are not adapted for the mink's hunting tactics, thus even a small number of mink can completely wipe out water voles from whole streams.


Removed from their native North American habitat, a mink becomes a pest.

Of course, European imports can have similar effects here. On the same England trip, I visited Cholderton Estate, a remarkable organic farm and wildlife conservation project owned by Henry Edmunds. (More on his extensive conservation efforts in an upcoming post).


Henry knows his plants, and showed me some of his favorite wildflowers in various meadows. I did a double take, though, when he described the spotted knapweed as "quite a nice plant." I've heard knapweed called many things, but "nice" is not one of them.


Of course, in England, it is a nice plant, because native insects keep it in check. In Idaho, it out-competes native plants and turns whole hillsides into knapweed monocultures.


Research often demonstrates that a "balance in nature" is a human construct. Natural systems ebb and flow, and are in constant states of change. Non-native species will likely prove to become more in balance with their habitats over time--although it may be in time frames much longer than humans are accustomed to thinking.


That said, the deliberate introduction of non-native species is avoidable and usually unnecessary. The imbalance caused by these introductions is not worth losing water voles, or native Idaho wildflowers. --Matt Miller

The spotted knapweed photo is by Kirt L. Onthank, licensed by the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License. Other photos are courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Planting the 'Nature Fire'

Planting Day in the Burn Area

Visitors coming to the Silver Creek Preserve this spring will certainly notice some changes since last summer’s wildfire. The Nature Fire burned a total of 14,869 acres in and around the Picabo Hills in late August, including about 20 acres on The Nature Conservancy property. Sagebrush and other vegetation were consumed by flame, leaving an open, ash-covered landscape. Many acres have already been seeded with mixed native grasses and other herbaceous plants. It is amazing to see the gradual re-greening taking place.

To encourage the re-establishment of more shrubby vegetation, a volunteer planting day was held. Ed Papenberg, of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, acts as coordinator for the Volunteer for Habitat Restoration program. This group includes people of all ages, from individuals and families to schools, civic organizations, 4H and Scout groups, and state and federal entities like the Bureau of Land Management and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

With so many folks pitching in, it was a big group that met to plant bitterbrush seedlings on the BLM land in the hills south of Silver Creek Preserve. We all got delicious cookies as our “bribe” and “thank you” to get us going. We split up and carried planting bars and sacks of seedlings up into the burned-over hills. It was a glorious day, and the panoramic views of Silver Creek often distracted us from our duties! But thousands of bitterbrush plants were set into the damp soil by the enthusiastic crews.

Bitterbrush is a preferred food for large animals like the deer and elk that use this area as a winter range. The plants will also help stabilize the soil, and were selected as a native species that should grow well on this site.

In addition to these benefits, a major goal of the Volunteer for Habitat Restoration program is to involve people of all kinds in local conservation projects. Ed Papenberg stresses the importance of the volunteers’ personal involvement in the rehabilitation of natural areas, and the increased awareness of our surroundings that comes with participation in activities like the planting day.

It was a productive day all around- for habitat restoration, for wildlife, and for the human participants as well!

Counting Birds at Silver Creek

Blog by Ginny Glasscock. Willet photo by Dave Glasscock.

April 15 may have been the tax deadline, but it was also the date for the monthly bird survey at The Nature Conservancy’s Silver Creek Preserve.

So, having submitted my “extension of time to file” form, I rose early and headed out on a chilly, wet morning to meet up with a dedicated crew of birders : Poo Wright-Pulliam, Dave Spaulding, Jean Seymour, and Keri York.

Each month for the past five years, a core group of knowledgeable volunteers has gathered at sunrise at the Preserve, which has been designated an Important Bird Area (download the preserve's full bird checklist).

These specially recognized locations throughout the world have been selected as being essential and vulnerable bird habitats. Monitoring bird populations over time provides information that can be used in conservation planning to safeguard these critical areas.

There are five set sample points at Silver Creek where our group stops for ten minutes to count each individual bird seen, (or sometimes, only heard). At two of the points, we extend the survey area and time for more comprehensive coverage.

I am amazed at the knowledge of these citizen scientists- how they can differentiate between very similar birds, recognize flight patterns, identify songs, and point out specific behaviors. As the snow flurries swirled around us, I learned to be more observant of the wonderful variety and number of birds that occur on the Preserve.

Some highlights of the day included a willet wading purposefully along the stream’s edge, the tiny marsh wrens hiding in the rushes, and a common snipe that perched on a fence long enough for all of us to get a great view through the spotting scope.

All in all, 38 different bird species were identified for the April count. While I thought that was an impressive number, I was told to expect a much higher count next time. So, in mid-May, my taxes still won’t be done, but I hope to be out streamside again with the amazing bird survey crew. I’m eager to see what we can find!

Visit an Idaho Preserve

Does the recent warm spell have you itching for some summer fun?

Now's the time to start planning a trip to one of The Nature Conservancy's Idaho preserves.

