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Oct 12

Take the Teton River Survey THIS WEEK - Your Opini

Take the Teton River Survey THIS WEEK - Your Opinion Matters! The survey is online until October 17th.

Whether you fish, float, walk, hunt, watch wildlife, farm, ranch, picnic, guide, walk dogs, or live along the Teton River- this survey is for you. And it's only the first step to participate in recreation planning for our local river resource. To take the survey, go to: www.tetoncountyidaho.gov

This survey, sponsored by Teton County, Idaho, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Friends of the Teton River, and Teton Regional Land Trust, is an opportunity for stakeholders and recreational users to describe their experiences and identify possible management strategies for this valuable community resource. The results of this survey, along with user data collected over recent floating seasons, will be presented to the public in a virtual planning meeting this fall.

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Oct 11

Cheers to a great IF Pint Night! Thanks to everyo

Cheers to a great IF Pint Night!

Thanks to everyone who came out to Idaho Brewing Company for a beautiful fall evening with music, food, raffles, and of course, tasty beer! It was great to see everyone and we truly appreciate all of your support.

A BIG thank you to Idaho Brewing Company, Great Harvest Bakery & Cafe Idaho Falls, The Wild Potatoes, Kris Millgate, and our awesome volunteers.

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Oct 5

A big shout out and thank you to our amazing "Bird

A big shout out and thank you to our amazing "Bird Box" volunteers for keeping this new project moving forward! Bird boxes were placed last fall near the Teton River and our volunteers have been checking on them, recording use, and cleaning them out this spring and summer.

They reported that "out of the 30 boxes, there were lots used as nests as evidenced by the poop inside as well as all the feathers. Some nests were started but abandoned, just a bit of nest material and only an occasional feather which left the rest completely empty. Two had small bee nests inside! The exciting find was two nests that each had one egg left. So pure white!"

Thanks so much to Wray and Lani Landon and to Ken and Anna Kirkpatrick for leading the project!

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Sep 30

2021 TRUMPETER SWAN RELEASE Teton Regional Land Tr

2021 TRUMPETER SWAN RELEASE
Teton Regional Land Trust and partners recently released five Trumpeter Swan cygnets in Teton Valley with the goal of establishing nesting pairs. The cygnets have green leg bands on - keep an eye out for them and please let us know if you see them through our observation form on our website.

To learn more about the Teton Basin Trumpeter Swan Project and report an observation, please go to our website (link in bio)

Photo by Tim Brockish

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Sep 29

2021 GREATER YELLOWSTONE CRANE FESTIVAL is a wrap!

2021 GREATER YELLOWSTONE CRANE FESTIVAL is a wrap!

Another great Crane Fest despite the weather and adjustments made due to Covid. Thanks so much to all of our participants, dancers (staying to dance beautifully in the rain), poets, artists, and sponsors for all of your support!

You can still watch this year's informative Keynote Presentation by Rob Cavallaro, Wildlife Biologist and Idaho Fish & Game’s Upper Snake Regional Habitat Manager (link in bio). Rob presents an overview of crane ecology with a focus on our region; he has been an integral member of the Greater Yellowstone Sandhill Crane Initiative.

Photo by Paul Allen

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Sep 22

We are excited about our annual IF Pint Night at I

We are excited about our annual IF Pint Night at Idaho Brewing Company this Thursday 9/23 from 5-8pm.

It looks like it will be a beautiful evening for an outside event. The Wild Potatoes will be playing LIVE music, Great Harvest Bakery & Cafe Idaho Falls will be providing grilled brats, and of course IBC will be serving their awesome beer (& wine)!!!

Kris Millgate will also be joining us to sign books, including her new one "My Place Among Fish"!

We hope to see you there!

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Sep 17

It’s Crane Festival Week 🤩 Come see us at the

It’s Crane Festival Week 🤩
Come see us at the Teton Valley Farmers Market right now at the Driggs City Center plaza.

Then TONIGHT, come by the plaza for the opening reception, 5-7pm, for the Crane Fest Art Show with Teton Arts. We’ll be having a silent auction also with some AMAZING artwork!

