Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary)

This episode is a history of the podcast and what it is. This is our first crossover episode, appearing both here in audio form and on YouTube in video form. That makes it a video about a podcast, which is — in itself — an episode of that podcast.

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel for extra video content.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

We are honored to sit with such an incredible panel today to discuss our night skies. Listen as Jo Ann Eder, Theresa Whistler and Jeremy Battles describe the creation of a group called Red Lodge Dark Skies (RLDS), the goals and achievements of the group, what it takes to become a certified dark sky area, the importance of reducing light pollution for animals and humans, and what you can do to get involved and help out. Remember to look up!

Resources:

International Dark Skies website: DarkSky.org

Red Lodge Dark Skies Facebook page: facebook.com/RedLodgeDarkSkies

Calendar of Events for Whistler Observatory: HerosSteam.org

Citizen Science opportunities: darksky.org/news/globe-at-night-2023/

Dark Skies lighting available at Lowes: lowes.com/pl/Dark-sky--Outdoor

International Dark Sky Week (April 2-8, 2024): darksky.org/what-we-do/events

Email to get on the mailing list for RLDS: HerosSteamCenter@gmail.com 

In this month’s episode, we have a fun conversation with Marian Kirst. If you have never taken a second to think about moths, please stop and listen to this episode. Have your mind blown! She works for the Montana Moth Project, a flagship program of the Northern Rockies Research and Educational Services, and is here with her inspiring passion to open your minds to how cool these little creatures are, their importance as pollinators, and how they may be affected by climate change.

Simple ways you can help moths:

• Reduce your light pollution (only have lights on when needed, shield your lights so they are pointed down, change your light bulbs)
• Post photos of moths you see on iNaturalist
• Come out for citizen science projects, like mothing nights run by Montana Moth Project at the Audubon Center in Billings (contact Marian for more details)

Resources from the podcast:

• MontanaMothProject.org
• Colorado State University and their C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity (Where MMP collection is stored) 
• Chuck Heart, Macro moth specialist
• Peterson Field Guide 
• “Moths of Western North America” by Jerry A. Powell and Paul A. Opler
• Moth Photographers Group Website (Maps where moths are tracked, and pictures to help with identification) 
• Pacific Northwest Moths Website 
• Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission (Run Moth Week each year)
• Moths and Moth Watching Facebook Group
• Research article on clothes moths

Bison are one of the most iconic animals of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and for good reason. They are the national mammal of the United States and the largest animal in North America. They also have a dark — but successful — conservation story. Joining Gary and Eden to discuss the history, conservation, and management of bison in America is Dr. Chris Geremia, the lead bison biologist for Yellowstone National Park.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

One of the most common questions we get at Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary is, "Why is that animal here?" That's often a more complicated question than you'd expect. In this episode, Gary and Courtney are joined by Laurie Wolf, Acting Education Bureau Chief for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to talk about rehabilitation and wildlife Sanctuaries.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

This episode is sponsored by Greater Montana Realty.

This week is National ZooKeeper Week, so we have brought on Animal Educator, Jess Smallwood, and Keepers, Izzy Sommerdorf and Mason Williams from the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary in Montana. Listen as we discuss and compare the variety of jobs you can have working with animals, and dive into the lesser-known challenges and unique benefits of the field. 

Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, has spread over most of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and is showing no signs of slowing down. In this episode, Gary and Courtney talk about what CWD is, how it spreads, and how it may affect you.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

This episode is sponsored by Greater Montana Realty.

It's springtime, which means the bears are awake. It is also time to introduce Gary's new co-host, Eden Wondra, the Education Manager from the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary. In this episode, Gary and Eden are joined by Kylie Kembel, a Bear Management Technician for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, to revisit a subject we discussed back in episode 3. This time, though, with our new long format, we have time to talk about bear safety, biology, "problem bears," bear encounters, and much more.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

Our guest this episode is Ben Daley, Program Director from the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Foundation. Gary and Eden discuss stewardship of our wild lands and how the A-B Wilderness fits into Custer National Forest and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

In this episode, we bring on Mat Seidensticker, director and founder of the Northern Rockies Research and Education Services, the non-profit that we learned about in our last episode.  In this episode, however, we brought on the Director to gain a bigger picture of how a science-based non-profit works, what other projects they have going on, their partnership with MPG ranch, what DNA barcoding is, and so much more.  Mat also shares with us a crazy story from the field as well as some ways that you can help the project, and our climate! 

Resources:

• MontanaMothProject.org - this is where you can contact Mat and Marian
• “Wilted Wings” A Hunter’s Fight for Eagles” by Mike McTee
• MPGRanch.com

Ways you can help:

• Contact the Montana Moth Project (through their website, to tell them you would like to get involved!)
• Plant wildflowers and let your yard go wild!
• Post pictures of moths you take (and other insectivores!) on iNaturalist 
• Join a mothing night! Learn how to do it, and then you could set up your own and contribute to the data collection. (Mothing nights happen often in the summers at Montana Audubon Center and ZooMontana)
• Sign up for the Montana Moth Project Newsletter so you will receive news when new community science opportunities come up!

