I spent last weekend at the Wind River Indian Reservation learning how western science (which classifies the animal as bison) and indigenous knowledge (which classifies it as buffalo) come together for an incredible conservation effort to bring buffalo back to native lands!
The livelihoods of many tribes were centered around the buffalo, which are still culturally important today.
The last buffalo to set hoof on the Wind River Indian Reservation was in 1885, 55 years after the US Army started a campaign to wipe out the buffalo population to take control over Native Americans.
In the 1700’s there were 30 to 60 million buffalo in the wild. However, by 1884 there were only an estimated 325 buffalo left. This near extinction of buffalo devastated Native Americans, especially the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone, who now call the Wind River Reservation their home.
Most native tribes are categorized by what their main food source is: for example, “sheep-eaters,” “salmon-eaters,” or for the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone, the “buffalo-eaters.” For these tribes, their entire life and culture were centered around the buffalo which was used for food, shelter, and ceremonial purposes. All parts of the animal were used, from nose to tail. Not only is the buffalo itself important, but the spirit of the buffalo is also highly present in their daily lives. One example of the spiritual connection can be shown in sweat lodges, which are made with 28 poles, the same amount of ribs on a buffalo.
Today, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes (with the help of the National Wildlife Federation) are successfully housing around 130 buffalo on land which they had to buy back, but were originally promised during the Fort Bridger Treaty in 1863. Jason Baldes, the Tribal Buffalo Coordinator, and the National Wildlife Federation are hoping to expand the land and change priorities from cattle grazing to buffalo habitat in and around the reservation.
Did you know that Buffalo “wallowing” benefits more species than just the buffalo?
Making a switch from cattle grazing to buffalo habitat would not only help the native people connect with their culture but would also help the ecosystem. Buffalo like to give themselves dust baths by rolling in the dirt, also called wallowing, which has many purposes, including cooling off and helping shed their coats. The leftover wallows are important for water accumulation and seed dispersal and are incredibly helpful for plant diversity. Wallowing is also beneficial to birds because they can use the buffalo coats that have been shed to build nests.
The National Wildlife Federation’s Tribal Partnerships Program aims to restore the way of life for Native American groups all over the United States by returning buffalo to their land. Restoring buffalo habitat on native lands will help tribes reconnect with their historical way of life and will provide a sustainable food source, as well as restore ecosystems.
As Nature Mapping Jackson Hole nears its landmark 1000th certified Nature Mapper, I thought it would be fun to write an article featuring a couple of newer Nature Mappers who were just trained in the last year. Many of you have participated in Nature Mapping and its variety of projects since its inception in 2009, but lots of new Nature Mappers have joined our ranks recently and we warmly welcome them!
John and Kathy at Moose Day.
Kathy O’Neil and John Norton have been visiting their property in the Teton Valley since 2006 and finally made the area their home in 2020 after Kathy retired from a career as a physician specializing in women’s imaging radiology. John describes himself as “never having been career minded,” but had a variety of interesting experiences throughout his working years. He served in the US Air Force for 10 years, during which time he received an MS in Astronautical Engineering. After leaving the Air Force, he cycled across America, “married his best friend [Kathy],” and moved to Salt Lake City where he worked as a consultant for a variety of organizations.
Kathy loves living in the Teton Valley, a “beautiful community” where she has already become heavily involved in conservation and wildlife projects. She hopes to become even more involved, as she trains to become a certified Idaho Master Naturalist through the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and continues her education through opportunities with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation. Kathy and John both enjoy skiing, hiking, and viewing wildlife. John describes the GYE as “providing a canvas for doing all the things I love to do.”
The couple tuned into the virtual October 2021 Nature Mapping Certification Training together from their home in Driggs, ID. They heard about JHWF’s Nature Mapping program through the Teton Regional Land Trust, as well as involved friends, and immediately began participating in a variety of Nature Mapping projects. Both have submitted data to Casual Observations and Project Backyard as well as attending JHWF Continuing Education seminars and snowshoeing to count moose during Moose Day.
When asked what their favorite animals are, John and Kathy had very different, but equally beautiful answers. Kathy described her ex-feral Siamese cat Smudge, who she rescued. John’s favorite animal is any animal he is near that is undisturbed by his presence. To me, their answers are those of two conservation heroes. Through the action of rescuing a feral cat, Kathy saved not only the life of the cat, but also the lives of the many birds, small mammals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians the cat would have killed over the course of its life as a feral. John’s attempts to view wildlife without disturbing them means he values the safety of the animals on the landscape over his own self-interests such as viewing the animal more closely or getting a great photograph.
Smudge the cat.
