Women in Fire Written by Hannah Fake, Lead Naturalist Last summer the West was on fire and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. Across America, many were reeling from the destruction of fires and the death of one of the greatest champions of gender equality. But in times like this, it is important to remember […]
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From Sawtooths to Zircons
Picking away at the Sawtooth Metamorphic Complex As we know, the Sawtooth Mountains are very old. The granite was formed over a hundred million years ago, longer than any human could ever lay claim to. When compared to other geological formations they are relatively recent though – for example, the Appalachians are about 480 million […]
What Are the Sawtooth Animals Doing Now? Part III
A Winter Series: They Endure (III) Over the last two posts we have discuss how many species have left the Sawtooths for warmer weather and more plentiful food, while other animals are curled up deep underground hibernating through the coldest months. However, there are still some critters who are active all winter long in the […]
What Are the Sawtooth Animals Doing Now? Part II
A Winter Series: Hibernators (II) Many of the familiar animals that inhabit the Sawtooth Mountains and valleys are still around, but you are less likely see any of them during the winter. Long cold days and very few food sources mean many of our Sawtooth critters migrate or hibernate. The creatures who have not left […]
What Are the Sawtooth Animals Doing Now?
A Winter Series: Migrators (I) It’s winter; it’s cold; the days are short and everything is blanketed in white. Do you ever wonder what the creatures you’ve seen on your summer hikes and strolls through the mountains and valleys are doing now? Through this series of three blog posts, we will explore what some of […]
Wintry Wonders of the Wolverine
Wintry Wonders of the Wolverine Wolverines are secretive creatures that are seldom seen. A glimpse of one disappearing over a ridge or behind a boulder is a once in a lifetime sight. Not only are they secretive and seldom seen, but they are still few and far between. Wolverines inhabit vast ranges creating many challenges […]
October’s Creature of the Night
That time of the year has come once again – where the moon hangs quiet in the sky and shadows play tricks in her light. In the Sawtooth Valley you will hear the twilight winds blow through aspens, clutching on to the last of their leaves, telling you to wait and listen closely. Perhaps you […]
The West is on Fire: why our forests are burning and what we can do about it
The West is on Fire: why our forests are burning and what we can do about it By: Kelsey Maxwell, 2020 Naturalist The Western United States is experiencing one of the most catastrophic wildfire seasons in history. Entire communities have been decimated, at least 35 people and countless wild animals have been killed, and millions […]
“Are public lands being loved to death?”
Chelsea Phillippe’s master thesis was studying the Sawtooth Wilderness to look at recreation trends and impacts from 1965 to 2015. Many including Phillippe are concerned our public lands are being loved to death. Phillippe’s case study is a great 150-page document with one of the first analyses of visitor data for the Sawtooth Wilderness. If […]
The Mountain Pine Beetle: a Friend or Foe of the Whitebark Pine?
By: Kelsey Maxwell, Summer Naturalist, 2020 Everyone who visits the Sawtooths should take some time to enjoy the magic and mystery of a whitebark pine forest. The whitebark pine is easy to identify compared to its conifer counterparts. Its needles grow in bunches of five, and instead of growing straight and tall like the lodgepole […]