Can you keep a kangaroo as a pet? Why do Montana and Arizona have different laws? What does accreditation mean for a wildlife sanctuary or a zoo? Gary and Eden discuss all of this and more, and two distinguished guests join them to answer even more questions: Vernon Weir, Director of the American Sanctuary Association, and Jeff Ewelt, Executive Director of ZooMontana.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

We haven't talked about red foxes since episode 17, way back in the "Two Minutes" days for this podcast. Today, we interview fox researcher Patrick Cross and discuss behaviors, genetics, the trickster foxes of legend, and much more. We dedicate this episode to Rex, our 12-year-old fox who passed away shortly after the interview was recorded.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

Even as snow continues to fall, signs of spring are in the air in the Yellowstone ecosystem, and one of the biggest, loudest signs of spring is the annual return of the sandhill cranes.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

These much-maligned icons of the American West are only part-time residents of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, but they fill a critical ecological niche.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

Coyotes are amazingly adaptable and resilient, and despite all attempts to wipe them out, they have not only survived, but thrived.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

Animal training in zoos & wildlife sanctuaries isn't about performing tricks for an audience: it's about making the animals' lives healthier, happier, and safer.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

What better subject for the week of America's Independence Day than the conservation success story of the bald eagle? Our national bird came close to extinction, but concerted efforts have them back, strong and proud.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

Asymmetrical ears and feathers modified for silent flight are just two of the factors that make great horned owls some of the most fearsome predators of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. 

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

There are definitely snakes in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. There's just one that's dangerous to humans, though.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

The predecessor of today's modern cheetah, the fastest land animal, roamed the Montana and Wyoming plains as recently as 12,000 years ago.

Learn more about us on Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

Red foxes, the smallest wild canines in our ecosystem, are quite different from their larger cousins, the wolves and coyotes.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

Is it a rodent? No, it's a lagomorph! Join us for a discussion about rabbits, hares, picas, and washing your mouth out with soap.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

They may not have adamantium claws, but this largest terrestrial member of the weasel family is still a fascinating and impressive animal!

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

We all love seeing wildlife, especially pretty songbirds at our bird feeders. But should we be feeding other wildlife? Absolutely not! In fact, it may even be illegal!

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

Jellyfish aren't fish; sea horses aren't horses; flying foxes aren't foxes. We also have some animals here in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem that got the wrong names.

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

The West Nile Virus, which is transmitted by mosquitos, is all over the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Today we talk about what it is, how it spreads, and what to do about it.

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

Some animals adapt well to changing ecosystem. Others take things in their own paws and make the changes in their environment all by themselves, intentionally or not.

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

Our "Talk Like a Pirate Day" episode discusses some extremely smart birds with some surprising behaviors. Yep. It should have been ravens on the pirates' shoulders.

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

Hibernation time is approaching, and the bears are eating everything in sight. Join us for a chat about hyperphagia and some news about the Sanctuary's new education exhibits.

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

Migration routes may be instinctive or they may be learned. What's the difference? What happens if things go wrong? And what if a black vulture shows up in Red Lodge, Montana?

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

The biggest wildcat in the country may be called the cougar, panther, painter, mountain lion, puma, or catamount. No matter what you call them, they are amazingly efficient predators.

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

If Western movies have taught us anything, it's what an eagle sounds like. But that sound most movies use isn't really an eagle. It's a different American icon: the red-tailed hawk.

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

Raccoons are adorable. They can also be pests. But should we fear them? Are they just waiting outside to give us rabies? Let's find out...

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

For this episode, we're wrapping up bat week (and recording on Halloween!), so the obvious subject is the bats of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem!

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

Bears of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem are digging out of their dens and blinking at the bright spring sunlight. This week, we talk about hibernation and bear safety.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

In this episode, we talk about a mighty little predator called the Western Screech Owl, whose call isn't quite what you'd expect it to be.

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

How do wild animals end up living in a wildlife sanctuary instead of roaming free? In this episode, Gary looks at how it happens and what we can do to prevent it.

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

As we learn more about wildfires and their effects on ecosystems, we are changing the way we deal with them.

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

Ben Franklin said of the turkey, “He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage.” That may be so, but when you feed them in town, problems can develop...

The 2 Minutes in the Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

We have shed the restrictions of our old 2-minute radio show, and can now cover subjects in much greater depth. In this first episode with the new full-length format, we talk about wolves, from all of the "big bad wolf" legends through today's modern wolf management issues.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem podcast is a production of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary.

This episode is sponsored by Greater Montana Realty.

The greater Yellowstone ecosystem is one of the few places where you can find both bobcats and lynxes in the wild. What's the difference? How can you tell which is which?

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

We've spent the last four episodes talking about aspects of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. This week, we talk about what that really means.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

Porcupines are the second-largest rodent in the Yellowstone ecosystem, and they fill a very important niche. Today's episode is all about the porcupines!

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

Masters of migration, Swainson's Hawks connect our Yellowstone ecosystem with one over 6,000 miles away in Argentina.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

At a wildlife sanctuary, it's important to keep the animals both physically and mentally healthy, and behavioral enrichment is one of our key tools.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.

The recent spate of injuries in Yellowstone Park highlights the need to be aware of your surroundings around the big mammals of this ecosystem.

Learn more about us on the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary website.