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My Morning Observing Biologists Band Songbirds

Recently, I enjoyed a wonderful opportunity that I almost didn’t take. The Grand Teton National Park Foundation (https://www.gtnpf.org), a local non-profit organization that Dave and I support sent out an invitation to join a hands-on research experience banding songbirds.  From their invitation: “This program is a cooperative effort and part of the longest running avianContinue reading “My Morning Observing Biologists Band Songbirds”

“Dispatch, I’ve got bears coming out of the woodwork.”

While it isn’t wise to run in bear country, that is exactly what it feels like we’ve been doing. Running from one wildlife jam to another. In just this past week, we and our Sunday-thru-Wednesday colleagues on the brigade ran *52 jams in just the four days* of our shift. That’s just the ones weContinue reading ““Dispatch, I’ve got bears coming out of the woodwork.””

snow, Snow, SNOW!

— our first two weeks in the park — Dear Friends, Already life in Pennsylvania and the crazy efforts to get packed and across the country seems like months ago. Our favorite camp site is reserved for us and most of the snow is already plowed off. After shoveling a stubborn ice & snow bank,Continue reading “snow, Snow, SNOW!”

Wildlife Brigade Part II – Animal Jams and Dispatch Calls

From the emergence in early March of male grizzly bears, through the elk and moose rut of the fall, until the last bear heads for their den in December, the animals of the park keep the Wildlife Brigade working seven days a week, from dawn until dark.  Jams of All Sizes We may find ourselvesContinue reading “Wildlife Brigade Part II – Animal Jams and Dispatch Calls”

Wildlife Brigade — Our Volunteer Job, or What We Did This Summer

The adage that Time Flies While You Are Having Fun rings true for us this season. We have had wonderful experiences spread across Grand Teton National Park since May. Our tasks as members of the Wildlife Brigade are amazingly broad in scope. Over the next blog or two I’ll share the types of things that keep us busy.

True or False: Park Rangers Always Know Where Every Animal Is In The Park

True or False: Park Rangers Always Know Where Every Animal Is In The Park. False! True or False: All of the animals in the park “are chipped.” False again. True or False: Wildlife Management does not always mean just the four-legged kind. Absolutely true! According to many visitors that we meet on the side ofContinue reading “True or False: Park Rangers Always Know Where Every Animal Is In The Park”

Launch ‘Em! Embarking on Our Third Year as National Park Volunteers

A good friend recently asked how we felt about “getting back in the saddle” as we begin our third year as volunteers at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. So many thoughts came up I felt tongue tied! After our first afternoon working Dave and I laughed to think how very much returning here feltContinue reading “Launch ‘Em! Embarking on Our Third Year as National Park Volunteers”