Montana Governor's Conference on Tourism

The first leg of what I am dubbing my "Green Tour 2008" concluded today. For the past couple of days I've been attending the Montana Governor's Conference on Tourism in West Yellowstone and presented as part of a panel on "The Greening of Yellowstone." For the next week and a half, I'll be traveling around Montana and Wyoming on a series of speaking engagements on green business and the sustainability programs at Yellowstone. Tomorrow morning I head for Casper, Wyoming for the Wyoming Governor's Conference on Tourism, then back to West Yellowstone for a Yellowstone Business Partnership session, then onto Jackson Hole for another training.

For this conference, we got to travel in style. My co-worker Rick, the director of marketing for Xanterra in Yellowstone, drove us in one of the refurbished yellow buses that are now used to give tours in the park. At first I thought Rick knew everybody in a 100 mile radius because of all of the waves we received, but people just love these old fashioned yellow buses.

The sessions were excellent and provided me with a good introduction to my new home state. Cheryl Charles, the President of the Children & Nature network (cofounded by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods), gave an excellent presentation about "no child left inside" and I had a chance to speak with her at one of the social events about developing green education for kids. Other highlights: the Yahoo yodeling guy, Wylie Gustafson, taught all 400 participants how to yodel and provided the musical entertainment for our farewell dinner and dance, and I also got to meet Ms. Montana!

Wolf 482M

At the end of our wolf study course last November, Jack Laws organized an impromptu group fundraiser for our class to sponsor a radio collar for the Yellowstone Wolf Project through the Yellowstone Park Foundation (a great non-profit!). Our collar was placed on wolf 482M, the alpha male for the Gibbon Meadow Pack in the park. Doug Smith, the leader of the wolf project, told me 482M was one of the biggest wolves they've ever captured for study. He's certainly a beautiful wolf--see below. I hope to see him trotting through a meadow someday as I hike in the park.

Jack inscribed the collar with a quote from Aldo Leopold--I like thinking of the wolf running through the landscape and carrying a bit of wilderness "poetry" from one of my favorite nature writers. If you would like to make a donation to the project, or to support Yellowstone in general, visit www.ypf.org

"To look into the eyes of a wolf is to see your own soul...." Aldo Leopold

April is the Cruelest Month, Part II

I think this photo says it all. So much for frolicking in sunny meadows with bluebirds.

Mt. Everts and Bighorn Sheep

As I write this entry in my home office, a large furry head at the window startled me. About a dozen bison are grazing in my front yard and wandering around the house in search of better foraging.

Another gorgeous spring day and the temperature reached 65F. I hummed John Denver’s “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” and the Beatles, “Here Comes the Sun” on my hike up the shoulder of Mt. Everts in honor of the spring weather (and also needing to make noise as a grizzly precaution). Note to mom--I have been good about carrying bear spray on my excursions.

I went in search of bighorn sheep since they’ll be heading back to the higher elevations before too long as spring deepens. My luck was good: while munching on a Luna bar on a break, two sheep strolled over a ridge and began grazing about fifty feet away.

These animals lacked the striking curled horns and were either ewes or yearling rams. An adult ram’s horns, the size an indication of dominance and rank, can account for up to 12% of the animal’s body weight.

For the rest of the afternoon, I continued to hike on the rolling hills in the basin along Mt. Everts, and studied the plethora of animals tracks, scat, and bones in the area. Mt. Everts was named for Truman C Everts, who was lost in 1870 for 37 days in the Yellowstone wilderness until Yellowstone Jack, a colorful adventurer, found him.

From my vantage point I also had a good view of Bunsen Peak (pictured at left), named for the noted chemist and physicist, Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, who invented the Bunsen gas burner and was the first scientist to take a serious interest in geyser activity.

I SURVIVED THE WINTER OF 2008! SPRING HAS ARRIVED!

"It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" Mark Twain

"Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day." W. Earl Hall

Living in California for the past few years, I had forgotten the utter surge of joy and wonder that accompanies that first true day of spring.

In two-season California, except for at the higher elevations, winter never really arrives and most of us live in a perpetual, extended spring and summer; the seasons exist, but winter is pretty lazy in the sunshine state and summer never fully retreats. I love the California climate, but coming from New England I had a hard time calling a season winter when I could wear shorts and sandals.

Winter is not shy in Montana and Wyoming. This past week I had a bleak moment of despair. I had hopefully donned a pair of shorts for a run one afternoon when the thermometer reached 42F. On the last mile of my run snowflakes fell on my bare legs.

I began to think spring had deserted us here up north, perhaps a result of climate change. I began to feel regretful about every light I hadn’t turned off when I left a room or every time I forgot a reusable shopping bag when I ran errands. Surely this was a punishment for my occasional environmental lapses.

Today, spring arrived, a poem of blue skies, warm sunshine, fluttering butterflies, and blossoming flowers. The temperature rose to 58F and even the southwestern wind blew warmly.

I hiked up the ridge (in shorts and a short sleeve shirt!) over Rescue Creek, stopping to examine the tiny white phlox flowers and the slender green leaves of the budding bitterroot. I also discovered wolf tracks, and while examining the canine footprints I watched an orange butterfly erratically flutter nearby. Bluebirds also flew overhead, landing frequently on the ground in search of a snack.

