A Fond Farewell to Yellowstone

The poetry of Yellowstone: Awakening to the song of wolves howling in the morning. Walking outside my front door and encountering a herd of bison. Hearing the elk bugle outside my office window during the rut. Listening to the crackling of superheated sulfuric beads in a hotspring at Norris Geyser Basin. Gazing up at a bear sleep in a tree in my backyard.

Yellowstone is an amazing place full of mystery and wonderment. As John Muir said, A thousand Yellowstone wonders are calling, 'Look up and down and round about you!'" and for the past few years I have done just that when living and working in Yellowstone. I have seen wolves walk by my car in the moonlight and bison peering into my living room window. I will always cherish my time in Yellowstone, and feel thankful for the experiences and people I encountered in the park.

But my home has always been Yosemite and the Sierra—indeed all of California. From the magnificent waterfalls and imposing granite of Yosemite Valley, to the surreal desert landscapes of Joshua Tree and Death Valley, to the breathtaking coastline of Point Reyes. Although I am sad that my time in Yellowstone has come to an end, I am excited about returning to California—and in an exciting and rewarding role—as the National Wildlife Federation’s new California Director.

You can follow my new adventures on my new blog: Up and Down California.

Goodbye, Yellowstone! I will miss you.

Of wolves, elk, and men: an interview with Yellowstone's wolf project leader

Yellowstone wolf 778M being captured during this year's research Photo: Yellowstone Wolf Project For over thirty years, Douglas Smith has been studying wolves, and has worked on the wolf restoration project in Yellowstone since it’s inception. But this year during his annual winter research, he was taken aback by the sight of a remarkable wolf his team captured for study, 760M, now the largest wolf ever recorded in Yellowstone.

“I’ve handled hundreds of wolves, so I have sort of gotten hardened to the process. He was something—not just another wolf. As a scientist you always take the viewpoint that you can find answers. And for the first time I thought that this is a wolf who truly has secrets.”

Smith points out that 760M lives in the most remote area of the Yellowstone and of the lower 48 states. “I just started thinking in my head as I looked at him that this is the kind of wolf that remoteness produces.” At 147 pounds, 760M replaces the previous record holder for the largest wolf in Yellowstone, 495M, who weighed in at 143 pounds. But as Smith observes, 495 is still a pretty remarkable wolf. “495M is a pro. He’s doing great. We think he’ll turn 7/8 in April, so he’s past his prime, but he’s still hunting bison. And that is what is interesting about wolves, there is no such thing as a generic wolf.”

Doug Smith darting wolf 780M during winter research this year in Yellowstone Photo: Yellowstone Wolf ProjectHis research this year also showed that after two consecutive years of declines, the wolf population has largely stabilized in Yellowstone. The northern range wolves suffered the most declines in prior years, but the decreases have leveled off according to the most recent counts. And with this stabilization, Smith believes the ecosystem as a whole is becoming more balanced.

“When wolves weren’t in Yellowstone the system was out of whack because there were tons of elk and tons of coyotes and other things suffered as a result. Now there’s greater balance among both plant and animal species. I imagine this is more what Yellowstone was like before it got changed because of European humans.”

Smith also commented about the blame wolves receive for reducing elk populations. “It’s incredibly painful dealing with people who don’t like wolves and say they have devastated the elk herd. And it’s difficult to talk to people who just want Yellowstone to be an elk farm. Yes, with carnivores you have fewer animals to hunt. But this is the way it was in Yellowstone before we interfered. When we start killing predators because we want more animals to hunt, it becomes agriculture. Is that what we want the forests and the landscapes of the west to be, a big farming operation? I don’t want the world to be so highly manipulated that we have no place where wild nature can just be.”

The full interview with Douglas Smith will be published in National Parks Traveler on April 7.

Celebrating National Wildlife Week in Yellowstone

Bison family in Yellowstone (photo by Beth Pratt)In Yellowstone National Park, wildlife is in abundance—herds of bison roam across the landscape, the howling of wolves echoes across the canyons, and grizzly bears wander in the forests.

What better place to celebrate National Wildlife Week?

National Wildlife Week, March 14-20, is the longest running program of the National Wildlife Federation and has been held each year since 1938. Past spokespeople of National Wildlife Week include Walt Disney, Shirley Temple, and Robert Redford. This year’s event also marks the 75th anniversary of National Wildlife Federation (NWF) itself. In celebration, children, youth and adults are taking time to celebrate the wildlife that move us by exploring how wildlife fly, climb, leap, swim and dig.

“Through National Wildlife Week, we can learn more about the wildlife around us and some of the unique ways they move and how we can help them.  Taking time to go outdoors and be out there in nature helps to re-connect us to our local environment.  Kids today are wired and on the go much of the day, so many miss the leaping robin or the ant on the sidewalk.  Taking 15 minutes to go outside can lead to a life-time of environmental stewardship,” says Eliza Russell, Director of Education for NWF. 

