March 23, 2020   Naturalist Notes 

Covid-19 is here.  We’ve been asked to self-isolate and avoid unnecessary travel.  Some of us might not be able to leave our homes at all right now. 

We will get through these challenging times and Nature can help.  Though traveling to places like Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks are currently not good options (EcoTour Adventures and other businesses are currently closed due to the outbreak) there are plenty of options whether within the confines of our homes, backyards, or in nearby natural areas to get a much needed dose of vitamin Nature. 

The next two weeks are a critical time which will determine the severity of this outbreak. Above all we should be taking steps to self-isolate.  In some areas that means staying home and making the best of it. In others it could mean going on walks in your neighborhood or to local natural areas, we have suggestions for both.  

 

Explore Real Animal Movements all over the World with the Free Animal Tracker App

We’re really excited to explore the Animal Tracker App, which allows you to view and learn about the GPS tracks of animals from all over the world!  The project has over 60 ravens with GPS transmitters, most in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. They are part of a study looking at raven-wolf interactions. We’re also excited to look at the movements of grizzly bears up in the Canadian Rockies, and golden eagles along the entire Rocky Mountain range.  Check out the app and learn how you can help contribute observations to the citizen science here.

Live Animal WebCams!

The website Explore.org features free access to animal webcams from across the country, we like the Great Spirit Bluff Falcons and Decorah Eagles Nest Cams.  Larger birds like these two species require a longer nesting season than small songbirds and as a result lay eggs much earlier in the spring. If they aren’t nesting yet, they will be quite soon.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park both have webcams available as well, this winter the Wapiti Lake wolf pack was spotted multiple times on the Old Faithful webcam so you never know what you might get to see!

We love the website Platte Basin Timelapse, especially this time of year.  Sandhill Cranes are currently gathering on the Platte River in Nebraska, upwards of 600,000 can be counted, the largest gathering of these cranes on earth.  This interactive site features time lapse cameras all along the Platte river watershed, including sites way up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, my home state.

Documentaries

There are an abundance of fantastic documentaries about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to check out, here are a few that we enjoy:

Epic Yellowstone - This four part series is one of the most recent documentaries and features spectacular footage of wolves, grizzly bears, bison, otters and a wide range of the wildlife we love in Yellowstone. 

Yellowstone Battle For Life - Produced for the BBC, you know this one will be good!  

DC Environmental Film Festival - Visit the website to stream dozens of environmental films, many are free, some require rentals.  We recommend “Canis lupus Colorado” and “Deer 139”

The International Wildlife Film Festival is going all digital next month due to the outbreak, providing opportunities to stream films from the festival.

PBS - Check the PBS website for streamable Nature content.  Availability may vary in your area but Spend an Hour in Snowy Yellowstone looks great to us!

Netflix and Chill with Nature!  We like “Night on Earth” and “Our Planet”

 

Books

There’s no shortage of books on Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, here are a few of our favorites.  Follow the links to shop via AmazonSmile to benefit the Greater Yellowstone Coalition or check your local library to check out a physical or EReader.

Decade of the Wolf (Updated 2012) - It’s been 25 years since the successful reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park.  Relive the first 10 years of this conservation success story through the words of Yellowstone Wolf Project director Douglas Smith and author Gary Ferguson

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West (1997) Stephen Ambrose leads the reader through the dramatic history of the Lewis and Clark expedition.  Though the Corps of Discovery never visited Yellowstone, the expedition indirectly led to its exploration.  

Hawks Rest: A Season in the Remote Heart of Yellowstone (2003) - Gary Ferguson’s account of three months living in some of the most remote country of Yellowstone remains one of my favorite stories about this wild place.   His account of a summer spent with grizzly bears and wolves, conversations with park rangers, backpackers and outfitters will leave you ready to pack up and head into the wilderness for yourself.

American Wolf (2018) - Author Nate Blakeslee dives into the controversy and mystique of wolves in Yellowstone through the story of the 06 Female, a spirited alpha of the Lamar Canyon Pack.  The story highlights the diverse values of wildlife and wild places, including hunting, ranching, and wildlife watching. This book is a must for Yellowstone wolf and wildlife enthusiasts!