The resident ungulates also had spring fever. A herd of pronghorn antelope approached me on the trail, playfully trotting within twenty feet of me. They seemed to relish the sunshine as much as I did. Elk, bison, pronghorn and mule deer frolicked together in my front yard in a scene reminiscent of the peaceable kingdom.

Delinquent Frogs

While I attended meetings in Bozeman the last couple of days, my office frogs didn't handle their freedom too well. Apparently the effects of global climate change, pollution, and the rampaging deadly chytrid fungus have driven my once peaceful frogs to chain smoke, drink, and shop for half-ton trucks.

Although the mega-fauna is truly amazing, Yellowstone is no place for a frog-aficionado like myself. The cool, dry climate does not provide for a good environment for frogs; indeed, the park is home to only four species of amphibians: boreal toad, chorus frog, spotted frog, and tiger salamander. It's not easy being green in Yellowstone!

Mr. Bluebird, continued

On my run today dozens of bluebirds greeted me again-and this time I had my camera. The friendly birds even cooperated and posed for several photographs. Note to Pete Devine--I might even become a birder after this experience.

Living on the migratory path of so many animals--bluebirds, elk, pronghorn, and bison just to name a few--certainly makes for a constant supply of unforgettable wildlife encounters!

The Bluebirds Are Coming! The Bluebirds Are Coming!

On my run up the Old Road in Gardiner today, vibrant blue color suddenly emerged against the gloomy grey sky. Dozens of mountain bluebirds danced in the air; a stunning sight as I have never seen more than a single bluebird in one place. Their appearance reminded me that spring will someday arrive despite the current snowy weather. Some of the beautiful birds landed and I halted my run to watch them. When they resumed their flight, the bluebirds glistened amidst the winter landscape like pieces of a lost summer sky.

Mountain bluebirds spend their winters from Oregon to Colorado southward, and can journey as far as central Alaska in the summer months. Mountain bluebirds feast on insects and have longer wings than similar species, making it easier for them to hover in the search for food since their mountain meadow habitat does not provide an abundance of perches.

No bluebird photos unfortunately--I didn't take my camera on my run--but here's a photo of mule deer grazing in my front yard this afternoon.

April is the Cruelest Month....In Yellowstone

See my local forecast below. Someone has kidnapped the sun. Please send help!

California Birthday & Doggie Reunion

It's been a very long winter in Yellowstone and even the locals are complaining about the weather. So for my birthday, I decided I needed some sun (and needed to work on my tan). Shad and my friends held a "Defrost Beth Barbecue" this past weekend and I had a wonderful time with my Yosemite pals. Thank you to all of my friends who made my visit home really special!

The most difficult part of moving to Yellowstone has been leaving my "children" behind. I had not seen Sasha, Cirrus, and Tioga for three months. Doggie treats were in abundance along with sloppy kisses.

Elk Photos of the Week

These two elk greeted me when I came home from work today, napping and grazing in my front yard.

Civil Disobedience in Yellowstone

The Mammoth Visitor Center shut down temporarily today when two women locked themselves to a post to protest the National Park Service's killing of over 1,000 Yellowstone bison since February. CNN and CBS were among the media onsite.

As you can imagine this is quite a heated issue in this area. Once the bison wander outside the park borders, which they do often in the winter in search of food, they are essentially unprotected.

The New York Times ran a good article on the issue this past Sunday http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/us/23bison.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=yellowstone+bison&st=nyt&oref=slogin

Bison Photos of the Week

Jack Bauer Goes Green

Found this on the internet and I couldn't resist. I am going through 24 withdrawal since this season got postponed, damn it! ( 24 fans will understand the expletive). I used the photo below in my first environmental trainings in Yellowstone today and promised to loan out some 24 dvds as a result.

By the way, if you haven't replaced your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs), what are you waiting for? CFLs are 75% more efficient than incandescents, last ten times longer, and with each bulb you replace, you'll keep a half a ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere. Replace your bulbs today-you don't want to mess with Jack.

Meeting with Senator Jon Tester

U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D) from Montana visited Yellowstone today, and I had a chance to meet with him as he was interested in the environmental programs in the park. I enjoyed our session, and was very impressed with his candor, sincerity, and intelligence.

I was also impressed with his background. Senator Tester and his wife run an organic farm in northern Montana on the land his grandparents homesteaded over a hundred years ago. He also possesses a bachelor of science in music, and worked as a music teacher in the public schools early in his career. He shares a hometown of Big Sandy, Montana with Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament, and the band played a concert to support his run for the senate. It's pretty cool to be represented by a democratic senator from Montana who runs an organic farm, is interested in the environment, has an appreciation for music, and likes Pearl Jam.

Join Earth Hour!

World Wildlife Fund is organizing Earth Hour on 29 March 2008 at 8pm, and it looks like the event is going to be really big. So far, as well as Sydney, there'll also be Adelaide, Atlanta, Bangkok, Brisbane, Canberra, Chicago, Christchurch, Copenhagen, Dublin, Manila, Melbourne, Montreal, Odense, Ottawa, Perth, Phoenix, San Francisco, Suva, Tel Aviv, Toronto and Vancouver all turning off their lights for an hour in the name of fighting global warming. And I'm sure there'll be more cities by March.