And TOMORROW is the Crane Fest Community Celebration at the Drugs City Center plaza from 11am-5pm.

Thanks so much to RAD Curbside for supporting Crane Fest and helping us to keep the plaza clean and beautiful!

Come join in the celebrations!

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Sep 16

JOIN US TONIGHT AT 7PM Crane Festival Keynote Pres

JOIN US TONIGHT AT 7PM
Crane Festival Keynote Presentation
by Rob Cavallaro, Idaho Department of Fish and Game

Thursday, September 16th at 7pm!

Join us for this year's ONLINE keynote presentation. Rob Cavallaro, Wildlife Biologist and Idaho Fish & Game’s Upper Snake Regional Habitat Manager, will present an overview of crane ecology with a focus on our region. Rob has been an integral member of the Greater Yellowstone Sandhill Crane Initiative. We will post the ZOOM link on our Crane Festival event page on our website before the presentation (link in bio)

Photo by Paul Allen

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Sep 15

Crane Festival Poetry Workshop! Don’t miss this

Crane Festival Poetry Workshop!

Don’t miss this special opportunity to join poets Matt Daly and Laurie Kutchins for a creative experience of writing original poems focused on cranes. In this 90-minute workshop, they will help beginners and experienced poets alike to generate descriptive and reflective writing about their experiences with and impressions of cranes. Participants will then use their reflections to craft and share poems.

The workshop will be held on Saturday, September 18 from 1:30pm - 3pm for ages 14 and over. You will have the opportunity to read your poetry on the stage that day in the Crane Festival program which will start at 3:30pm.

Sign up through our website (link in bio). If you miss signing up ahead of time, you can join in at the event if space is available.

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Sep 14

In a Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild was su

In a Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild was such a magical experience on the beautiful conservation property of Fox Creek Ranch.

We are truly grateful to Nancy Huntsman and her family for hosting this event and for Hunter Noack and his incredible music!

Thanks so much to everyone who attended, donated to our silent auction and raffle, and to our event sponsors - Portfolio Solutions/Jim and Missy Gladney, Sue Rope, Nancy Huntsman, M Lazy M Foundation, Rich and Wendy Hokin, Harold and Kaye Dunn, Carleton and Sharon Spaulding, Sandy Schultz Hessler, Amy Lientz and Jay Astle, Cindy and Bob Breckenridge, MarCellars Vintage Wines & Brews – Marilynne Manguba, Pamela and Roger Mayes, Cindy and Steve Carr, Park and Sharon Price, Schiebler Family Foundation, Carrie and Jerry Scheid.

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Sep 7

We hope you will join us! Check out our website to

We hope you will join us! Check out our website to sign up for workshops and for details (link in bio).

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Aug 26

Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are the biggest

Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are the biggest of the skunk and are native to Idaho. The skunk can discharge a foul-smelling fluid as a means of defense. A skunk’s smelly spray can reach up to ten feet, and be detected for up to 1.5 miles. Its scientific name, mephitis, in Latin means “bad odor”.

Skunks are intelligent and usually good-natured. My old dog and a skunk got along pretty well one summer, once they learned to share space! However, when they do feel threatened, they are famous for their defense system of a bad-smelling spray that comes from two glands near the base of their tail. Spraying typically happens after an obvious warning display, where the skunk stomps its feet and arches its back while raising its tail.

The striped skunks, are terrestrial, nocturnal critters that can survive in a variety of habitats. They prefer open areas and are often found on agricultural lands.

Skunks have very poor eyesight and may stumble into danger before they recognize what they are seeing. They also tend to be disoriented when they wake up from their extended slumbers. Sleepy skunks spook especially easily. Although their eyesight is very poor, they have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. The striped skunk seems aware of how horrible its own odor is and will not spray in its own dens or in confined spaces.

Striped skunks are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders. They eat mostly insects during the spring and summer seasons when grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, bees, and other arthropods are abundant. Immune to snake venom, these animals will eat poisonous snakes such as rattlesnakes. Skunks eat honeybees and wasps and often attack beehives. Corn and nightshade fruits round out their diet.

