Nature Mapping Newsletter September 2015

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1 Nature Mapping Newsletter September 2015 Old Bill's - Cory Hatch Map - Observations since Old Bill's 2014 Nest Box Project and Photos Long-billed Curlew Update August 2015 Data Nature Mapper Engagement Help test our new entry form! Upcoming Programs September 22 - "Wetlands and Trumpeter Swans" September 22 - "What the vascular system of trees can tell us about responses to climate change September 24 - "Climate Change Comes to Thoreau s Walden" September 30 - "Climate Change, Fire, and the Future of Greater Yellowstone" Old Bill's - Cory Hatch Make your gift to the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation at this year s Old Bill s! As local filmmaker Jen Tennican immortalizes Bert Raynes and his late wife Meg in celluloid this fall, it s worth remembering what makes these Nature Mapping Jackson Hole progenitors so inspiring. They were truly grassroots. They shared their love of nature with whomever would listen, regardless of age, gender or politics. With knowledge, wisdom and gentle humor, Bert Raynes continues to harness the power of people, putting them to work toward a common goal. This power of people is what makes Nature Mapping Jackson Hole such a good fit with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation. In 2011, when Nature Mapping needed a new home, they looked to the one conservation organization in Teton County that prides itself in bringing people together to work hard for wildlife. In 21 years, the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation has removed or modified nearly 175 miles of fence, and purchased nine portable message signs and four fixed radar signs to warn people about wildlife on the road. The Foundation has worked with our agency partners to reduce bear conflicts, restore habitat, document wildlife-vehicle collisions, and much more all with 1.5 full time staff and the help of literally hundreds of volunteers.

2 As this year s Old Bill s Fun Run approaches, we have some exciting new projects planned. This fall, we hope to install our first wildlife ramp on the Teton County Levee System. By filling in the spaces between the levee armoring with gravel, we can eliminate one more obstacle to wildlife movement in Jackson Hole. We hope to build dozens of these ramps in the coming years, all using volunteer labor. Nature Mapping is an integral part of this work. In total, JHWF citizen scientists have gathered 36,153 verified wildlife observations! In the past 12 months alone, Nature Mappers recorded 5,837 observations, up from 5,507 observations in advance of the 2014 Old Bill s Fun Run. (See map below.) The Nature Mapping Advisory Committee and volunteer-volunteer coordinator Frances Clark continue to host trainings and special education opportunities. Nature Mapping GIS and data coordinator Paul Hood is working with programmers to refine the mobile website as he attends graduate school at the University of Wyoming. But, none of this good work happens without your financial support! Your Old Bill s donations to the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation help keep Nature Mapping, Wildlife Friendlier Fencing, Bear Wise Jackson Hole and Give Wildlife a Brake working for Jackson Hole s wildlife. For more details, please check out our Summer Newsletter at Thanks so much! All the best, Cory Hatch, Executive Director Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation Nature Map: Observations Since Old Bill's 2014

3 Nest Box Project The primary purpose of the National Elk Refuge (NER) is to manage for elk. Unfortunately, the high concentration of elk has compromised significant amounts of bird habitat. To help mitigate this impact, over the past 10 years, 100 boxes have been situated along the fence line (seen from the highway) and elsewhere in the refuge. With the ongoing leadership of Phyllis Green and

4 coordination by Renee Seidler, this year twelve dedicated Nature Mappers monitored the boxes once a week from April through July to determine number of adult birds and nests and reproductive success. The years of data can provide insights into the behavior and needs of these birds. The other benefits of the Project are that volunteer nest monitors become dedicated to the birds and share their experiences with the public. Our understanding and awareness of the plight of cavity nesting birds increases significantly. Shelley Sundgren, Nature Mapper and Nest Box Project volunteer, epitomizes the power of this program with her comment and photographs: I got started because I wanted to see what a bluebird chick looked like. It has been a treat to watch empty nest boxes become nest boxes with bluebird nests, then seeing the blue eggs, then the bare chicks, then feathered chicks, and finally seeing bluebird families flying around before they disappear to other haunts. We have even seen mother bluebirds sitting on the nests. Below is a series of Shelley s fabulous photographs. They speak for themselves:

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9 Thanks to all the Nest Box Project volunteers! Long-billed Curlew Update - Susan Patla, WGFD In summer 2015, Jay Carlisle of Intermountain Bird Observatory (IBO) in partnership with Wyoming Game and Fish Department with help from volunteers and staff tagged a total of 7 Long-billed Curlews in Wyoming with satellite transmitters: 2 birds from Jackson (one from the National Elk Refuge and one in Grand Teton National Park), 3 from the Pinedale/Daniel area, and 2 from the Cody area. We also are still getting data from AJ, the adult female that was tagged the previous summer on the Elk Refuge. The two females from Jackson departed by the end of June and all Wyoming birds had departed by the first week in July. The Wyoming birds show the importance of Mexico for our nesting population. Following is a list of the tagged birds and their current wintering sites. The curlews from the Cody area took quite a different migration trajectory compared to the birds from the Jackson and Pinedale area.