Sign up for Earth Hour with me by visiting http://www.earthhour.org/user/Npps and join the movement!

Hey, Grizz!

The grizzly bears have awoken after their long winter slumber, which means my semi-carefree days of hiking alone are over until next winter. I say semi-carefree, because bison present a year-round potential hazard.

As risky as hiking alone can be, I'm not willing to stop my solo backcountry wanderings--it's one of my great joys in life. So today I hiked alone (sorry mom), armed with binoculars, pepper spray, and a full repertoire of U2 songs. Instead of yelling the recommended "hey, grizz" every 100 feet, I prefer singing "Bullet the Blue Sky."

For the first couple of miles, I thought every rock in the distance a grizzly, but I soon became adept at distinguishing rocks and trees from live bears. Being in the middle of the food chain heightened my awareness of my surroundings and my appreciation of being in true wilderness.

No bear sightings today, but I did encounter some dainty pronghorn, an elk hangout, and a herd of buffalo on the march.

My Weather Station

I'm now a proud member of the Weather Underground network of personal weather stations. Now I can see just how cold it is outside and share my misery with thousands! When you think of me, you can visit my station and observe the wind speed or dew point at my house. I'm sure you're all just as excited as I am at this new way to stay connected.

Yellowstone's Inconvenient Truth

Many people still think of global climate change as happening in distant lands: the starving polar bears and melting ice caps certainly give cause for alarm, but most of us feel a separateness from images taken thousands of miles away. Yet our own backyard isn't escaping the heat (pun intended), it's just that the effects can't be captured as easily in a dramatic photograph. The global climate change phenomena is already having significant--and alarming--repercussions in our national parks.

Last night I attended a great presentation by Dr. James Halfpenny at his center in Gardiner on global climate change in Yellowstone. Dr. Halfpenny has been conducting research on climate change since the early stages of his career, and directed the Niwot Ridge long-term ecological monitoring site in Colorado.

I've followed Yosemite's situation closely, and Yellowstone faces similar issues, in general if not in specifics. While the studies I followed in Yellowstone involved mainly water (or the lack thereof given an earlier and earlier snowmelt), Yellowstone's biggest loss may be its wildlife. For example, the invasion of exotic flora that does not provide suitable forage for ungulates may threaten Yellowstone's magnificent bison and elk herds. Warming temperatures have already caused an increase of pine beetle infestations, which have reduced white bark pines, a prime source of grizzly bear food.

Stephen Saunders, author of a recently released report on climate change in the park, observes: "If we continue to increase our emissions of heat-trapping gases, a disrupted climate will cause the greatest damage to our national parks ever." A recent feature article in High Country News: Unnatural Preservation, outlines the tough dilemma public land managers face with the consequences of climate change: they can become "zookeepers and gardeners" or "let wildlife perish."

Imagine Yosemite's waterfalls running dry in February. Or Glacier National Park losing its namesake attraction. How about Yellowstone empty of elk and bison? Now doesn't that make you want to bike to work tomorrow or turn off that computer at night?

Winter Ecology

Today I played hooky from work--with the approval of my boss--and attended a Yellowstone Association class, Skis Across Yellowstone. Dr. James Halfpenny (Jim) taught the class and literally wrote the book on our subject matter--his Winter: An Ecological Handbook is one of the definitive works on winter ecology.

An amazing naturalist and educator with over a thirty-year history in Yellowstone and a global travel log to be envied, he also runs an ecology education center and museum in Gardiner that offers field courses in Yellowstone and around the world. I'm saving my pennies so I can attend his Polar Bears of the Arctic trip.

The class returned me to my second favorite place on earth (Tuolumne Meadows being my first)--Lamar Valley. After a cozy night in my cabin, I arose early and joined the faithful wolf watching crew (with Rick and his yellow Xterra) at Slough Creek campground. I gazed at members of the Druid pack while they frolicked on Specimen Ridge. One wolf played with what appeared to be a discarded radio collar; another bantered with ravens. Before they trotted off into the forest the pack provided us with a farewell group howl. (Sorry-still no wolf photos--my scope adaptor for my camera is still on order).

After breakfast, Jim led the class on a delightful ski along the base of Barronette peak. We dug snowpits, took temperature and density measurements, and learned terms like depth hoar. I also enthusiastically volunteered to help with counting animal tracks using a really cool GPS device. We observed the tracks of multiple snowshoe hares, grouse, martens, coyotes, moose, and one snowshoer.

On my return trip home I navigated several bison jams and stopped once more at Slough Creek to watch wolves. Near Roosevelt, I turned a corner and suddenly beheld a bighorn sheep not five feet from the road. My failed quest over the weekend had been suddenly realized. I parked the car and got my camera ready. He munched away, and considered me for only a moment before resuming his meal. With my naked eye I could count the ridges on his horns. I was mesmerized and sat on a rock for a half an hour simply watching him nibble forage.