Wyoming Naturalist Program Stories
Graduates of the Wyoming Naturalist Program share stories of their favorite conservation-related volunteer experience.
Wyoming Naturalist Program participants come from all corners of Wyoming, but one thing brings them together: their passion for our state’s biodiversity. In order to become a Certified Wyoming Naturalist, participants must volunteer on conservation-related projects in Wyoming. See where our Wyoming Naturalists have been and what they’ve been up to by clicking on the map icons below.
Tent Caterpillar Population Monitoring
Tent Caterpillar Population Monitoring. Click to expand.
Kathy Lichtendahl (WNP Class of 2021) volunteered on many projects in northwestern Wyoming to achieve WNP certification. Her favorite experience was monitoring the population of tent caterpillars on mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. A few years ago, there was a significant die-off of mountain mahogany. The goal of this monitoring study is to determine if the large population of tent caterpillars on these plants is to blame. Tent caterpillars tend to get a bad rap, in part because they are seen as creepy when they congregate in large numbers in their webs. They can cause harm, but as a general rule, the damage they do to individual plants is short-lived, and the plants recover once the caterpillars move on to the next stage. Current results from the project seem to suggest that the tent caterpillars are indeed not the culprit in the mountain mahogany die-off. This is part of why Kathy loved participating in this study; she loves studying and photographing insects of all types. And, as a previous Artist in Residence at Bighorn Canyon, the area forever has a special place in her heart.
Amphibian Monitoring in the Snowies
Amphibian Monitoring in the Snowies. Click to expand.
Jackie Hauptman, WNP Class of 2021, recommends the Wyoming Naturalist Program to others because it has helped connect her not only to conservation and research projects where she can contribute to causes important to her and the natural world, but also to other people who care about the same issues. In the summer of 2021, she and another WNP graduate signed up for the Rocky Mountain Amphibian Project. In addition to contribuitng important data to the project, they also got extra naturalist experiences! "We both like birds so we were distracted at times during the survey especially when my partner spooked a Wilson’s snipe, twice. At one point we split up to reconnoiter the different sites within the catchment. It was not too long after separating that I heard a great yell from my partner who was deep in the willows when she encountered a cow moose with calf. Apparently, the mother moose gave a warning charge, and my partner understandably got a little spooked herself. So, maybe now we know how the Wilson’s snipe feels when we get too close to her!" Jackie's experience on this project has helped her gain a better understanding of the challenges facing amphibians, and hopes that their participation in the project will help with conservation efforts so that the frogs continue to sing.
Mountain Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring
Mountain Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring. Click to expand.
Using her talent for building things and personal interest in witnessing tangible results and becoming more familiar with specific species, Jackie Hauptman ('21) started a Mountain Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring project at Guernsey State Park! She cleaned out the park's existing nest boxes, and then partnered with a local school teacher and their Industrial Arts students to build new nest boxes that allow for easier clean-out and monitoring. Jackie's participation in the Wyoming Naturalist Program has made her feel more rooted and invested in Wyoming, and has afforded her the opportunity to make great connections with dedicated naturalists. The trail master for the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society in Canada is one of those connections! They sent Jackie a template for building boxes and has offered advice on nest box monitoring and habitat requirements of Mountain Bluebirds. Jackie hopes this project will continue to develop and grow, and plans to attend annual conferences and receive bird banding training to further her own knowledge and skills.
Past and Present to Predict Future
Past and Present to Predict Future. Click to expand.
Tony Meena, WNP Class of 2021, spent a week in August 2021 on a beach paradise in Wyoming...if he had lived 70 million years ago, that is. Tony was in present-day Lovell, helping a team of researchers search for modern day small mammals, while another research team was studying ancient animal bones 80 feet below ground in Natural Trap Cave. This pit cave is nearly undetectable from the surface until it is too late--leading to layers of animals that fell to their demise for many millennia. "Bone density of these fossils and concentrations of various elements in the bones at each layer in the cave clue us in to how much water was around what food was abundant," says Tony. "The modern day small mammals I helped study represent our current time and known atmospheric conditions." By studying these metrics and comparing them to modern day data, researchers are able to unlock the secrets of our past climate, and make predictions for the future.
Tipi Rings Surveying
Tipi Rings Surveying. Click to expand.
Moe Cairns, WNP Class of 2022, participated in an archeaological training survey project to record tipi rings in Glendo State Park. "The site we recorded contained 170+ tipi rings, some of which are around 2,000 years old," sad Moe. Moe and the rest of the WNP team recorded and drew precise ring rock locations, flagged surrounding bits of flint, took soil samples, and prepared a site plant inventory.
Ethnobotany at Camp Bighorn
Ethnobotany at Camp Bighorn. Click to expand.
For Meredith Taylor, WNP Class of 2021, being a Wyoming Naturalist means "seeing natural processes operate in the field, and being able to share those experiences with others who are interested as well." That's why her favorite volunteer experience was teaching an ethnobotany field class to kids at Camp Bighorn, a program sponsored by the National Bighorn Sheep Center. Meredith enjoyed seeing how curious the kids were about native plants, and how excited they were about discovering which plants they could eat and use. Some kids even took samples of rosehip and tarragon home with them to share with their family members!
