Events

Current Events

Ongoing Events

Statewide Milkweed Survey

Past Events – 2025

HFWA Talk Series: Moose Breeding Behavior at Rub Trees Along the South Fork

Click HERE to hear Scot Erickson’s presentation on moose rub behavior along the South Fork of the Snake River. Idaho’s rivers and streams are stunning places for outdoor adventure, but they’re also vital habitats and corridors for wildlife. Moose, a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Idaho, rely on these riparian areas throughout their lives. While moose breeding behaviors are well documented in northern areas such as Alaska and Canada, research about moose behavior is underrepresented at the southern extent of their range, which have unique habitat differences and pressures. Presenter Scot Erickson has studied moose scent marking behavior along the South Fork of the Snake River and the results of his research can aid biologists and land-managers in the Intermountain West to make decisions that support both recreation and conservation in a changing world.

Common Mullein Seed Head Collection

This October we got together with BYU-I students local invasive weed activist Terry Thomas to combat a huge patch of mullein near Island Park Reservoir. We were able to collect over 340 lbs of seed heads. This was a great project as mullein decreases forage quality for native wildlife and can impact grazing habits in winter and summer habitats. Each mullein plant can contain hundreds of thousands of seeds that can persist in the soil for decades, and we were able to help stop this years’ growth from getting to that point.

Willow Planting and Debris Cleanup @ H Bar L Ranch

On October 1st through 3rd we helped the Flat Ranch Nature Preserve plant 550 willow trees at Howard Creek in Island Park. These willow trees help with habitat, creek structure, and water quality. A huge thank you to all those who volunteered to help get these trees in before it froze! This was some hard work, but it will benefit Howard Creek and surrounding areas for years to come!

Ashton Apple Pickup

In collaboration with Idaho Fish and Game, Idaho Master Naturalists, and students at Madison High School, we were able to pick over 5,000 lbs of apples to reduce bear attractants in Ashton, Idaho. This helped reduce human-bear conflicts as the bears are increasing their calorie intake before hibernation. We were able to donate our entire HFWA trailer of 3,500 apples to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center for enrichment and nutrition for their grizzlies: Bo, Coram, Condi, Seely, Nakina, and Spirit!

Thank you to the volunteers and students who helped us pick apples. Also, a huge thank you to Ashton Frosttop who donated lunch to every volunteer. Employees at the Frosttop have had personal encounters with bears and were very supportive of our work.

Fundraiser for HFWA at the Island Park Village Golf Course

On August 23rd, the Island Park Village Golf Course held their annual fundraiser. This year, HFWA was the beneficiary! Thank you to everyone who participated in this fun event to support a great cause. Fundraisers like this one help us continue our work to benefit wildlife in the Henry’s Fork Watershed and we are so appreciative of the support.

Weed Management at Harriman State Park

We went to war with houndstongue and thistle on August 13th as part of a larger crew of 40 people managing weeds at Harriman State Park of Idaho. Each year weed managers descend on Harriman to cut, pull, and spray noxious weeds during a full day event. We’re looking forward to doing more noxious weed work so look for new opportunities to help this year and next! It’s a great chance to get some fresh air and exercise while learning about the weeds that are impacting wildlife in Eastern Idaho’s wild places.

IMN/HFWA Talk Series: Wildlife of the Flats

On August 12th we met at the Flat Ranch Preserve to hear a fabulously interesting talk by Tim Swearingen, IDFG Regional Habitat Biologist for the Upper Snake Region. We learned about the ecology of deer, elk, moose, and even the long-billed curlews that call the Henry’s Lake Flats home.

Nature Photography Workshop with Photographer Tracy River

On Saturday, August 9th we teamed up with Harriman State Park of Idaho to put on a nature photography workshop! Participants of all skill levels participated in a morning classroom session, taught by photographer Tracy River to learn about aspects of nature photography ranging from equipment to ethics. After the classroom session, we enjoyed lunch from the Blue Buffalo Resort Pizzeria, sponsored by the Henry’s Fork Wildlife Alliance. Then, we hit the trails of Harriman to practice taking pictures of the beautiful landscapes, waterfowl, insects, and plant life that abound in the state park.

We’ll plan another nature photography workshop in 2026 and we hope to see you all there!

Bear Aware Packaging Party

Have you received one of our Bear Aware folders? The ones with all of the great information about how to stay safe in bear country…and the cute refrigerator magnet? If you have, that folder was put together by a fabulous volunteer who attended one of our Bear Aware Packaging Parties last year! As it turns out, there has been so much demand for those folders that we were running low on our supply, so it was time to throw another party!