The Idaho Statesman last weekend featured an excellent overview of the outdoor opportunities at our preserves, written by Natalie Bartley.

Our preserves offer a variety of activities, including hiking, canoeing, fishing, hunting, birding, wildlife photography, wildflower walks, lectures and more.

Check out our Public Access Guide, detailing outdoor opportunities across the state.

Read more about specific preserves:

Ball Creek Ranch (Bonners Ferry)

Cougar Bay (Coeur d'Alene)

Flat Ranch (Macks Inn)

Formation Springs (Soda Springs)

Garden Creek Ranch (Hells Canyon)

Silver Creek (Picabo)

South Fork (Swan Valley)

Gobbler

Across much of the country, the woods and forests now echo with the booming gobble-gobble-gobble of the male wild turkey.

Late April marks the peak of the gobbling season for turkeys. Male turkeys gobble and strut to attract females, much as sage grouse strut and snipe winnow.

At the peak of their gobbling--often just before the breeding season begins--male turkeys are extremely aggressive. They will respond to any loud noise. My parents reported one gobbling to a barking dog. A hooting owl, calling crows, thunder or even the slam of a car door can all set off a loud gobbling bout in a turkey.

At one point, turkeys had disappeared over much of the country. In a tremendous conservation success, thanks in large part to hunters, turkeys have now been restored to their historic range. And beyond: Turkeys were not historically found in Idaho but now live in many parts of the state. A century ago, about 100,00o turkeys roamed the continent; today that number is 4.5 million.

Turkeys now may be taken for granted by conservationists. But they are tremendously interesting birds to watch, especially in the spring. They have a variety of calls (listen), and males often strut and fight in the presence of hens.

If you're interested in learning more about turkeys, read Joe Hutto's excellent book, Illumination in the Flatwoods. Hutto, a biologist, raises a flock of wild turkeys and then lives among them to learn more about turkey behavior.

Where to see wild turkeys: Turkeys can be hard to locate in the expansive forests of Idaho. The Conservancy's Ball Creek Ranch Preserve and Garden Creek Preserve are both reliable places to see turkeys. Visit at this time of year and you're likely to hear them gobbling. --Matt Miller

Photo by Sasha Kopf through a Creative Commons license

Leave It (Mostly) To Beaver

Story by Ginny Glasscock; photo by Dayna Gross.

Now that spring has arrived at the Silver Creek Preserve, we are starting to get “as busy as beavers."

And one of the matters we have turned our attention to is...beavers!

The beaver, Castor canadensis, is listed in my Peterson Field Guide under “Some Odd Mammals”, and they most certainly are!

This very large rodent, (up to 60 pounds or more), is surely unique, with its familiar paddle-shaped tail, huge front teeth, and webbed hind feet.

Their presence in Silver Creek and some tributaries is evidenced by the gnawed willows, water birch, and aspens at the water’s edge. Besides using these woody materials as a winter food source, sticks are employed in the construction of dams.

Beaver dams, and the ponds they create, can have many beneficial effects in stream ecosystems. The increased wetland area provides more habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl. Ponds can act to trap silt, minimize erosion, and slow run-off. There is a stabilizing effect on flows throughout the season, as more water is held back for lower-flow summer and drought periods, and groundwater is recharged.

But there can sometimes also be undesirable consequences. In the spring, precipitation, snowmelt, and a high water table can combine with the increased water-holding capacity of a beaver pond to create flooding .

This can have a negative effect when it interferes with roads, cropland, and grazing areas.

Such has been the case lately at Stalker Creek, requiring that we take action to restore an optimum balance. During the first week of April, Dayna Gross and Ginny Glasscock breeched a small section of this dam by manually removing sticks and mud.

The goal was to increase the flow enough to mitigate flooding of fields and an access road, while maintaining the natural function and appearance of the dam. We were able to get a true appreciation of the beavers’ engineering skills as we yanked, pulled, heaved, and scraped away the materials that were so meticulously crafted into this amazing structure.

Water started flowing through our small break, and lower upstream levels were observed almost immediately. We did not note any fresh tree cuttings in the vicinity of the dam, or any other signs that beaver were currently active nearby. A week- and a-half later, water levels are holding within the desired range, with no rebuilding of the dam evident.

We will continue to monitor the effects of beaver dams throughout the season, and apply a light hand, as needed, to maintain equilibrium in water levels.

Besides manual breeching, The Nature Conservancy has also used water levelers, which are various types of pipe set within or below beaver dams to allow a certain amount of continual water flow.

In the end, we aim in our function as land stewards to protect certain human activities while supporting the role of the beaver, nature’s ultimate water conservationist.--Ginny Glasscock

Drummer in the Woods

THUMP. Thump. Thump-thump-thump-thumpthumpthumpthump.