Who Pooped in the Park? (2004) Gary D. Robson This kids book is a definite hit and includes scientifically accurate track and sign notes for future trips to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

 

Social Media

As we are able we will continue to post photos, video, and “virtual tours” during the quarantine period.  Wildlife in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks are carrying on; the great mammal and bird migrations of spring are about to start, followed by a pulse of life as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem wakes up from winter.   Please let us know what you want to learn about or would like to see!

Facebook @jacksonholeecotours

Instagram @jacksonholeecotours

We also recommend following Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park on social media

Outside of the GYE - the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Shedd Aquarium provide widely entertaining content that we also enjoy!

 

Nature Sounds - Playlists and Podcasts

Stressed out?  Build a playlist on spotify or look for one on youtube which features soothing nature sounds to help you with work or when winding down from the day. 

There are tons of nature related podcasts to enjoy, here are a few of our favorites:

This American Life -  “When the Beasts Come Marching in” Stories about humans interacting with nature.

Threshold Podcast Season 1 Oh Give me a Home”  - This first season is all about the story of bison in America, the history, what was lost and what we might gain again.  The series is a fascinating in depth look at our National Mammal, I can’t recommend it enough.

There and Back Again | Radiolab - Did you know that we once thought birds transmuted into other species or hibernated before learning about the epic migrations they undergo?  Pair this podcast with the Animal Tracks App we recommended earlier in this article for an indepth look at the epic migrations going on all around us right now!  

 

Backyard Wildlife - Birding from Home

You don’t have to travel to a place like Yellowstone to have excellent opportunities for bird watching, just look out your window!  Did you know that New York City has some of the highest densities of Peregrine falcons in the world? Even urban areas can offer great opportunities for bird watching. 

Bird feeders can help attract backyard birds to your house and a good pair of binoculars (We use Maven 8 x 42 C.1’s and S.1 25-50x spotting scopes)  brings the view in close! Right now it isn’t ideal to share optics but if you must share be sure to clean the eyepieces thoroughly with an alcohol-based wipe for a long enough duration to be effective.

Peterson or Sibley guides are great resources for identification, we also enjoy the free Merlin App from Cornell, or iBird Pro for devices, these apps include vocalizations, facts, maps, and even search functions to help narrow down that LBJ (little brown job) you are trying to identify.  

Read more: Wildlife Watching Tools of the Trade

 

Wildlife Watching at Your Local Park or Wildlife Refuge

UPDATE: As of 3/24/2020 numerous National Parks including Grand Teton and Yellowstone have closed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.  We are urging people to not travel during this time.

In some areas it may be still appropriate to get out and enjoy wildlife and the great outdoors, if you can maintain social distancing.  Please follow all updated health regulations in your area.  Travel directly to and from your destination, avoiding any touch surfaces where you could inadvertently pick up or leave pathogens behind.

City Parks and Natural Areas, especially those with ponds, rivers, or wetlands are great spots to catch the spring bird migration and even look for some larger urban wildlife.  In many areas across the United States, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, whitetail deer and other small mammals are learning to make a living in our cities and towns. 

Take Care of Yourselves, Nature Can Help!

In these challenging times the health of our local, national, and global community is the most important thing right now.  That means social distancing, and an increasing number of people needing to not leave our homes except for essential trips.  All the while, the natural world is pressing onward, awakening from winter's sleep and the promise of spring. We hope that you have found some inspiration from this list.  We will get through this and be back enjoying the wildlife and wild places of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks as soon as we can. Take care out there! 

If you have additional ideas about nature-related activities please let us know by commenting  on our Facebook or Instagram posts! We’d love to know what you think.

PS: If you are able to, consider supporting conservation organizations like the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Yellowstone Forever, Wyoming Wildlife Federation and the Grand Teton National Park Foundation who are carrying on advocating for our wild places and need our continued support through these challenging times

Josh Metten is a senior Naturalist with Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures and is making the most of quarantine by sharing stories of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.  Please follow along via our Facebook and Instagram Pages @jacksonholeecotours @joshmettenphoto