Windmill Farm Field Trip
Windmill Farm Field Trip. Click to expand.
Arranged by 2021 graduate Chris Schafer, the WNP participants and steering committee toured a wind farm near Douglas, WY. While there, we learned all about wind energy and mitigation efforts biologists like Chris take to limit the impact of windmills on wildlife!
Tent Caterpillar Population Monitoring
Kathy Lichtendahl (WNP Class of 2021) volunteered on many projects in northwestern Wyoming to achieve WNP certification. Her favorite experience was monitoring the population of tent caterpillars on mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. A few years ago, there was a significant die-off of mountain mahogany. The goal of this monitoring study is to determine if the large population of tent caterpillars on these plants is to blame. Tent caterpillars tend to get a bad rap, in part because they are seen as creepy when they congregate in large numbers in their webs. They can cause harm, but as a general rule, the damage they do to individual plants is short-lived, and the plants recover once the caterpillars move on to the next stage. Current results from the project seem to suggest that the tent caterpillars are indeed not the culprit in the mountain mahogany die-off. This is part of why Kathy loved participating in this study; she loves studying and photographing insects of all types. And, as a previous Artist in Residence at Bighorn Canyon, the area forever has a special place in her heart.
Amphibian Monitoring in the Snowies
Jackie Hauptman, WNP Class of 2021, recommends the Wyoming Naturalist Program to others because it has helped connect her not only to conservation and research projects where she can contribute to causes important to her and the natural world, but also to other people who care about the same issues. In the summer of 2021, she and another WNP graduate signed up for the Rocky Mountain Amphibian Project. In addition to contribuitng important data to the project, they also got extra naturalist experiences! "We both like birds so we were distracted at times during the survey especially when my partner spooked a Wilson’s snipe, twice. At one point we split up to reconnoiter the different sites within the catchment. It was not too long after separating that I heard a great yell from my partner who was deep in the willows when she encountered a cow moose with calf. Apparently, the mother moose gave a warning charge, and my partner understandably got a little spooked herself. So, maybe now we know how the Wilson’s snipe feels when we get too close to her!" Jackie's experience on this project has helped her gain a better understanding of the challenges facing amphibians, and hopes that their participation in the project will help with conservation efforts so that the frogs continue to sing.
Mountain Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring
Using her talent for building things and personal interest in witnessing tangible results and becoming more familiar with specific species, Jackie Hauptman ('21) started a Mountain Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring project at Guernsey State Park! She cleaned out the park's existing nest boxes, and then partnered with a local school teacher and their Industrial Arts students to build new nest boxes that allow for easier clean-out and monitoring. Jackie's participation in the Wyoming Naturalist Program has made her feel more rooted and invested in Wyoming, and has afforded her the opportunity to make great connections with dedicated naturalists. The trail master for the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society in Canada is one of those connections! They sent Jackie a template for building boxes and has offered advice on nest box monitoring and habitat requirements of Mountain Bluebirds. Jackie hopes this project will continue to develop and grow, and plans to attend annual conferences and receive bird banding training to further her own knowledge and skills.
Past and Present to Predict Future
Tony Meena, WNP Class of 2021, spent a week in August 2021 on a beach paradise in Wyoming...if he had lived 70 million years ago, that is. Tony was in present-day Lovell, helping a team of researchers search for modern day small mammals, while another research team was studying ancient animal bones 80 feet below ground in Natural Trap Cave. This pit cave is nearly undetectable from the surface until it is too late--leading to layers of animals that fell to their demise for many millennia. "Bone density of these fossils and concentrations of various elements in the bones at each layer in the cave clue us in to how much water was around what food was abundant," says Tony. "The modern day small mammals I helped study represent our current time and known atmospheric conditions." By studying these metrics and comparing them to modern day data, researchers are able to unlock the secrets of our past climate, and make predictions for the future.
Tipi Rings Surveying
Moe Cairns, WNP Class of 2022, participated in an archeaological training survey project to record tipi rings in Glendo State Park. "The site we recorded contained 170+ tipi rings, some of which are around 2,000 years old," sad Moe. Moe and the rest of the WNP team recorded and drew precise ring rock locations, flagged surrounding bits of flint, took soil samples, and prepared a site plant inventory.
Ethnobotany at Camp Bighorn
For Meredith Taylor, WNP Class of 2021, being a Wyoming Naturalist means "seeing natural processes operate in the field, and being able to share those experiences with others who are interested as well." That's why her favorite volunteer experience was teaching an ethnobotany field class to kids at Camp Bighorn, a program sponsored by the National Bighorn Sheep Center. Meredith enjoyed seeing how curious the kids were about native plants, and how excited they were about discovering which plants they could eat and use. Some kids even took samples of rosehip and tarragon home with them to share with their family members!
Windmill Farm Field Trip
Arranged by 2021 graduate Chris Schafer, the WNP participants and steering committee toured a wind farm near Douglas, WY. While there, we learned all about wind energy and mitigation efforts biologists like Chris take to limit the impact of windmills on wildlife!
To learn more about the Wyoming Naturalist Program, please visit https://wyomingnaturalists.wyomingbiodiversity.org/
