WILDLIFE AND ECOLOGY OF THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM
September 6 - 14, 2008
 

(For the report from our September 2007 tour, click here.)

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is a stronghold for wildlife in the lower 48 United States and encompasses over 18 million acres. Bordering Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, portions of six surrounding national forests, three national wildlife refuges, and private lands. The GYE is considered one of the last intact temperate ecosystems on earth. Our tour will explore this wildlife paradise after the summer crowds depart.

Our journey will begin in Grand Teton National Park, home to some of the most spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities in America. We will search for charismatic mega-fauna including elk, moose, mule deer, pronghorn, and bison, and will spend time watching them. Many of these large ungulate species migrate to the National Elk Refuge and surrounding lands as winter approaches. We should see a variety of these species, some of whom will be engaged in the seasonal rituals of their annual breeding cycles. The wildlife viewing opportunities are matched by the grandeur of the Teton Mountains. In the west, riparian zones are excellent places to search for wildlife, and our tour will include a 10 mile float along the Snake River with the Tetons as our backdrop. Expect forays into a variety of habitats, including burned forests as we look for Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers.

At the core of the GYE lies Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming. Yellowstone, the world’s first national park and considered an international treasure, has the greatest diversity of geothermal features on earth. These are fueled by an underlying volcano that has erupted three times in the last 2 million years. The volcano collapsed each time, eventually forming a large crater or caldera over 1,300 square miles. Yellowstone is not only a hotspot for geothermal activity, but is also one of the best places to see wildlife including: mountain goats, bighorn sheep, grizzly bears and wolves.

Wolves have been wildly successful since their reintroduction into the ecosystem in 1995, preying predominantly on elk. Elk enter the “rut” or breeding season in early September and we will spend some evenings listening to the magnificent sound of bugling bull elk as the males battle to gather a harem. The wide open expanses of the Hayden and Lamar valleys, located in the central and northern reaches of the park, will hopefully provide us with some predator and prey interactions in addition to the spectacular scenery. We will visit Bear Tooth Pass in Montana, where we will experience the only alpine tundra of our trip, and some of the best scenery. The pass itself may hold Black Rosy-Finch, Mountain Goats, and a few lingering alpine wildflowers.

Birds of note on the tour may include Trumpeter Swan, Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers, Red-naped Sapsucker, Mountain Chickadee, Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebird, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Green-tailed Towhee, and Cassin’s Finch.

PACE, WEATHER, AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS:

The pace of the tour will be generally moderate, with days typically beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 6:00 p.m. On some days, we may opt for an early dinner, to allow us to return to the field for the twilight hours, when many mammals become more active. We will also include at least one optional pre-dawn departure. Sunrise in early September will be about 7:00 a.m., and sunset about 7:50 p.m. (mountain daylight time).
We are visiting the GYE to see, watch, explore and learn, rather than simply run up a long species list, so we may occasionally spend periods of one half hour or more watching from one location, particularly if exciting wildlife (like wolves, a grizzly, or rutting elk) are in view. Most days will involve short hikes on moderate terrain, with the longest ranging to about two miles. Much of the wildlife viewing and birding will happen from near the vehicles.
Daytime temperatures could range from the 30’s to the 70’s (F), with normal daily highs in the 60’s, and overnight lows below freezing possible. Snow is possible, as are sudden weather changes. Participants should be equipped with a range of clothing options that can be layered, including a warm jacket and rain gear.
Travel during this tour will be in vans or large SUV’s, with no more than 7 participants plus a leader in one 12 passenger van. Tour size is limited to 14 participants.
Additional information about the tour, with a list of participants, addresses of motels, lists of things to bring, a reading list, a list of birds which could be seen, and information about weather, dress and so forth, will be mailed to all participants well in advance of the tour.

DATES: Saturday, September 7th, 2008 (Meet at our hotel in Jackson Hole at 8:00 p.m.) to Sunday, September 14th, 2008 (flights home from Jackson Hole)

PRICE: Cost for this tour is $2,495. Single supplement will be $585. A deposit of $500 will hold your place until July 1, 2008, when full payment becomes due.

 
PRICE INCLUDES: 8 nights lodging; 1 rafting trip; all park admissions; all land transportation; and expert leadership. Does not include meals or airfare to/from Jackson Hole.

SEND DEPOSITS AND OTHER PAYMENTS TO:
NJAS Eco-Travel,
9 Hardscrabble Road
Bernardsville, NJ 07924
(908) 204-8998
Make checks payable to the New Jersey Audubon Society.

TOUR LEADERS:

Mark Garland  is an Associate Naturalist for the Cape May Bird Observatory.  He lives in West Cape May and works as a freelance naturalist.  He has held the position of Senior Naturalist for the Cape May Bird Observatory and also for the Audubon Naturalist Society, based in the Washington, D.C., area.  He has led eco-tours for various organizations for twenty-five years, leading well over 150 trips to date, along with countless field trips within the mid-Atlantic states.  He is author of Watching Nature: A Mid-Atlantic Natural History and is the Nature Editor for the Metro Connection program on WAMU, Washington's public radio station.

Patrick Scheuer is currently the Teacher-Naturalist at Lorrimer Sanctuary in Franklin Lakes, NJ.  Growing up in the shadow of the famous Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania, his interest in birding and natural history began at an early age.  He carried this interest with him to Penn State University where he earned a degree in Earth Sciences.  After completing school Patrick worked as a naturalist and guide for several years in the Pocono Mountains before coming to New Jersey Audubon Society.  In addition to birding, Patrick’s interests include fishing, backpacking, boating, and gardening.

For tour itineraries, to register, or for more information contact:

NJAS Eco-Travel at: (908)-204-8998
9 Hardscrabble Road
Bernardsville, NJ 07924
or email travel@njaudubon.org

If you are not a member and would like to become one, consider Joining New Jersey Audubon Society.