All of the Nature Mapping projects they have participated in have been fun for the couple, but they particularly enjoyed Moose Day for the organization and collective effort by citizen scientists. They were also thrilled to participate in Casey McFarland’s tracking class and other continuing education opportunities through JHWF. Together, Kathy and John have submitted more than 100 Nature Mapping observations in a little more than half a year. John’s favorite observation was of a flock of Bohemian Waxwings that he observed this winter in the Teton Valley. He described loving the sounds they made and how the flock “moved through the sky as if it was one organism, an angel.” Kathy’s favorite observation was of a moose that she found sleeping near her bedroom window one morning this winter. She described the experience of realizing they had spent the night only 15 feet apart as one she will not forget.
The couple participate in citizen science because they desire to give back to the wildlife they love. John says, “we share this planet with life forms that modern society has learned to completely ignore, abuse, and destroy.” Through citizen science, he hopes to bring more awareness to these issues. Kathy appreciates that the data she provides will “help policy makers, scientists, and the general public better understand the needs of wildlife.” Both people think that it is important for humans to share the planet with our fellow denizens “in a more respectful way.” Kathy and John are inspired to participate in citizen science because they value personal responsibility and science. Kathy, with her background in medicine, “has a deep respect for science and believes there is an immense potential for deepening our collective knowledge through the contributions of citizen science.” John eloquently states that citizen science “provides a foundation of understanding through thoughtful practices by ordinary people.”
In conclusion, John states, “life is a quilt work of experiences and Nature Mapping is one, recent, piece of the quilt that makes it bigger and warmer.” Through Nature Mapping, Kathy has learned how much there is to see when one pays more attention. When asked what they hope to get out of Nature Mapping into the future, they responded that they hope to share the experiences they have with friends and family, while “contributing to the ongoing health and resilience of wildlife in the GYE.” They each had a bit of advice for other Nature Mappers. John encourages folks to “slow down, watch, and listen,” and Kathy says, “It is valuable work. Stay engaged.”
This year, Vicki Morgan and Kevin Perozeni will head up our MAPS bird-banding stations at Boyle’s Hill and the Kelly Campus of the Teton Science Schools. Vicki will be returning for her third summer in a row, while Kevin will be joining us for the first time!
Vicki Morgan – After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Vicki Morgan has been working as a roaming biologist and bird bander across the United States. Her past wildlife-related jobs were in areas such as South Carolina, Illinois, American Samoa, Washington DC, NYC, Maryland, and Montana, where she studied and banded birds ranging from hummingbirds to hawks. Vicki has been an avid birder from a young age, and she also enjoys expressing her love of nature through art (fun fact: Vicki actually Minored in ceramics). Vicki spent the winter in Colorado and is returning for her fourth season as Lead Bird Bander with JHWF.
Vicki Morgan figures out the age of a Tree Swallow captured in a mist net last summer.
Kevin Perozeni – Kevin’s educational background includes graduating with honors research with a Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University, majoring in Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife. His research thesis involved studying the survival of wintering birds in an increasingly changing urban environment. Since graduating last year, Kevin traveled across the country to work in a variety of field positions. He conducted bird banding at Powdermill Nature Reserve, Pennsylvania as well as banding in Cape May, New Jersey. This fall Kevin will enter a graduate program at LSU, where he will be researching lasting hurricane impacts on avian and forest communities. Kevin also has experience working as a Naturalist within the Cleveland Metroparks, supporting public outreach and education. In his free time, he can be found birding or storm watching, always scanning the skies for all the new experiences that nature consistently brings! Kevin is excited to hold the position of Assistant Bird Bander with JHWF this summer.
An Ohio native, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Kevin and his wealth of experience to the JHWF team in 2023!
Do you alter your driving behavior based on messaging from signs? Have you ever been in a wildlife-vehicle collision? Did you seen our Give-Wildlife-a-Brake ads on social media?
We hope you’ll devote 3-5 minutes to the survey (follow this link to the Google Form). Your answers to these and other questions will help us to improve our Give-Wildlife-a-Brake Program.
Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation is proud to partner with Maven® Outdoor Equipment Company in a Nature Mapping Summer Challenge!
Maven® has graciously donated a pair of C.1 10×42 binoculars (MSRP $425) to the JHWF to be given away to a Nature Mapper who completes the Summer Challenge.
A drawing for the binoculars will be held on Friday September 2, 2022. To be entered into the drawing, Nature Mappers must report at least three wildlife observations per month in the months of May, June, July, and August.
Reports must be entered to Project Backyard or Casual Observations and reports must be entered in Lincoln County, WY, Teton County, WY, or Teton County, ID.
If you meet these requirements, your name will be entered into the drawing, from which one Nature Mapper will be selected randomly.
A Nature Mapping Certification Training is scheduled for April 21, 2022, so if you have friends or family interested in becoming certified Nature Mappers, please encourage them to attend this training so that they may participate in the Summer Challenge!
If you have any questions about the Summer Challenge or getting certified as a Nature Mapper, please contact hilary@jhwildlife We look forward to seeing your Nature Mapping observations!
