Nature

The Sawtooth NRA is not a national park

ALPINE EXAMINER July 16, 2022 Naturalist Blog Getting to the heart of what matters in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area The Sawtooth NRA is not a National Park Before I moved to Stanley to start working, I did not know the Sawtooth were at the center of a National Recreation Area (NRA). I’d never heard […]

A Beaver’s Tale

The Alpine Examiner July 10, 2022 Naturalist Blog Getting to the heart of what matters in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area A Beaver’s Tale A beaver’s tail is the tail to end all tails. Let me first start this tale with a story that is thousands of years old. This is the story of how […]

Winter Plant Adaptations

Winter Plant Adaptations The first sign of fall is often associated with dying gardens and colorful forests, but not all trees change colors and wildflowers die. What causes the leaves to change? Which plants will come back next spring? Over time, plants have adapted to their environment, and in the Sawtooths especially, these adaptations are […]

Interview with an Archaeologist

Interview with an Archaeologist Hi! I’m Aspen Arnold, the 2021 Historic Specialist at the Stanley Museum. Recently I had the opportunity to interview the Forest Archaeologist for the Sawtooth National Forest, Doug Baughman. As a student of anthropology, I was excited to hear what someone in his position does day to day on such a […]

Taking a Lichen to Moss

Taking a Lichen to Moss Imagine you are out hiking. You come across a patch of fallen and dead trees in a meadow. You can smell the musk of soft, wet bark in the air. The forest is silent except for the occasional tapping of a Lewis’s Woodpecker. Suddenly, you see a tuft of hair […]