Conservation 400 Miles to Cross: The Interstate 80 Wildlife Barrier THIS IS WHY SOME DEER MIGRATE 150 MILES — BUT NO FURTHER. THE SOLUTION WILL MAKE YOU HOPEFUL. This new film shows how Interstate 80 in Wyoming is an almost impenetrable obstacle to movement of pronghorn, elk, and deer, including animals in the herd of world-record migrator Deer 255. The highway
"Wolves" Mexican Gray Wolf Numbers in the US Soared in 2019 Cattlemen have a big problem with these little wolves. On closer inspection, it turns out there are ways to ranch alongside these animals. These alternative strategies benefit wildlife and habitat in important ways while improving range for cattle grazing. NOTE: this article was originally published to TheVerge.com on March
"Invasion Biology" Could an Invasive Snail Save Your Morning Coffee? More often than not, “invasive” plants and animals are responding to human damage to ecosystems. So-called exotics are usually viewed as competitive to the systems where they have arrived, but on closer study, most turn out to be complimentary. Think of them as nature trying to rebalance herself. NOTE: this
bigfoot Book Review: ‘I Know What I Saw’ Seriously weird wildlife. NOTE: this article was originally published to WSJ.com on August 2, 2019. It was written by Tom Shippey. A collection of firsthand sightings of mythical and mysterious creatures in the U.S., from the Oglala Deer Woman to the Texas Lobo Girl. Farmers on the Mediterranean
Bighorn Ceremonial Bighorn Sheep Headdresses and Masks in Native American Culture Recent studies of native rock art in the Jornada del Muerto region of southern New Mexico show the ceremonial importance of Desert Bighorn Sheep in the ancient cultures of this area. NOTE: This article was written by Margaret Berrier
beef ‘Plant-Based Meat’ May Be Problematic After All “Is fake meat safe? NOTE: this article was originally published to YourAmericaNews on July 22, 2019. There’s a substantial push in America to have “plant-based meat” replace the real McCoy. So far, sales have outpaced demand, but some journalists have exposed possible health concerns with the genetically modified food.
"Invasion Biology" A Natural Classroom, Run by Wolves Wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone has been a scientific and tourism bonanza. NOTE: this article was originally published to NYTimes.com on March 27, 2020. It was written by Jim Robbins. Mr. Robbins, a longtime contributor to The Times, is based in Helena, Mont. Twenty-five years ago this month, 14 wolves
Elk Migration On the Elk Trail: Episode 7 - What Migration Means Quoting the producers of the video below, “After wrapping up years of research into elk migration patterns in the Greater Yellowstone area of northwest Wyoming, biologist Travis Zaffarano finds that images of elk making their yearly journeys are what sticks with him. Ultimately, migration is what allows these elk herds
"Invasion Biology" Pablo Escobar’s Hippos Fill a Hole Left Since Ice Age Extinctions According to the article below—and the study on which it is based—humans have caused the extinction of many large animals over the past 100,000 years. This has changed ecosystems greatly, generally for the worse. Introductions of so-called exotics have somewhat compensated for extinction losses. As incongruous as
April Fools Day Zoo Plays April Fool’s Joke on Media “The irony is that, but for human influence on wildlife, close relatives of elephants might inhabit the valley of the San Antonio River today. Mammoths were in our systems until early Native Americans hunted them out about 10,000-years ago.” NOTE: this article was originally published to KSAT.com on
Bears The Predator Paradox: Ending the War with Wolves, Bears, Cougars, and Coyotes “An expert in wildlife management tells the stories of those who are finding new ways for humans and mammalian predators to coexist. NOTE: this book is available on Amazon.com Stories of backyard bears and cat-eating coyotes are becoming increasingly common—even for people living in non-rural areas. Farmers anxious
March Ranch Report Texas Ranch Market Report - Special - March 2020 Because of the economic lockdown, the ranch market is currently in deep freeze. Even with an economic “recovery”, ranch prices – like the oil to which their values are tied – will remain depressed. In retrospect, the next 12-months will be seen as a great time to have bought ranch land. NOTE:
dams Saving Salmon and Saving Money According to the authors of the article below, the key to salmon restoration is to join together the ownership of dams and salmon fisheries, giving dam operators incentives both to earn money and save fish—or, really, to give them incentives to earn money by saving fish. More than a
Conservation On the Elk Trail: Episode 6 - When do Elk Migrate? Quoting the producers of the video below, “Each fall, thousands of elk flood out of the mountains in a mass migration. Without calendars or clocks, how does the herd decide when to move? This amazing, coordinated behavior helps sustain Wyoming’s abundant wildlife.” Special thanks to our partners: Wyoming Game
Gulf Oysters Are Dying, Putting a Southern Tradition at Risk Once so common they were considered food for poor people, oysters are increasingly a rare and costly delicacy. Oyster decline reflects the damage agricultural practices are doing to fisheries. NOTE: this article was originally published to NYTimes.com on · November 12, 2019. It was written by Brett Anderson. Cheap and
American West How Beef Eaters in Cities Are Draining Rivers in the American West Paraphrasing the authors below, “The biggest user of river water by far, is not lawns and showers, but agriculture. New research shows that across the Western United States, a third of all consumed water goes to irrigate crops – not for human consumption – but used to feed beef and dairy cattle.