10 The three birds from Jackson Hole: AJ-NER female: AJ was tagged last year in the National Elk Refuge (NER) and came back again this year. We now know that she returned to the same area on the west coast of Mexico south of Mazatlan this year as last winter. She is named after A.J DeRosa, of JH Vintage Boat Adventures who has been a longtime supporter of conservation and has donated boats and guides for the Nature Mapping Snake River Floats Project. On the website (below) you can click on the photo of AJ the curlew to see more. CL-NER male (AJ s mate): mouth of the Colorado River HY-GTNP female: mouth of the Colorado River The other five birds are critical to our understanding of Long-billed curlew migrations: ET-Pinedale: northern Gulf of California KC-Daniel: west coast of Baja after a stop at the Salton Sea area JC-Daniel: Salton Sea area CN-Heart Mountain, Cody: state of Chichuahua, central Mexico CY-Polecat, north of Cody: state of Durango, central Mexico Check out their website to see the migration routes of all curlews tagged in the Intermountain West by IBO: And click on the individual birds, such as AJ, as well. Funding for this project was obtained from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department State Wildlife Fund, Bert and Meg Raynes Fund, Bureau of Land Management, and Wyoming Big Game Governor s Coalition. IBO is actively looking for funds to continue this study next year. August 2015 Data Paul Hood Total Observers: 25 Most Observations: Susan Marsh (99), Dave Lucas (47), Carl Brown (38) THANK YOU ALL! Observations Birds: 210 observations 68 species 631 individuals Mammals: 81 observations 19 species 240 individuals Amphibians: 13 observations 3 species 27 individuals Snakes: 1 observation 1 species 1 individual Total: 305 observations 91 species 899 individuals Projects: Backyard 173; Casual Observations 127; Osprey Project 5 - Grand Total: 381 Notes: Data above reflects all submitted data so far for August. Notable is a reduction in submissions for Casual Observations. We suspect that many Nature Mappers may have made observations while out hiking, touring, and boating around the valley but have not yet entered them. Please do! One keen observer and researcher Carl Brown was up in the high country and submitted 9 separate observations of 85 Black Rosy Finches. Others visiting high elevations made 9 observations for 13 total pika and 3 observations for a total of 6 mountain goats. We also had 9 observations for a total of 23 tiger salamanders.

11 September is an important month to Nature Map migrating and hibernating species to determine when they disappear for the winter. For instance, note flocks of Red-winged or Brewer's Blackbirds, European Starlings, Mountain Bluebirds, sparrows, and Yellow-rumpted Warblers. Keep track of the hummingbirds at your feeders, least chipmunks, and marmots--and the first bugle of the elk. All are seasonal changes worthy of Nature Mapping! Thank you. Nature Mapper Engagement Help test our new entry form! A prevew/beta version of our new mobile entry form is available. You can access this new version by clicking on this link: When prompted, enter your Nature Mapping user name and password to test it out. We want your feed back on what works and what can still be improved. This new entry form allows you to enter observation offline (when no cell service is available), the ability to enter multiple observations of the same species at one location, and an easier format for entering specific species. Please send your comments to paul@jhwildlife.org. Note: Your entries on this test version will not be put into the data base. So please also enter them in the current entry forms. Thank you. Upcoming Programs Tuesday, September 22, 6:00 pm (doors open 5:30 pm) - "Trumpeter Swans & Wetlands" - Old Wilson Schoolhouse, 5655 Main St., Wilson. Susan Patla is the non-game wildlife biologist in the Jackson Hole area for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. She has conducted long term research on trumpeter swans, bald eagles, goshawks, amphibians, and other species throughout Wyoming and Idaho. Susan's discussion will highlight her work researching trumpeter swans, the largest waterfall in North America. Given their size and habitat requirements, swans serve well as an umbrella species in habitats that benefits a large number of other wetland associated wildlife species. Sponsored by Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance. And three perspectives on climate change:

12 Tuesday, Sept. 22, 6-8 p.m. "What the vascular system of trees can tell us about responses to climate change".teton County Library, 125 Virginian Lane, Jackson. Dr. John Sperry has spent his career researching how water moves through plants: from root to leaf. His research subjects include evergreen and deciduous plants growing in southwestern deserts to boreal forests and old world tropics. His microscopic research on the inner workings of plants has application to the big picture of climate change. He will translate his academic studies for the curious lay person in this illustrated program. Dr. Sperry is a biology professor at the University of Utah, as well as an avid arctic canoeist. Co-sponsored by Teton Plants and the Teton County Library. Thursday September 24-6:00 PM - "Climate Change Comes to Thoreau s Walden" - Dr. Richard Primack, Boston University and author of Walden Warming - Teton County Library Auditorium, 125 Virginian Lane Over the past 14 years, Dr. Richard Primack, a professor at Boston University, has compiled a wealth of data from Thoreau s records and contemporary observations to show how a warming world is impacting the plants, insects, and birds of Walden Pond and the greater Concord area. In this talk, Dr. Primack will present his fascinating findings and consider how Thoreau would react to the modern problem of climate change if he were alive today. The presentation will include beautiful photos and numerous quotes from Thoreau. Local hosts Dr. Corinna Riginos and Dr. Geneva Chong will also urge us to think about how we can apply some of Dr. Primack s lessons to learn about climate change in the Tetons. Wednesday, September 30 6:00 PM "Climate Change, Fire, and the Future of Greater Yellowstone" -Teton County Library, Auditorium B, 125 Virginian Lane. Dr. Monica Turner is the Eugene P. Odum Professor of Ecology at the University of Wisconsin. She is recognized expert on the effect of fire on the ecology of the greater Yellowstone system. Sponsored by the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance. Seating capacity for the above programs may be limited. We suggest you come a bit early to assure a seat. Making a Donation Through Old Bill's... Please make your donation by 5 p.m., September 18, Your donation will go further with matching funds. For online donations, click: or mail check to: Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, PO Box 574, Jackson, WY Make checks payable to Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, specify 'Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation' in the memo line. THANK YOU! Back to top Nature Mapping is a program of the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation and is sponsored by the Meg and Bert Raynes Fund and other generous contributors.

13 (Photo of Bert Raynes by Mary Lohuis; Long-billed Curlew and Trumpeter Swan photos provided by WGFD) final fhc