Skunks can be problematic around campgrounds and homes because they will rummage through the garbage. They will also consume pet food that is left outside and will raid chicken coops. Because they are excellent diggers, securing a coop or barricading a porch from an enlightened skunk can be difficult. But they are just doing what skunks do, and if they are given a wide berth and unattainable food choices, we can co-exist remarkably well with skunks.

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Aug 24

Rod Drewien July 30, 1939 – July 28, 2021 Our

Rod Drewien
July 30, 1939 – July 28, 2021

Our hearts go out to Ruth Shea and all of Rod's family and friends. Rod and Ruth are both true conservation heroes. Ruth shared this write up with us:

As a boy in California, Rod roamed the hills and wetlands in search of wildlife and adventure. That would become the theme of his life. High school was a cage for his boundless energy, love of wildness, and hunting. Though a good student when not cutting classes, Rod quit school at 17 to join the Air Force and test his own wings. He emerged with discipline, a burning desire to learn all he could about the wildlife and wildlands he loved, and he tried hard to share that knowledge with others. After he completed his Ph.D. on sandhill cranes in 1973, Rod worked with many agencies and conservation groups, studying cranes, swans, and geese and following them through their annual life cycles. His research extended from the Arctic tundra to southern Mexico, with jaunts to India and China to share his knowledge. As a contractor with the Hornocker Wildlife Institute, Rod maneuvered to avoid having a boss who might dampen his adventures as he worked across administrative and geographic boundaries and followed the birds year-round. Although he was a widely-recognized authority on cranes, Rod’s expertise extended to many other species and aspects of nature as well. He published over 50 papers on migratory birds and was a mentor to many younger researchers and wildlife managers. Rod will be deeply missed by family and friends.

If you would like to help continue Rod’s work, contributions to the Rod Drewien Crane Conservation Fund through Teton Regional Land Trust, set up by Ruth Shea, are welcome (link in bio).

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Aug 16

Thank you for making the Un-Wrun for Wray 2021 Tar

Thank you for making the Un-Wrun for Wray 2021 Targhee Hill Climb Raffle a great success!

A big THANK YOU to Wray and Lani Landon for putting it all together and to the sponsors for the awesome prizes. We raised over $6000 for our Wray Landon Legacy Fund: https://tetonlandtrust.org/support/memorial-gifts/

And thanks to all of our sponsors for the AMAZING prizes! Grand Targhee Resort, Great Harvest Bakery & Cafe Idaho Falls, Peaked Sports, MD Nursery, Westside Yard, Grand Teton Distillery, and Liquid Hardware "Never lose your lid."

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Aug 13

We are excited to introduce you to our newest staf

We are excited to introduce you to our newest staff member, Katie Guetz - Land Steward!

What will you do for the Land Trust and what made you want to join our team?
I will be working as a Land Steward for the Land Trust! This generally includes writing baseline documentation, conducting field assessments and annual monitoring visits, and working directly with landowners to restore and improve conservation values on their property. I wanted to come to TRLT because I have a deep interest in the natural resources and landscapes of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. I spent ~10 years living in Bozeman, MT, and during that time I witnessed a lot of development occur within this critical ecosystem. I’m very excited to be a part of the Teton Valley community and working to protect and restore these vitally important areas in our region.

What were you doing before?
Before coming to TRLT I was finishing my Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy at Northern Arizona University, and meanwhile exploring the landscapes of the Southwest! After graduation in May 2020, I spent a season working for the Forest Service as a hydrology technician on the Bridger-Teton National Forest out of Jackson, followed by an AmeriCorps position in Bozeman where I helped monitor surface and groundwater resources across Gallatin Valley.

Do you have pets?
I have lots of family pets, but I have one dog of my own – Leo. He’s a big mutt, who came off of a reservation in New Mexico when he was a puppy. I got Leo when he was 10 weeks old and he turned nine this past April - we’ve had many years of adventures! In Teton Valley, Leo loves going hiking, cross-country skiing, and playing in the Teton River.

Tell us about your interests/hobbies:
Skiing is a big one! I grew up skiing in Colorado with my family and since then I have been able to live and work in places where skiing is a part of the community and culture. I also love mountain biking, camping, and getting on rivers however possible - over the past year I’ve been learning how to fly fish. In addition, I love water coloring, trying to garden in difficult climates, and taking my dog Leo outside anytime I can.

