The Pink Finches Warming High Desert Winters
Plus, riverscape restoration success, community opportunities, and more!
Photo from rosy-finch research at Powder Ridge Village Resort. The recent banding day was one of the most successful yet. Photo: Sarah Woodbury
For those of us in the West, this winter felt like it may never end. Our dedicated Rosy-Finch Project volunteers, however, had an unlikely source of warmth: a finch that splashes pink across white winter skies.
Volunteers Nancy and Rob Tolley thought this might be the "Winter of the American Goldfinch," noticing lower rosy-finch counts in the first months of the project. Recently, however, these bright flocks of Black Rosy-Finches pulled through, showing up at the Tolleys' Wyoming home as usual.
Wet rosy-finches, by Rob Tolley
American goldfinch hanging on an icicle, by Rob Tolley
Ecologist Janice Gardner takes photographs during a rosy-finch banding, by Sarah Woodbury
Scientists examine a gray-crowned rosy-finch, by Sarah Woodbury
Shorebird Survey Story Map
Our partners at Utah Division of Wildlife Resources recently published this story map all about the Intermountain West Shorebird Survey.
Enjoy this spatial journey exploring important shorebird conservation around Great Salt Lake.
Strategic Planning for Wildlife Conservation
A sandhill crane in the sagebrush of Wyoming. Photo: Rob Tolley
We're excited to embark on our strategic planning for the next three years! In a few weeks, we'll send out a survey to our amazing community, including you. Your feedback and perspectives are critical to this process.
Keep an eye on your inbox, and feel free to reach out to us if you have any feedback or thoughts to share in the meantime!
Riverscape Restoration Success: Beaver Dam Analogs and Birds
Stream Ecologist Rose Smith recently received an inspiring call: the Galena beaver dam analogs (BDAs) from 2022 have been successful!
Keith Hambrecht at Utah Department of Natural Resources, a partner in our Riverscape Restoration work, said that areas at the site with BDAs are now fully reconnected to the adjacent wetland/floodplain. This means these wetlands are now better able to moderate floods, filter out pollution from our streams, and grow the plants and insects that are important to wildlife. Hambrecht also observed birds using the area, including avocets and waterfowl.
Stay tuned for more on this story, coming soon! For now, enjoy the above photos shared by Hambrecht. Can you spot the American avocet?
Listen: Our Stream Ecologist Explains Beaver Dam Analogs
"Rose Smith, Stream Ecologist and Lead on Sageland Collaborative’s Riverscape Restoration Program, discusses Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs). BDAs are a surprisingly simple solution to bringing watersheds back into balance. They can assist with sedimentation issues in reservoirs, fire mitigation, and water quality gains."
Local Opportunities: Utah Master Naturalist Courses at Swaner Preserve
Master Naturalist course in the Desert Explorations section.
Don't miss Utah Master Naturalist courses this summer with Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter and Utah State University. With a focus on environmental knowledge and skills, each course has its own focus: Dark Sky Observations, Watershed Investigations, Desert Explorations, and Mountain Adventures.