The ruffed grouse's spring-time drumming is something you almost feel before you hear. It's a low thumping sound, almost like an engine starting. (Listen)

This is the male grouse's way of attracting females. While the sound is often incorrectly described as the feather's hitting the grouse's chest, the noise is actually produced by the wings flapping the air.

Unlike sage and sharp-tailed grouse, ruffed grouse display individually. Ruffed grouse are birds of the forest, so the male usually stands on a large, fallen log to drum, so that it can see in all directions.

Count yourself lucky if you are able to actually see a ruffed grouse drumming. They're wary birds, and more difficult to find than grouse that prefer open country. Instead, listen carefully the next time you're in Idaho's forests, and you may be rewarded with the sound of spring's drummer.

Where to hear ruffed grouse drumming: Ruffed grouse can often be found in forested areas that have a mix of habitats, particularly near streams.

The working forests of northern Idaho are great ruffed grouse habitat, such as in the Kootenai Valley near Bonners Ferry. In that valley, the forested areas of the Conservancy's Ball Creek Ranch Preserve, the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge and the Boundary Creek Wildlife Management Area all contain good numbers of grouse.

The forested reaches of Hells Canyon and the South Fork of the Snake River are two other good places to check out.--Matt Miller

On Curlews and the Coming of Spring

Essay by Virginia Glasscock, assistant manager, Silver Creek Preserve. Photo by Dave Glasscock.

In this part of Idaho, where cold temperatures, snow, and short daylight hours are the “default mode” of winter, we look forward to spring with an enthusiasm unequaled by our friends in more moderate climes.

The powers that be have declared March 20 to be the first day of spring, but we all have our own measures of the actual arrival of this important seasonal milestone. This is such a major occasion that it is celebrated emotionally, not just officially.

Some folks might count spring as starting when they quit using the flannel sheets, or put the snow shovel away, or wash the windows for the first time.

But outdoorsmen always look to the seasonal markers provided by nature. It may be the date of “ground zero”, when the snow is finally gone and bare ground is again visible (often the subject of good-natured wagering). It may be seeing your first ground squirrel, or the observation of a green sprout of something emerging among the sagebrush.

But most people I know use birds as heralds of this highly anticipated season, and everyone seems to have their own favorite.

I dismiss the choice of the robin as a cliché. They always seem to show up before winter is fully spent, then hunker down with their feathers all fluffed out, looking disgruntled. Besides, a bird so common (the 6th most abundant land bird in the Silver Creek Preserve bird counts), doesn’t seem special enough to be appointed the true harbinger of spring.

The sandhill crane also has its many advocates. These birds are large, majestic, and vocal, and they command admiration. It is thrilling to hear their loud calls and watch their antics in the fields. Yet this seems, to me, somewhat too obvious a choice, picking the biggest and flashiest bird around.

While various other bird species also have their champions, my personal choice for the indicator of spring is the long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus.

This large shorebird, buff brown in color, arrives here from its wintering grounds in Mexico in early April, just as the weather is finally changing for good.

They have a variety of loud calls and cries and a recognizable flight pattern, so they are easily identified, even from a long distance. It is fascinating to watch them probe for earthworms in the fields with their improbably long, downward curved bills.

I’m only able to enjoy one of my favorite birds for only a short time before they move on. The curlew seems the most appropriate symbol of all- charming, raucous, and entertaining by turns, and as fleeting as the brief Idaho spring. --Virginia Glasscock

Snipe Hunt

If you attended summer camp as a youth, you may well be familiar with the "snipe hunt," a popular prank. New campers are taken into the woods and hold flashlights up to bags, waiting for the elusive snipe--a bird that allegedly is attracted to light and thus will fly into the bag.

Of course, the snipe never shows and the newbies stand around in the dark woods, left holding the bag. By the time they figure it out, they are likely lost and confused. Meanwhile, back in camp, everyone else is enjoying a big laugh.

When the new campers return, they learn the snipe is a mythical bird that doesn't exist.

Except it does. No, this isn't a belated April Fools joke and no, snipe don't fly into bags at night.

Snipe, which include 20 species around the world, are characterized by their long slender bill and mottled feathers. They're a common bird in wetland areas. The Wilson's snipe is common in Idaho, and now is the perfect time to catch their spring courtship display.

During their courtship, male snipe make a sound that is called winnowing--a term allegedly coined by Henry David Thoreau. It's been described as an eerie flute or a rapid whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop. (Listen).

It sounds like a call, but this sound isn't produced vocally.

The male snipe has modified tail feathers, which are fanned out in the air. The male does a "power dive" and the sound is produced by the tail feathers vibrating.

You are most likely to hear this at dawn and dusk, when snipe can be difficult to spot in the air. But I have heard winnowing throughout the day, and you can see the birds in their dramatic dives by following the sound.

Where to experience winnowing snipe: Any wet, open area along rivers and streams, like the meadows around Silver Creek and the Pahsimeroi Valley. Any wetland area is also a good bet--try the Kootenai Valley, the Weiser area or Thousand Springs. --Matt Miller

Photos by Tom Grey of Tom Grey's Bird Pictures.