Welcome Katie!

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Aug 11

Thank you to the Community Foundation of Teton Val

Thank you to the Community Foundation of Teton Valley, the Tin Cup Challengers, and our donors for your amazing support during this year's Tin Cup Challenge!

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Aug 9

Thanks to everyone who participated in this import

Thanks to everyone who participated in this important fence removal project just east of Fosters Slough in Teton Basin. Over a mile of barbed wire fencing was removed by the amazing TRLT volunteers and staff and the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation volunteers, board members, and staff. Great teamwork!

Photos are by Christine Paige.

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Jul 29

LAST CHANCE FOR ONLINE UN-WRUN FOR WRAY RAFFLE TIC

LAST CHANCE FOR ONLINE UN-WRUN FOR WRAY RAFFLE TICKETS UNTIL 5PM TODAY! You can check out all of the prizes and buy your tickets on our Handbid site (link in bio).

You have a chance to win over 30 prizes worth a total value of over $3000 AND the proceeds from the raffle benefit the Wray Landon Legacy Fund through Teton Regional Land Trust.

Prizes include 7 chances to win a $50 gift card to Peaked Sports and an AWESOME Great Harvest gift basket! Thanks so much to the businesses for donating such amazing prizes.

If you miss the online sales today, you can buy raffle tickets until 11am in our booth at the Teton Valley Farmers Market in Driggs tomorrow. The drawing will be held tomorrow - you don't have to be present to win.

Thanks for your support!

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Jul 28

LAST CHANCE to get your Un-Wrun for Wray raffle ti

LAST CHANCE to get your Un-Wrun for Wray raffle tickets online until Thursday at 5pm (link in bio).

We'll do the drawing at the Teton Valley Farmers Market on Friday and you can buy raffle tickets there until 11am.

Don't miss out on the amazing raffle prizes including 2 chances for $50 gift cards from MD Nursery, 5 chances for $30 gift cards from Westside Yard, an awesome travel coffee mug from Liquid Hardware, and 5 chances to win whiskeys and a vodka from Grand Teton Distillery!

Check out all the AWESOME prizes on the link in our bio!

All proceeds benefit the Wray Landon Legacy Fund at Teton Regional Land Trust💚

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Jul 26

Win a Grand Targhee 2021/22 season ski pass in our

Win a Grand Targhee 2021/22 season ski pass in our Un-Wrun for Wray Targhee Hill Climb raffle!

Grand Targhee also donated 6 - 1 day (non-holiday) 2021/2022 winter lift tickets; 2 one-night stay and ski packages (midweek), and a 2022 Summer bike park pass to the raffle!

Buy your chances today for these and many other great prizes through our website- handbid site (link in bio).

Just $30 per chance or 4 for $100! The drawing will be THIS Friday at our booth at the Teton Valley Farmers Market!

All the money raised goes to the Wray Landon Legacy Fund at Teton Regional Land Trust.

Thank you Grand Targhee Resort for your support!

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Jul 22

In the Rocky Mountain West, we are losing 115 acre

In the Rocky Mountain West, we are losing 115 acres each day to development. To visualize this number, picture 3.5 football fields per minute being developed. In Teton Valley, we are experiencing the effects of these national trends and the Land Trust is working hard to keep up with the pace to protect more wetlands, river corridors, open space for big game migration, and working lands.

Over the last 30 years, we’ve partnered with more than 70 landowners to permanently protect over 25 river miles and 12,000 acres of critical habitat and working lands in Teton Valley. The health of the Teton River, its tributaries, and surrounding habitat are an important part of our work.

We recently updated a waterproof Teton River map that shows where our conservation easements along those 25 protected river miles are located and also provides an overview of the many different fish and wildlife species found in the Teton River. If you don't have one of these maps yet, feel free to stop by our office anytime - they are in the black box on our front porch.

Please give back to the place you love by donating through the Tin Cup Challenge today through our website: www.tetonlandtrust.org (link in bio)

There is only one day left to give - make your Tin Cup donations by 5pm tomorrow (Friday)!

