WYOMING NATURALIST PROGRAM MEETING!
The 2023 Annual WNP Meeting was a blast! The event started off Saturday morning with a presentation from the City of Casper about their river restoration project. We then headed out into the field and divided into teams to mark and remove invasive Russian olive trees.
After lunch, we met at the Izaak Walton League lodge for advanced training. The first training, by Dr. Brett Addis, covered modeling data in conservation science. The second training was a hands-on herpetology ID lab led by Mason.
After a tasty dinner, the group headed up to Casper Mountain to mist-net for Northern saw-whet owls, but unfortunately did not catch any.
On Sunday, we had a very delicious breakfast cooked by Dorothy, Esther, and Zach, and then we celebrated the achievements of those who certified/recertified, reached 200 hours, or have done over and above the required hours of advanced trainings. We then headed out for the Dan Speas Fish Hatchery and learned lots about aquaculture.
Since 2021, our AMAZING Wyoming Naturalists have donated over 2,000 hours of volunteer service to conservation education and stewardship efforts around Wyoming! Just in 2023, you’ve donated
over 955 hours of service!
A list of some of the naturalist’s achievements that we celebrated at the Annual Meeting include:
• First Time Certified Wyoming Naturalists
- Casey Black
- Tyrell Perry
- Dorothy Tuthill (as an honorary member of the 2023 WNP cohort, since her retirement)
• 1st Year Recertified Wyoming Naturalists
- Joanne Theobald
- Lennie Poitras
- Esther Gilman-Kehrer
- Jennie Lawrence
- Rachel Carr
- Angela Leone
• 2nd Year Recertified Wyoming Naturalists
- Kathy Lichtendahl
- Meredith Taylor
• WNP members who volunteered over 200 hours:
- Jennie Lawrence
- Kathy Lichtendahl
GET TO KNOW YOUR NATURALIST
Hi, I am Lenore “Lennie” Poitras. I grew up in northwestern North Dakota on a Durum wheat farm. We raised every domesticated animal imaginable and tried to raise a few bunnies and fawns. We never had
success with the wildies. My stepfather and brother were hunters, but I was liable to yell, “Run rabbit, run!” so I was not included in the almost daily hunting excursions. I have lived in Lander, WY for the last 25 years. My children are now 25 and 28 years old, and one still lives here, which is nice.
What naturalist class did you “graduate” with?
2nd Cohort, 2022
Tell us a bit about your journey to conservation, natural resources, and/or the outdoors.
I have a degree in Ornamental Horticulture and have always been outdoors and growing things. When my daughter went to the University of Wyoming, she took classes for a degree in Animal Biology. During that time, she started volunteering at the UW Museum of Vertebrates cataloging birds. The art museum also did a great installation about the impacts of the BP oil spill on the biology of the Gulf of Mexico.
What was your favorite Wyoming Naturalist class, and why?
I was really happy to learn more about nature journaling and I have a lot of fun with that. I was fascinated by the mussel lesson, and I loved Rhiannon’s mammal talk. I really enjoyed learning about more than my usual purview!
What topic would you like to learn more about through the Wyoming Naturalist program?
I feel that there is an endless amount of knowledge that I could learn. I would like to learn just about anything.
Tell us your favorite Wyoming Naturalist-tied volunteer moment or experience.
Bio Blitz has really been great both this year and last year. I have also been helping plant sagebrush for the BLM Abandoned Mines project, and that has been fun. I loved catching the Saw Whet Owls on Casper Mountain.
Where is your favorite spot in the great outdoors, and why?
I absolutely love Sinks Canyon. It is 10 minutes from home and is inspirationally beautiful.
What is your favorite naturalist book, either fiction or non-fiction?
I have been really inspired by Doug Tallamy’s book, Nature’s Best Hope, about making our yards wildlife and insect-friendly through the use of native plants.
Do you have a favorite snack or camping meal when you go out on projects or hiking?
I am liking my homemade dried tomato chips with a bit of basil and garlic on crispy dried tomatoes from the garden.
Tell us one fun fact about yourself.
I started my education as an art major, and quit it as not being practical. I ended up making art anyway many years later as a jeweler. Visit our artist cooperative, Alchemy, here in Lander to see my work.
Is there anything else you would like us to know?
Thanks for your interest! I love the program and we should figure out ways to publicize it further as well as finding volunteer opportunities to share.
OPPORTUNITIES: ADVANCED TRAINING AND VOLUNTEER
Advanced Training: Christmas Bird Count Prep (Data Collection & Use)
Date: Dec 5, 2023
Time: 6:30 PM MT
Description: This one-hour advanced training will teach about the ins and outs of the Christmas Bird Count. We will cover counts in the state, what species to watch for, how to collect data, and how to see the data in action!
Registration Link: https://audubon.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqcemtqTIrHdH4yuyeDYqIxcLU3H5YSAhj#/
Advanced Training: Finches of Wyoming
Date: Dec 6, 2023
Time: 6:30 PM MT
Description: This one-hour advanced training will cover the identification and annual cycle of summer and winter finches that we experience in Wyoming.
Registration Link: https://audubon.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIkc-uopj8pEt2uIdWGVq0ZLznTHMA_Bcqt
Service Project: Goshen Hole Christmas Bird Count
Location: Torrington, WY
Date: Dec 17, 2023
Time: 07:30 AM MT
Description: This is a Christmas Bird Count Circle ONLY for Wyoming Naturalists.
Registration Link: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=sbEynMiwLUK3p4WdG-ylI_nEjHXETh5EjeCaQk8LwbJUQ0hDSVhYNUg5TUdZMlZXUkxEVFhNU1daRC4u
Service Project: Wyoming Christmas Bird Counts
Location: TBD
Date: Many counts from Dec 14, 2023, to Jan 5, 2024
Time: TBD
Description: There are Christmas Bird Count Circles in almost EVERY community in Wyoming. Visit the link below to contact your local compiler to register!
More Information Link:
All CBC Circles: https://audubon.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=ac275eeb01434cedb1c5dcd0fd3fc7b4