April: What's Happening

Mark Your Calendar:

The Land Trust of the Treasure Valley presents the Patagonia Wild and Scenic Film Festival. Saturday, April 4. 1: 30 pm matinee and 6:30 pm evening show, Boise Centre on the Grove. Award-winning environmental films in a spirit of inspiration and education. Tickets are $10; order on-line, by phone at 208-345-1452 or at the door.

Colombia: Birds, Critters, Culture and Conservation. Tuesday, April 28. 7 pm, MK Nature Center, Walnut Street, Boise. To say Colombia has received a lot of bad press is an understatement. But that's old news; much of Colombia is safe and a perfect place for birders and naturalists to visit. The Nature Conservancy's Matt Miller will give a presentation on the people and wildlife living in some of Colombia's beautiful landscapes, colonial cities and warm ocean waters. Join him for stories of hope for the people and nature of this once violent landscape.

Dubois Grouse Days: The seventh annual Grouse Days is bigger than ever, with events for the whole family on April 17 and 18. Watch sage grouse and sharp-tailed grouse on their spring display grounds, and visit The Nature Conservancy's Crooked Creek Project. Register on-line for all events.

Birding Opportunities: Sage and sharp-tailed grouse aren't the only active birds at this time of year. Get outside and enjoy grouse drumming, snipe winnowing and turkeys gobbling. Long-billed curlews call from meadows, and raptors nest in rocky cliffs. More information on all these feathered phenomena in the coming weeks at Idaho Nature Notes. A good way to enjoy Idaho's birds is by joining a free Audubon Society field trip.

Wildflowers: Later in the month, at lower elevations, you can begin to see dramatic displays of wildflowers, including the beautiful yellow of arrowleaf balsamroot in many foothill areas. And if you want some beautiful wildflowers for your own backyard, the Idaho Native Plant Society has plant sales in April and May around the state.

Marmot Day: Finally, Punxsatawney Phil may have been awake two months ago, but our yellow-bellied marmots are just emerging. Enjoy them in rocky cliffs while you can--they return to their dens for a summer torpor when it gets too hot.

Welcome Home, Salmon

Welcome home, salmon.

For the first time in sixty years, salmon will be able to return to a stretch of the Pahsimeroi River, thanks to a conservation easement and restoration projects by The Nature Conservancy and our partners.

The conservation easement protects 1214 acres of important wetlands, wildlife habitat and agricultural land on the Big Springs Creek Ranch in the Pahsimeroi Valley. The property is owned by Beartooth Capital, an investment partnership that specializes in acquiring and restoring ecologically important lands.

The property includes wetlands, tributary streams to the Pahsimeroi, pastures and irrigated agricultural lands. It is used by sage grouse, songbirds and a variety of big game animals.

“This is truly a wildlife paradise,” says Mark Davidson, the Conservancy’s Central Idaho conservation manager. “By working with Beartooth and our agency partners, we’re ensuring that this ranch continues to provide the clean water, beautiful springs and elk and salmon that make the Pahsimeroi Valley a special place.”

Read more.

Chinook salmon photo by Michelle Wilhelm/USFWS.

Owyhee Legislation

Stunning canyons, bighorn sheep and sage grouse, ranching traditions and world-class outdoor recreation: All typify the Owyhees, that huge expanse of sagebrush located in Idaho's southwestern corner.

Owyhee legislation that addresses issues facing both people and the land recently passed the Senate and is scheduled for a vote in the House. The Nature Conservancy is hopeful that this legislation will pass, creating a hopeful future for people and nature in the Owyhees. Eight years ago, The Nature Conservancy joined a group of conservationists, ranchers and recreationists to create a package addressing conservation, wilderness designation, the area's ranching heritage and outdoor recreation.

A lot of excitement surrounded that first meeting. And then the long, hard work of building consensus began. It wasn't always easy.

The result of that hard work is evident in the legislation: It would, among many other things, establish the first wilderness in Idaho in nearly 30 years. About 500, 000 acres of wilderness would be established in the Owyhees, protecting one of hte largest and most intact sagebrush habitats left in the West. The package also calls for a wide range of conservation measures, including acquistion of private lands in some wilderness areas and better management of off-road vehicle use.
The Conservancy recognizes the Owyhees as one of its highest priorities. During the course of the Owyhee Initiative, the Conservancy has worked with partners to establish cooperative weed management areas, protect sage grouse habitat and restore burned areas.

The Conservancy would like to take this opportunity to thank Senator Mike Crapo for his leadership of the Owyhee Initiative. "Senator Crapo really rolled up his sleeves to get this to Congress," says Will Whelan, the Conservancy's director of government relations.

The entire Idaho Congressional delegation supported the Owyhee package. We thank each of them for their commitment to one of Idaho's great natural areas and the people who live, work and recreate there.