With Gratitude,
Teton Regional Land Trust's Staff & Board
#TinCupChallenge

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Jul 19

"I want my children to experience what I experienc

"I want my children to experience what I experienced growing up – wildlife, healthy rivers, and open space. Nature gives so much to us for our physical and mental health. Your support of the Land Trust is a way to give back to nature." Tamara Sperber, Conservation Director

Don’t let Teton Valley’s wildlife, working lands, and open spaces disappear –please consider a gift through the 2021 Tin Cup Challenge, you can find the link on our website (link in bio).

#tincupchallenge #cftetonvalley

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Jul 17

It’s Tin Cup Event Day! Come stop by our booth.

It’s Tin Cup Event Day! Come stop by our booth. We have Teton River maps, hands on nature displays, and play our life sized Teton Creek Corridor Candyland game 😊

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Jul 16

Tin Cup Event Day is TOMORROW SAT 7/17 from 9am to

Tin Cup Event Day is TOMORROW SAT 7/17 from 9am to Noon at Driggs City Park.

Come by our booth to say hi, pick up our Summer 2021 newsletter, and check out some cool hands-on bird displays from our teacher trunks. The life-size Teton Creek Corridor Candyland Game will be set up for you to play as well!

Hope to see you there!

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Jul 15

Get to know Board Member, Bruce Mincher: Why did

Get to know Board Member, Bruce Mincher:

Why did you choose to be on the TRLT board of directors?
That’s an easy question to answer. Since my introduction to TRLT about five years ago I have been amazed at the amount of habitat protected. How they can be so successful has been a bit of a mystery. Everyone is coming to Idaho now and who can blame them? The land is being gobbled up everywhere I look. Idaho has been good to me and it’s time for me to return the favor if I can help in even a small way. Supporting TRLT is a big way to give back.

What's your favorite animal?
My favorite animal is the mountain goat. He has a wise look; like he knows something you don’t. He goes where sheep fear to tread and he does so methodically. He is never in a hurry but always gets his mountaineering right. Besides, how could I not like his big white beard?

What do you do for fun?
Now that I’m retired most days are fun. But in all honesty, I liked my chemistry research job too. That’s also learning about nature just on a different level. Today I have more time for fishing, hiking, and wildlife photography. I still hunt but the hills are definitely getting steeper. Indoors I am a collector of stamps, coins, and the autographs of historical personalities. I am a voracious reader of history. Right now I’m working on the Boer War.

What inspires you?
I continue to be inspired by the great, empty vistas found in Idaho’s wild places. The word “awesome” should be reserved for God’s creation, and not trivialized by use on common things. It more properly applies to a view of timbered mountains rising above the sage-covered desert, with perhaps a trace of snow lingering in the avalanche chutes. Or to a clear river viewed from above as it braids through a deep, basalt canyon. The inspiration builds as one wonders about the wild goats or sheep that may be foraging in those cliffs, or those native-American pronghorn racing across that desert, or those ripples in the riffles caused by colorful trout rising to stoneflies. These are the things that make Idaho special, and we need to remain vigilant to keep Idaho special.

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Jul 2

Get to Know Our Summer Intern - Hayden Evans Wha

Get to Know Our Summer Intern - Hayden Evans

What do you do for the Land Trust?
I do a variety of tasks for TRLT (basically whatever Tamara wants me to do on a particular day) including fieldwork, equipment maintenance, and office work.

What has been one of your favorites things, so far, about working for the Land Trust?
So far I've enjoyed the hands-on nature of the job. For example, walking around properties documenting the condition of fences and other structures has given me a real sense of the work that goes into making an easement possible. Of course, I like being outside, but it's also helpful to remember that the work we're doing will have a long-term impact on wildlife migration patterns.

Where do you go to school and what are you studying?
I go to Bates College in Maine and am majoring in environmental science.

What's one of your favorite animals?
I recently read a book about the American Buffalo, and since then I've been pretty fascinated with the animal. As far as I know, there aren't any wild bison on the Idaho side of the Tetons, but there are plenty in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. I think the bison is a symbol of the American West and I admire how resilient the animal is to extreme weather conditions.

