Wind and the Landscape of Fear — Adam Eichenwald

So I ran into a problem. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I’m looking into gyrfalcon predation of ptarmigan in Alaska. So far, my data successfully shows that ptarmigan are avoiding locations where gyrfalcons are densely packed – which makes sense; you wouldn’t beeline to set up camp in a lion’s den. Read more about Wind and the Landscape of Fear — Adam Eichenwald[…]

RALLY! — Jeff Conti

Anyone looking for injections of enthusiasm and creative ideas in the world of land conservation needs to head to the Land Trust Alliance annual Rally – better known as RALLY! The 2017 Rally convened at the Denver Convention Center from October 26th-28th for a weekend of workshops, presentations and connections. As someone relatively new to Read more about RALLY! — Jeff Conti[…]

Sudden Aspen Decline — Jack Singer

Quaking aspen trees are important providers of ecosystem services in the west. They establish valuable wildlife habitat, support biodiversity, create opportunities for ecotourism, serve as a firebreak for wildfires, and retain soil moisture across forests. Despite their importance to and prevalence upon the western landscape, aspen trees are widely experiencing rapid die-off at the individual, stand, and landscape Read more about Sudden Aspen Decline — Jack Singer[…]

600,000 Cucumber Beetles – Adam Eichenwald

So after a long summer and an endless series of blog posts, I’ve realized that I never actually said flat-out what I’ve been up to. Shame on me, really. Talk talk talk without ever actually saying anything…Hey, maybe I should drop science and go into politics. But I think it’s time I finally showed my Read more about 600,000 Cucumber Beetles – Adam Eichenwald[…]

Where’s the Water in Wyoming – Jessica Swindon

It’s not until you live somewhere like Wyoming that you truly understand what Mark Twain meant when he said “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over”. As the Wyoming summer comes to an end, the grassy, green landscape changes to a crisp gold. The color change of vegetation is not due to low Read more about Where’s the Water in Wyoming – Jessica Swindon[…]

Return to Civilization – Adam Eichenwald

So I’m finally back from Alaska. It’s great to be back home, and I’m enjoying having the use of indoor plumbing. It’s very strange what you miss – I loathe doing dishes, but it’s nice to finally have running water available for cleaning plates. I’m pretty pleased with the way my summer research turned out. Read more about Return to Civilization – Adam Eichenwald[…]

Wrap-Up in Lander, WY – Carli Kierstead

Hello again, it is now my last week in the The Nature Conservancy’s Lander, WY office. Though I am sad to leave such a great office and town, I am proud of what I have accomplished this summer. It has been 11 weeks characterized by climbing steep learning curves and climbing Wyoming mountains. All in Read more about Wrap-Up in Lander, WY – Carli Kierstead[…]

Instream Flows and Photography for Landscape Monitoring – Austin Rempel

Instream Flows on the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie Over the last two months I’ve been helping piece together a picture of water use on the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. Water from the Middle Fork irrigates some 11,500 acres of agricultural land in the region around Lander, Wyoming. These diversions support Read more about Instream Flows and Photography for Landscape Monitoring – Austin Rempel[…]

Infiltration: Summer in Sage Country – Rachel Renne

Summer has arrived on the sagebrush steppe of southwest Wyoming! Frosty mornings and spring snows feel far away in the baking, dry heat of long summer days. Soils are drying out and the spring annuals I so enjoyed only a month ago have dried up and blown away. The yellow highlights of mock goldenweed (Stenotus Read more about Infiltration: Summer in Sage Country – Rachel Renne[…]

Nome FM – Adam Eichenwald

Nome’s only radio station has ruined other variety stations for me. I mean, in the span of 15 minutes this one small station pumps out a current pop hit, follows up with some Rolling Stones, moves to the top 5 songs from 1957, and finishes up the time slot with an elderly man telling an Read more about Nome FM – Adam Eichenwald[…]

WRF Retreat

Western Research Fellow’s attended their annual retreat from the 23-26th of June. The retreat provides an opportunity for Fellows to check in with Ucross staff and share their progress with each other. The Fellows gathered on Friday Afternoon at Sheridan College’s Spear-O Mountain Campus. There they explored the streams, lakes, forests, and pastures of the Read more about WRF Retreat[…]

Measuring Soil Carbon – Dan Kane

A year ago, I traveled out to Wyoming to visit a few properties managed by The Nature Conservancy and test a new field method for measuring soil carbon content. Our initial results from last year’s work suggested we were on to something. The method worked! We were able to successfully use just a simple handheld Read more about Measuring Soil Carbon – Dan Kane[…]