Even when the legislation passes, the work in the Owyhees is not over. As Aldo Leopold once said, conservationists have to "think like a mountain," or in this case, like a canyon. "Passing this legislation is just one part of the initiative," says Lou Lunte, associate state director for the Conservancy. "It's a very significant part, but more remains to be done. We need to move forward to ensure adequate funding for conservation and to work with ranchers and recreationists in the same spirit of collaboration."

Photo credits: Sage grouse by Bob Griffith; all other photos by John McCarthy/The Wilderness Society.

More than Big Fish

We need your help to protect a ranch adjacent to Silver Creek Preserve. Every donation helps!

People come from all over the world to visit Silver Creek. What draws them here?

An easy answer might be: Big trout.

And certainly Silver Creek has plenty of big trout. But is that why people really visit?

After all, if big trout was the only goal, there are places where they can be caught much more easily. It has become an increasingly common practice for “outfitters” to have trophy trout ponds—and even trophy trout streams—were fish are fed a steady diet of protein-rich pellets.

You can catch the biggest fish of your life on such waters.

The largest freshwater fish on earth are right now caught in urban ponds of Bangkok managed specifically for trophy fishing. Mekong giant catfish, Asian carp, barramundi, giant snakehead, pacu—a weird menagerie of fish from around the globe, fed constantly so that they attain world-record sizes.

The angler sits in a pavilion and is served Thai food and beer while waiting for a bite from a fish that can be six feet long.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that such fishing would hold no appeal.

Because the big fish, after all, are not the point of Silver Creek, but rather are just a nice bonus. If big fish were the only goal, you could do that in a concrete ditch.

At Silver Creek, you can fish for big trout in one of the prettiest streams in the country. There’s the mule deer splashing across the stream at daybreak, the mink stealthily hunting along the banks, the clouds of mayflies, the haunting cries of sandhill cranes. The evening light. The clouds of mayflies. The open spaces.

Silver Creek would not be Silver Creek with houses lining its banks.

Nor would it be the same if houses lined the edge of the preserve. You have the chance, today, to make sure that doesn’t happen. Please consider helping us protect one of the last remaining ranches along the preserve. Your support matters.

Let’s keep Silver Creek one of the best trout streams in the country—for its big trout, yes, but also for the ranchland and the mule deer and the open space. --Matt Miller

First, second and fourth photos by Kirk Keogh; second photo by Ryan Urie.

State of the Birds

How are birds doing in the United States?

For the first time, federal agencies and conservation organizations including The Nature Conservancy have produced a comprehensive State of the Birds, which examines population trends of all U.S. bird species and the health of their habitats.

The results are sobering. Many birds are in long-term decline due to a daunting list of problems including habitat loss and degradation, energy development, climate change , pollution and invasive species.

But the report found bright spots. Conservation efforts have caused signifcant increases in populations of bald eagles, ospreys, herons, ducks and other species.

Read the report, and learn more about how we can all help more species of our feathered friends.

Photo: Sage grouse by Bob Griffith.

In the Picabo Hills

There are so many great views at Silver Creek, but my favorite is one high above the preserve, in the Picabo Hills.

Looking down, you can see the creek as it meanders through the valley, and you can see all that beautiful open space--the farms and ranches that are going to stay that way because of 22 conservation easements that protect these properties from development.

When I'm up there, I can often hear duck quacks echoing in the valley, and usually can count on mule deer moving from the preserve to the hills.

It's nice to know it's going to stay this way.

Well, almost.

You see, there is one key property adjacent to the preserve that remains unprotected. It could become homes, or a lodge, or some other use. It is the property directly to the south of the preserve, the view you see from the visitor center when you look back towards the road.

We need your help!

The Nature Conservancy is in the process of purchasing a conservation easement on the property directly across from Silver Creek Preserve. It would protect 320 acres from development, now and for future generations. We are looking to our members, visitors and the local community to help fund the purchase of the easement.

Properties like this one protect what we value about Silver Creek: the beautiful views, the abundant wildlife, that glorious open space.

I know when I am high up in the Picabo Hills, I don't want to see houses when I look down. I prefer to see the deer and the elk, the eagles and the herons.

Please consider giving to this effort today, as I have.

Every donation counts.

If you have visited the preserve, you know this is a special place. You know this is worth protecting. Thank you in advance for your support. You are continuing the amazing conservation legacy at Silver Creek.--Matt Miller

Rep. Simpson Secures Funding for Henry's Lake Conservation

The Nature Conservancy would like to take this opportunity to extend a big thanks to U.S. Representative Mike Simpson for his role in securing funding for Henry's Lake conservation in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act.

Senator Mike Crapo has also long been supportive of the Henry's Lake area and helped make this conservation funding possible.

$2 million dedicated to conservation of land at Henry's Lake is included in the act, an incredible benefit for one of the most special places in Idaho and its working ranches, wildlife and open space.

