Wildlife Whereabouts

The snow is gone, but the bears are still here!

Photo by Ryan Sheets, sheetsstudios.com

• Bison, moose and elk calving seasons are at their peaks.  Nearly all bison and elk will have moved off of the National Elk Refuge soon.  They will follow snow melt and vegetation to more northern parts of the valley.
• Wolf pups are making their first exploratory appearances from their dens.
• Female black and grizzly bears with cubs are now out and about but are making only small movements so that their cubs can keep up.
• Neotropical migrating birds (western tanagers, hummingbirds, warblers, and others) have returned and are beginning nesting activities.
• Cutthroat trout are initiating spawning as water levels rise with spring runoff.
• Bald eagle eggs are hatching and young nestlings are being closely guarded by their brooding parents.
• High rivers and streams resulting from last winter's abundant snow pack represent a significant hazard to baby bears, elk, moose, and bison.

Living with Wildlife: VIDEO

One of the most unique aspects of living in Jackson Hole is interacting with the abundant wildlife that also call this valley home. Residents and visitors alike are privileged to share their experiences here with 17 different species of carnivores, 6 species of hoofed mammals and dozens of other rodents, amphibians and birds. As we transition into summer, it is important that we take a moment to learn and reflect on how to safely and responsibly interact with our local wildlife. Grand Teton National Park released this video to help educate and inspire people to respect the wildlife of Jackson Hole.

Time to Celebrate! National Trails Day

This year we are celebrating National Trails Day with a trail rehab project in the park! This nationwide holiday occurs every year on the first Saturday of June. The day is devoted to celebrating and promoting the extensive trail systems throughout the country. Trails allow us access to the natural world for recreation, education, solitude and inspiration. They also give us an opportunity to support both good physical and mental health by giving us heart pumping exercise, relieving our stresses and awakening our senses.

On Saturday June 7^th, Grand Teton will celebrate National Trails Day by leading a group of volunteers in a trail maintenance project in Grand Teton National Park. Help maintain and upkeep GTNP’s 242 miles of exceptional trails for use well into the future.  This is a great way for community members and Foundation friends to show their passion for the park with hands-on support!

If you are interested in registering as a volunteer, see the details below and click the link to sign up. We look forward to spending a day in the park, digging up some trail dust, and celebrating this amazing resource with you!

You must register to participate as a volunteer.  Email laura@gtnpf.org to sign up.
 

Date: June 7, National Trails Day

Time: 12 to 5 PM

Meet up location: Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center Parking Lot

Work location: The Valley Trail, near Bradley and Taggart Lakes

What will the work be: Physical! Depends on weather and snowmelt...could be weeding, could be clearing, but plan on bending and moving

Wear: Closed toed shoes, long pants

Bring: Snacks, water, bear spray if you own it and know how to use it

#GrandTetonTrailsDay  

 http://www.americanhiking.org/events/grand-teton-trails-day/

In the Spotlight: Collette and Collette Cares

Collette, the country’s oldest travel tour operator, offers guided adventures on all seven continents.  Collette Cares, the company’s philanthropic arm, is dedicated to supporting youth programs worldwide and is a fantastic new supporter of GTNPF’s Youth Engagement Initiative.  Brian White, from the company’s businesses development team, shares more about Collette’s dedication to improving youth experiences in Grand Teton and beyond:

Collette has guided travelers for almost 100 years.  Tell us a bit about the history of Collette and Collette Cares.

Established in 1918, Collette is a family-run travel organization that offers land adventures, river cruises, rail journeys, and national park tours worldwide.  Collette Cares began in 1997 to support local Rhode Island youth initiatives.  The global foundation launched in 2007 to establish and manage youth projects in Australia, China, Cambodia, Fiji, Costa Rica, Ireland, Canada, Kenya, Mexico, Egypt, Peru, South Africa, and the US.

Your foundation connects employees, vendors, and travelers with partner communities and children around the globe.  What types of projects do you currently have underway?

Our mission is to enrich the lives of children worldwide.  Currently we support schools, clean water programs, orphanages, and even a youth-run bakery.  We incorporate access to and understanding of projects to our guests traveling in the area, and some guests have even returned from Collette trips and organized their home communities to support the foundation sites they visited on tours.

 Collette Cares is an employee-run initiative.  How does your staff participate in the many national and international projects?

Nearly every Collette employee contributes to our projects.  We participate in volunteer events, fund drives, and individual service tutors and sponsors for young people.  Each project has a task force to identify and manage programs, collaborate with foreign organizations, and allocate funding.  Collette’s employees are also able to personally visit sites they are working with to monitor effectiveness.

What prompted Collette Cares to begin supporting Grand Teton National Park Foundation?

We were looking to expand our support by sponsoring more sites and projects and were particularly looking for a program connected with the national parks.  While we contacted several organizations, nothing matched our mission as closely as the youth initiatives funded by Grand Teton National Park Foundation.  The Foundation is doing tremendous work for youth both locally and nationally and we are excited to expose our guests to this great program during tours in Grand Teton National Park.

Thank you, Collette Cares and Collette, for connecting diverse young people to Grand Teton National Park and for your work that is improving the lives of youth around the world.

Early Summer Hikes and Wildflowers

After a long winter in the Tetons, it’s time to dust off the old boots and venture into Grand Teton for some early season hiking. With the fabulous weather in past weeks, several of the low elevation trails in the park are now free of snow and offer views of the mountains and of the first wildflowers of the season.

Kick off your summer with some classic GTNP hikes as you build your hiking legs for more strenuous hikes later in the summer. Two great options for hiking this month are Taggart Lake and Phelps Lake Overlook.

Taggart Lake is 4 miles round trip. The trail follows a mountain stream and loops up and over a glacial moraine that helps form the lake. Along the trail you will see evidence of the Beaver Creek fire of 1985 and the Lodgepole Pine that have flourished since the burn. To access the trail, park at the Taggart Lake trailhead just north of Moose park entrance.

Phelps Lake Overlook is 1.8 miles round trip and offers scenic vistas of the lake and Death Canyon. The trail steadily climbs to the overlook along a massive lateral moraine filled with aspen stands and conifer forests. Along the way the trail crosses a few small creeks and meadows that offer opportunity for great wildlife and bird watching. To get to the trail use the Death Canyon/White Grass Meadow road. A car with four-wheel drive can be helpful when accessing the trailhead.

Both of these trails are fantastic spots to view your first wildflowers of the season. These early bloomers are common not only in the park but also throughout the valley. Keep your eyes peeled as some of them are small and easy to miss!

Ballhead Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum): Commonly found in moist mountain slopes and woodlands, bluish to white in color.

  

Round-leaved Violet (Viola rotundifolia): Five petaled, small yellow blossom found in moist forests.

Sticky Geranium (Geranium viscosissimum): Pink lavender to purplish flowers, found in grassy lowlands to highland meadows.