Although home to the more popular mega-fauna like bears, bison and wolves, Yellowstone has an abundance of other creatures, with a species count of 67 mammals, 322 birds, 16 fish, 6 reptiles, and 4 amphibians. In keeping with NWF’s daily theme for the week, here’s an introduction to wildlife in Yellowstone that:

Fly: The elegant Trumpeter Swan—the largest waterfowl in the world with a wingspan of up to 7 feet—can be seen flying gracefully over Yellowstone. Once on the verge of extinction, the population now appears to be stable. More Yellowstone wildlife that fly.

Climb and Dig: The pocket gopher is a prodigious digger. A single animal’s tunnel system can extend to over 500 feet in length and contain separate chambers for food storage, nesting sites, fecal deposits, and foraging access. And it achieves all of this remarkable burrowing with tiny front claws that measure only an inch in length. More Yellowstone wildlife that can climb and dig.

River otters with cutthroat trout (Photo by Beth Pratt)Swim: Yellowstone’s river otters swim playfully in Yellowstone Lake and in the park’s many rivers as they search for a meal of trout. The largest members of the weasel family, they can weigh up to 30 pounds. More Yellowstone wildlife that can swim.

Hop and Leap: Only two species of frogs live in Yellowstone—the boreal chorus and the Columbia spotted frogs. Boreal chorus frogs can be heard in wetlands each year in the spring singing loudly for a mate—the frog almost doubles its body size as it calls up to twenty times per minute. More Yellowstone wildlife that can hop and leap.

Run and Crawl: Pronghorn are the fastest land mammals in North American and can sprint up to 50 mph. A newborn can outrun a human within a couple days of birth. More Yellowstone wildlife that can run and crawl.

Pronghorn running--the animals can sprint up to 50 mph (Photo by Beth Pratt)But you don’t need to visit Yellowstone to celebrate National Wildlife Week. Wildlife lives all around us, in our neighborhoods, communities, and parks. Take part in the celebration by participating in Wildlife Watch or organizing a volunteer project for wildlife in your community.  Visit www.nwf.org/nationalwildlifeweek to get started and download a watch list and learn more about the featured wildlife. During National Wildlife Week there will be free downloadable posters with wildlife trading cards for each week day.

Founded in 1936, National Wildlife Federation’s mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future. The organization is currently developing programs to counteract nature deficit disorder in children by encouraging parents and other caring adults to help children spend more time outdoors everyday. Learn more at www.nwf.org.

Happy Birthday Yellowstone National Park!

Roosevelt Arch in Yellowstone National Park (photo by Beth Pratt)

“The headwaters of the Yellowstone River…is hereby reserved and withdrawn from settlement, occupancy, or sale…and dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”

With this pronouncement by the United States Congress on March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law the Yellowstone Park Protection Act. Yellowstone became the world’s first national park and “America’s Best Idea” was born.

National Parks have been an integral part of my life—from my father taking me to see whales on Cape Cod National Seashore, to spending college summers hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, to providing inspiration for my writing, space for my joyful wanderings, and an impetus for my career as an environmental leader. The tranquility I experience while hiking in places like Tuolumne Meadows or Hayden Valley feeds my soul with sustenance as essential to my existence as food or water.

So take time today to celebrate the birthday of Yellowstone—and of all our national parks. And if you are looking for a good birthday present for Yellowstone, consider donating to the National Parks and Conservation Association—a great non-profit that helps safeguard our parks for future generations. 

Lament for 500 Yellowstone bison--and one bison calf

Does Zisa, the late season bison calf who beat all the odds, deserve to die?

I recently wrote a lament for one bison that had been shot as part of a failed test to allow the animals to wander freely outside the park's north entrance. Seems I'll be kept busy writing eulogies for these magnificent animals this winter.

A district judge in Montana ruled today that the 500 Yellowstone bison being held outside the park's north entrance could be sent to slaughter as their removal would not threaten the long term survival of the herd. Even though the slaughter of the bison was "distasteful" (the judge's word) it was still an acceptable method in managing the animal.

It's been rumored that the little bison calf I've been reporting on, Zisa, is a part of the 500 bison on death row. This little guy, born late in the winter, beats all the odds in surviving only to be sent to slaughter because..because why? A bureaucratic plan for which I can find no justification. Bison are killed because of the fear of them transmitting brucellosis to cattle, but from the reports I have read, there has never been a single documented case of this transmittal and the more likely culprit is elk.

So why are we indiscriminately slaughtering 500 of Yellowstone's bison? Do these bison truly deserve to die? They left the park because it's a tough winter and they went in search of food. Government officials-please rethink your decision. These animals are part of the last continuous herd of wild bison in America. They are part of our heritage. They don't deserve to be condemned to death. They deserve our reverence and protection.

I stood and gazed at the captured bison this evening and simply cried. And I realized how powerless I felt that I could do nothing for them. Yellowstone--the world's first national park--is the best protected place on the planet. But what good is "America's Best Idea," if we can't keep the magnificent bison wild and free.

Please take action now to save Yellowstone's bison with one of these groups:

Buffalo Field Campaign

Defenders of Wildlife

Natural Resources Defense Council