A visit to Henry's Lake--located in east Idaho just 15 miles west of West Yellowstone--quickly reveals why it's so important for conservation. Yellowstone may be famous for its wildlife, but it's an incredibly inhospitable place in the winter. Big game animals like elk, moose, mule deer and pronghorn migrate to and from the park to public lands to spend the winter.

To get there, they pass through private ranches, like those found at Henry's Lake.


The ranching culture is an integral part of Henry's Lake, a fact not lost on many visitors to the area who enjoy the scenery, visit rodeos and soak up the Western atmosphere.

This also happens to be one of the fastest growing areas in Idaho. As more people call this area home, ranchers face pressure to sell their lands for development. When this happens, wildlife habitat and the rural economy suffer--and what drew people to the area in the first place is diminished.

Henry's Lake conservation will be funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a federal program that funds land conservation from off-shore oil royalties.

The Nature Conservancy believes that it is a priority to keep working ranches working at Henry's Lake. Representative Simpson recognized the importance of these ranches and requested the funding in this package.

Thanks to Rep. Simpson's and Sen. Crapo's efforts, there's a hopeful future at Henry's Lake--for people and wildlife.

70,000 Geese

Now is the perfect time to catch one of Idaho's great bird spectacles: Thousands of migrating white-fronted and snow geese resting at the Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area south of Parma. How to get there.

The Golden Eagle Audubon Society last week estimated 50,000 snow geese and 20,000 white-fronted geese on the wetlands there.

Seeing the huge flocks circle overhead and then settle onto the ponds is a spectacular sight. The best time to see large numbers of birds is between 9 am and noon, when they return to the safety of wetlands after a night of feeding in local fields.

The geese are resting here before continuing on a long migration that will end in the Arctic. You should be able see large numbers of geese for at least the next couple of weeks.

There are also tundra swans, various ducks and many other birds visible on the wildlife management area. A trip to Ft. Boise is a great way to start the waterfowl watching season.

Waterfowl make migration appear effortless but it's a taxing journey. Without wetlands, ducks and geese would have no place to rest and feed along the way. That's why The Nature Conservancy has a goal to protect, restore and enhance 7500 acres of wetlands in Idaho over the next 3 years. --Matt Miller

Hells Canyon, Oregon

The Nature Conservancy has been working in Hells Canyon in Idaho since 1987, when it acquired approximately 15,000 acres of land. Since that time, the Conservancy has been working to detect and control weeds in this stunning landscape, which includes the deepest canyon in North America.

Across the river in Oregon, another Hells Canyon conservation success has been announced.

There, the Nature Conservancy has purchased 27 parcels of private land located primarily in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Surrounded by National Forest, these lands are home to Oregon's largest herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.

The U.S. Forest Service proposes to acquire the properties from the Conservancy using funds dedicated to land purchases. Public ownership would ensure public access for fishing, hunting and hiking on lands previously closed to the public.

The 27 land parcels, totaling 6,673 acres, are private inholdings surrounded by National Forest, concentrated mainly along seven miles of the Imnaha River and six miles of tributary creeks.

Hells Canyon is big, big country, the kind of place that can humble and scare you. It's a land of bighorns and rattlesnakes, jaw-dropping vistas and wide-open spaces, wildflowers and rugged cliffs. It's a great place for people and for animals.

Acquisitions like the one announced by the Conservancy's Oregon Chapter will keep it that way.

Green Tech Review: Will the Kindle Save Trees?

Note: As a book fanatic, I've been somewhat ambivalent about devices like the Kindle. But my collegue and fellow bibliophile Megan Grover makes a strong case that the Kindle has some very real benefits for the environment. Megan will now be blogging at Idaho Nature Notes on green technology and green living.--Matt Miller

Will Amazon’s newest Kindle have readers seeing green?

Later this month, Amazon will be shipping out the next generation of its portable wireless reading device, the Kindle 2.0.

This updated version will provide a sleeker design, improved display and a battery with 25% more life. Like its predecessor, the Kindle 2 allows you to wirelessly download books and periodicals in less than 60 seconds using a cellular network, so no searching for a WiFi hotspot.

Even more impressive, weighing in at less than 11 ounces, this handheld gadget is able to store an incredible 1,500 books on the memory card that comes standard. Unlike most e-readers that use a backlight similar to a computer screen, the Kindle’s electronic ink technology reads just like real paper and doesn’t strain your eyes. Other irresistible features include a built-in dictionary, a highlighter to mark your favorite passage, and a feature that allows you to dog-ear a page.

While dedicated bibliophiles may not be convinced by the Kindle’s technological prowess, its green implications might be more persuasive.

According to the report Environmental Trends and Climate Impacts: Findings from the U.S. Book Industry prepared by the Green Press Initiative, the creation and distribution of a conventional book releases up to 8.85 pounds of greenhouse gases.

For an industry that produces over 14 billion books a year that equates to approximately 12.4 million metric tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere.