butterfly The Once and Future Monarch “As discussed below, glyphosate (Roundup) is the largest single factor behind the collapse of monarch butterfly populations. NOTE: this article was originally published to PERC.org on December 6, 2019. It was written by Tate Watkins. How human activity has harmed—and could help—prospects for the monarch butterfly In
population boom As West Coast Transplants Pour In, a Small Idaho Town Has a Big Dilemma As described below, Idaho is experiencing a massive inflow of new residents, especially Californians. NOTE: this article was originally published to WSJ.com on January 21, 2020. It was written by Dan Frosch. Star, Idaho’s population is booming and housing prices have more than doubled; ‘The growth is beyond
Crop Insurance If Crop Insurance Rewarded Conservation Practices, Would More Farmers Go No-Till? “As described below, a private task force is developing a crop insurance product that would reward farmers for adopting regenerative conservation practices. If the task force succeeds and the product is approved by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), it will be the first of its kind brought to market.
Bio-Diversity On the Elk Trail: Episode 5 - Grizzly Bear Trail Quoting the producers of the video below, “When we placed game cameras on an elk migration corridor near Yellowstone, we found many grizzly bears on the elk trail. Sometimes we were actually hiking in the tracks of grizzly bears, putting us on full alert all the time. The migration trail
Elk Winter Feeding Grounds for Elk in The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Can Spread, or Be Used to Control, Disease Providing food to wildlife during periods when natural food is limited results in aggregations that may facilitate disease transmission.
Bio-Diversity Coronavirus Outbreak Shows The Risk in Ignoring Human Activity’s Impact on Nature Paraphrasing the authors of the article below, “The role of healthy, intact ecosystems is being overlooked, together with the essential link between human, domestic animal and wildlife health. Biodiversity — the richness of life on Earth — is essential to maintaining a planet that supports all of us.” In other words we
"Invasion Biology" Mountain Goat Removal Temporarily Closes Areas Of Grand Teton National Park According to the article below, the National Park Service (NPS) has decided to exterminate wild mountain goats in the Teton-Yellowstone Parks because they (1) are non-native, (2) “compete” with bighorn and (3) might infect them with diseases. NPS claims to follow the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation (the Model)
breeding On the Elk Trail: Episode 4 - "Spike" Quoting the authors of this video, It’s migration season in Greater Yellowstone, and our trail cameras capture young male elk – collectively nicknamed “Spike” – sparring and goofing off. These competitive behaviors prepare the spikes to mature into bulls, when they will battle for access to breeding females in the elk
people Wolves Could Be Getting 'too Comfortable Around Humans' And Not Fearful Enough Of Roads Say Researchers After Two Pups Are Killed By A Car At Yellowst As described below, wolves and bear in Yellowstone have lost their fear of humans. This is bad for people – and worse for the animals. NOTE: this article was originally published to DailyMail.co.uk on December 20, 2019. It was written by Michael Thomsen. Researchers in Yellowstone National Park are