What do you do for fun?
For fun, I usually get out in the mountains in some fashion. In the winter I'm an avid skier and in the summer I like to climb, bike, and trail run. Those interests are what originally brought me to the Tetons.

What do you never have enough time for?
Something I never have enough time for is surfing. It's something I've tried a handful of times and really enjoy, but I don't have the gear and am often in places far away from the ocean. If I ever find myself living in the vicinity of the coast, surfing is something I'd love to get better at.

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Jun 30

Sandhill Cranes are enjoying one of our new Teton

Sandhill Cranes are enjoying one of our new Teton Basin conserved properties while Hilary and Flat Tinny are checking out one of the many trails in Teton Valley.

You may have noticed the recent national surge of people visiting our public lands, as well as more people moving to rural parts of the country and away from cities. Although these trends show a positive increase in the interest in recreating in or living closer to nature, it also means more disturbance and development is threatening those same landscapes and the people and wildlife that depend on them. In the Rocky Mountain West, we are losing 115 acres each day to development. To visualize this number,
picture 3.5 football fields per minute being developed. This tells us there is a lot of work to be done and acting fast is pertinent.

In Teton Valley, we are experiencing the effects of these national trends and the Land Trust is working to keep up with the pace to protect more wetlands, river corridors, open space for big game migration, and working lands. The natural resources, rural way of life, and abundant wildlife are the reasons we love living here, but they depend on all of us to ensure they don’t disappear.

We hope you will consider supporting our work through the Community Foundation of Teton Valley's Tin Cup Challenge! You can go to our website (link in bio) for the link to donate.

#tincupchallenge #flattinny

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Jun 28

Thank you so much to Justin Hays and The Lodge at

Thank you so much to Justin Hays and The Lodge at Palisades Creek for hosting our Women's Fly Fishing Clinic - our first 2021 summer event!

It was a beautiful evening and the instruction was led by Sue Talbot, a South Fork Lodge guide with over 20 years of experience (and we are fortunate to have her as our newest TRLT board member). Michelle Edwards, a new TLAPC guide AND their FIRST FEMALE guide, jumped in to help - bringing her teaching experience from Colorado.

Thanks to all the ladies who came to the event! It was a great time and ended with Justin and Tonia serving up some amazing paella and sangria!

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Jun 25

The Un-Wrun for Wray Targhee Hill Climb Raffle Kic

The Un-Wrun for Wray Targhee Hill Climb Raffle Kicks Off TOMORROW - Saturday 6/26 online!

The 2021 Wrun has been canceled, but this year you can participate even if you aren’t a runner! Golden Tickets will be sold for the price of the race entry, $30 each or 4 for $100. The race for raffle tickets will begin on Wrun day, Saturday, June 26th and the drawing will be held on Friday, July 30th.

Amazing prizes, including a Grand Targhee season ski pass! Everyone has a chance to win over 25 prizes valued at well over $3000! You don't have to be present to win, we will get your prizes to you!

Buy your Golden Tickets through our Handbid site link, on our website (link in bio).

All proceeds of the Golden Ticket Raffle benefit TRLT through the Wray Landon Legacy Fund.

Thank you so much for your support!

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Jun 23

n 2020, with your generous support through the Tin

n 2020, with your generous support through the Tin Cup Challenge, we were able to protect an additional 1,200 acres in Teton Valley. On one of those completed conservation projects Teton Creek Corridor, we have recently opened a public access trail and it is exciting to be able to directly share the positive impact of our work with you. This public trail meanders through habitat above the creek corridor, including restored riparian and grass and shrubland habitat. It is easy to take for granted the things nature gives back to us, and it is when we take a moment to let our senses smell, listen, and watch the beauty that surrounds us, we realize the healing powers of nature. Over this past year, we became even more aware of how critically important clean air, clean water, and open space are.

We hope you will consider supporting our work with a Tin Cup gift today, your investment will give nature, its unique wildlife, and Teton Valley’s agricultural heritage a place to thrive. You can go to our website:”(link in bio) for the link to donate through the Tin Cup Challenge. Thank you so much for your support! #tincupchallenge

Photo by Anna Kirkpatrick