With the use of recycled paper in the production of books at only 5%-10%, it takes more than 30 million trees to produce the virgin paper used for the books sold in the U.S. annually.

Amazon anticipates the average Kindle reader will download between 10 to 15 books a year. With 750,000 Kindles expected to be in circulation by 2009 U.S. book production would be reduced by 11,250,000. That is a reduction of 45,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases.

Anticipated sales for 2010 put 2.2 million units into circulation. That is a reduction of 33 million books produced annually.

The Kindle also shines as an electricity miser. The electronic ink system doesn’t require power to maintain the screen; it is only required to change the display. Reading power is measured in page turns instead of operating time. With the wireless turned off, you can literally read for days or weeks on a four hour charge.

Although the Kindle doesn’t look to be threatening the existence of your local library or bookstore, its future looks bright – or at least green. But beyond this green potential, you will find a device that will change the way you read. With over 240,000 books, magazines, and newspapers at your fingertips you won’t ever catch yourself thinking "I wish I had something to read" again. --Megan Grover

Pack Rats

Thump, thump, thump, thump: Throughout the night on Saturday, I was awakened by the sound of a critter running around the walls and ceilings. I was staying at a cabin in the Boise National Forest near Lowman, and it was easy to figure out the culprit: the bushy-tailed woodrat.

Woodrats are more commonly known as pack rats, and while they're quite common, you might not know they're around until one wakes you up in a forest cabin.

Pack rats figure prominently in Western lore. Prospectors found out the pack rat's love of shiny object the hard way, as gold nuggets, coins and belt buckles disappeared. The pack rat reportedly will drop food for the chance to gather shiny objects--what biologists call "trading."

Pack rats don't hibernate. They store enough food in caches to get them through the winter.

They also collect debris into large piles called middens. The middens serve nests to protect them from predators. They can be used by generation after generation of wood rat--becoming as high as ten feet tall.

Pack rat urinate on their middens; in a protected area, this urine solidifies over time, becoming hard and crystallized. As such, they can remain preserved for 40,000 years or longer.

Due to the pack rat's collecting habits, it's hard to predict what might turn up in a midden. Some sources report items like diamond rings, guns and even a human skull.

More importantly, ancient middens of tremendous value for paleontolists, climatologists and conservationists. Researchers can determine how plant composition of an area has changed over time. The presence of animal bones and dung can help determine population densities of Pleistocene fauna. As such, they can help track climate change, species declines and extinctions and long-term habitat trends. --Matt Miller

Non-Native Birds at the Feeder

Photos courtesy of Tom Grey of Tom Grey's Bird Photos.

Looking at results from this year's Great Backyard Bird Count, it's easy to see that some of the most reported birds are non-native species. In Idaho, chances are that a number of non-native species could make an appearance in your backyard, including house sparrow (above), starling, house finch, California quail, rock dove and others.

What does this mean for bird conservation? What impacts are these birds having on native species? Should we be concerned? Should we be doing something?

In some cases, like the house sparrow and the Eurasian starling (above), these birds clearly have a negative impact on native species. Starlings were introduced to New York City's Central Park in 1890 as part of a horribly conceived effort to introduce all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare's works to North America. The starlings quickly spread across the continent and now number some 200 million here. Oddly enough, they are in long-term decline in their native Europe.

But are all non-native species bad? Some conservationists believe so. But the reality is more complex. Some species may be merely filling habitats created by humans. Suburban and urban environments are not suitable for many birds. Is it a bad thing that non-native species have filled the void?

House finches (above) are not native to Idaho. They thrive in backyards. Periodically, an eye disease reduces their numbers. Are they really a problem, or just a new addition to Idaho's bird life?

At least one study has reported that, in most instances, non-native species do not reduce overall biodiversity.

Conservancy biologist Erik Meijaard reports that in Indonesia, despite a tremendous diversity of birds, very few exist around homes--probably because they are not adapted to do so. Is it really worse to have non-native birds in human-altered environments than none at all?

Species move around, with or without humans. Is the fact that they were moved by humans always bad, or just another evolutionary adaptation? Issues around non-native species need more study and thought.

I like watching the California quail that scurry around Boise. They are one of a list of species introduced to Idaho for hunting purposes: chukar, gray partridge, turkey, ring-necked pheasant. One wonders why they were brought here, given that Idaho has so many native species.

On the flip side, these non-natives sometimes live in places where native game birds fare poorly. Pheasants live in farm fields; quail inhabit cities; chukars thrive on cheatgrass.

But that doesn't mean we should introduce more game birds. Certainly in some instances such introductions have been disastrous, particularly in the case of fish. Lake trout illegally thrown into Lake Yellowstone are gobbling up the native cutthroat trout, a horrible loss. Feral pigs released for hunting purposes have become a major nuisance. Hopefully we can learn from our mistakes and not intentionally introduce more animals--there will be plenty enough unintentional introductions.

The Eurasian collared dove( above) population stems from escaped domestic birds. Bird counters noted 9 birds in 2006, 56 in 2007, 83 in 2008 and 311 in 2009. This bears watching. Maybe hunters should be encouraged to take these birds now, to keep populations managed before they become a problem.

Non-native birds are here to stay. Why do some spread and others survive in low numbers? What species are at risk of becoming harmful, and what species actually add to our native diversity? Questions like these don't have easy answers. But hopefully citizen-conservationist projects like the Great Backyard Bird Count can help us better understand our birds, both native and non-native.--Matt Miller

Close Encounters of the Bird Kind

The Great Backyard Bird Count, held last weekend, helps researchers determine long-term trends in bird populations by having thousands of people across the country record what birds they are seeing.

Together, it can help determine bird population trends.

I think it can also help people appreciate the surprising wildlife that can be found right in their backyards.

Yesterday, I joined 63,000 other bird counters and sat quietly in my own backyards, city parks and open spaces.

I didn't see any rare species. I saw 8 species, most of them birds I regularly see around the yard--house finches, American goldfinches, robins, juncos, valley quail, house sparrows, mourning dove and a Coopers hawk.

But I did have a surprising experience.

At one point I was amazed to count 66 American goldfinches were at our feeders.

I was more amazed when two of those goldfinches landed on my head. They fluttered and pecked around up there for about a minute, and then flew to a feeder. I've never had a bird mistake me for a roost before.

You never know what wildlife experiences are out there. The backyard bird count is over for the year, but make it a point to sit quietly out in nature--even if it is just in your backyard or a local vacant lot. --Matt Miller

East Idaho Wolverine

Photos courtesy Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

Wolverines are one of the most secretive animals of Idaho; little is known about their numbers or travels. Known as an animal of the wilderness, they nonetheless ocassionally turn up in some unexpected places.

That's the case for this wolverine, which was caught by a recreational trapper in the Menan Hills, just north of Idaho Falls. Fortunately, the trapper called the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) to rescue the animal.


As reported by IDFG: "Wolverines are a protected nongame species, and thanks to a modern foothold trap, the animal could be sedated and removed without incident. It was then whisked by Aber to the Driggs Veterinary Clinic, vets who have helped with wolverine research in the past. After a thorough checkup, doctors implanted an internal radio transmitter in the young male wolverine to allow wildlife biologists to track his movements."

The wolverine was released in more suitable habitat.

Wolverines have large home ranges. Instances like this highlight the need for large, wild landscapes where they (and lynx, grizzlies, fishers and others) have room to roam.

Another wolverine was recently documented by a camera trap in the Boise National Forest. Perhaps with technology like camera traps and radio transmitters, biologists will learn more about wolverine habits. But due to their secretive nature, many aspects of a wolverine's life history will remain a mystery.

Most of us will never see a wild wolverine. But Idaho's wild country seems a bit more, well, wild knowing that this fascinating creature is out there. --Matt Miller

Yips and Howls

Coyotes are vocal animals, and never more so than this time of year. It's their mating season, and at night the canyons and valleys echo with their yips, barks, howls and yelps.

Howling appears to serve a variety of purposes for coyotoes. A pack of coyotes will howl to inform other coyotes of their territorial boundaries, thus minimizing the risks of fighting.

At this time of year, a male coyote howls to let other males know to stay away, while inviting females into his territory.

You can hear coyotes on nearly any Nature Conservancy preserve in Idaho, and for that matter, nearly any open space with a little cover. They're incredibly adaptable animals and have actually increased their range as the North American continent was developed.

They thrive close to humanity--I hear them frequently along the Boise River Greenbelt--but they are most active at night to avoid people. Let's keep it that way. Feeding coyotes and acclimating them to humans only leads to trouble, as evidenced by recent coyote attacks on humans in Colorado and California.

So listen from afar, and enjoy the winter chorus of one of our most vocal animals. --Matt Miller

Photo by photo by Christopher Bruno on Wikipedia -published under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike license versions 2.5

Idaho Round-Up

Conservation news and stories from around the state (and beyond).

From Idaho to Colombia: Journey with Idaho Nature Notes editor Matt Miller to a ranch called hope, where landowners are shaping a new future after decades of violence. (Colombian round-up pictured above).

Be Outside!: A new effort launced by First Lady Lori Otter aims to get more get kids outside.

Elk Alert: Motorists should be aware of elk on I-84. And check out our tips for lending wildlife a "helping hoof" this winter.

The High Value of Wildlife: The Idaho Statesman's Roger Phillips reflects on why wildlife makes our state such a special place.

Keep Farms as Farms, Not Houses: The Idaho Working Lands Coalition's new web site tells how you can protect working farms, ranches and forests.

New Conservation Blog: The Nature Conservancy now has a national blog, Cool Green Science. Read the daily opinions and essays by 15 Conservancy writers and scientists.