Thank you to all who came out to help package these materials on August 7th! These packets are distributed throughout Island Park to help spread the word about bear safety. Our goal is to get a folder into the hands of every person who calls Island Park home as well as people who come to our beautiful area to visit and recreate. Let’s make Island Park a safer place for people and bears.

IMN/HFWA Talk Series: Yellowstone Wolf Ecology and Behavior (Kira Cassidy)

Thank you to everyone who came out for Kira Cassidy’s presentation on wolf ecology, behavior, and the newest findings from long-term Yellowstone research. What a fabulous and informative presentation it was! The presentation included some of the project’s unique images and trail camera videos of normally-secretive wildlife behavior.

Pull a Fence for Pronghorn

On July 22, we teamed up with the National Parks Conservation Association, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Preserve Raynolds Pass, dedicated volunteers, and a landowner to remove a 1/2 mile of fencing consisting of a combination of woven wire and barbed wire. Fences are an important tool used by ranchers to manage grazing so we work with landowners to find ways to control the movement of livestock, while allowing for the movement of wildlife. Where fences are necessary, modifications can be made including switching out the bottom strand of fencing for smooth wire and changing the height and distance between strands. Some fences can be laid down entirely when livestock is not present. Woven wire fencing can create a significant barrier for pronghorn who navigate fences by crawling under on their knees so in this case, since the fencing was no longer needed, it was removed entirely. Thanks to the hard work of this group, pronghorn and other migrating species can move a little more freely across the landscape to access seasonal ranges in the Madison Valley, Centennial Valley and Idaho. Thanks to everyone involved!

IMN/HFWA Talk Series: The Web of Life – Land and Water Linkages (Dr. Colden Baxter)

Years of fascinating research on giant salmonfly hatches, migrating birds, non-native carp, and olive trees are woven together into a narrative of interdependence between land and water. This presentation will change the way you see nature around you. Dr. Colden Baxter is a Professor of Ecology and Director of the Stream Ecology Center and the Center for Ecological Research & Education at Idaho State University. If you didn’t catch this talk live, you can watch it on our YouTube Channel!

Weed Pull – Woods Creek Fen (TRLT Property)

HFWA joined the Teton Regional Land Trust for a weed pull on Woods Creek Fen near Driggs. The hard work of this volunteer crew will improve ecosystem health by making room

 for native plants to thrive and provide for wildlife. The crew focused their efforts on pulling primarily Canada and musk thistle, but also spotted knapweed, houndstongue, and oxeye daisy. Volunteers received a short course on weed identification before setting to work. Thank you to all of the volunteers that showed up to improve the landscape for native plants and animals!

Annual Wildlife Festival

Our annual Wildlife Festival was a great success! On June 28th HFWA, Bear Guardian, Involved Property Owners of Island Park, Bear Aware Island Park, and Harriman State Park hosted

this fun-filled, family-friendly day. Participants learned about local wildlife, conservation, and research while enjoying scenic Harriman State Park. Visitors learned to use bear spray with IDFG’s robotic bear, made plaster casts of bird feet and customized bird strike window decals with Friends of Camas, learned about invasive weeds, public land protection, and so much more! Los Tacotes provided delicious food while Lines and Tines entertained with a fabulous selection of music.

Thank you to all who attended and participated in this event and we look forward to seeing you at next year’s Festival!

Raising Lay-Down Fencing – Flat Ranch Preserve

We would like to extend our most sincere appreciation to all of the amazing volunteers that helped to raise and repair fencing at TNC’s Flat Ranch Preserve! Laying down fencing during critical migration periods is one tool that land managers can use to improve connectivity between critical winter and summer habitats. Although it can be labor intensive to lay down fencing before the winter migration just to raise it again after the spring migration, the effort benefits wildlife populations including pronghorn, deer, elk, moose, and even grouse that use the Henry’s Fork Watershed, while also supporting working lands. So, this is important work and we thank everyone involved for giving your time to help wildlife move more freely!

Sage Grouse Lek Visit

Our fieldtrip to a sage grouse lek on April 12th, 2025 was a success! We saw dozens of male sage grouse strutting and displaying for females. The sights and sounds were unforgettable. We hope to organize another fieldtrip in spring 2026 so make plans to join us then! In the meantime you can read about our experience here…

Sex and the Sagebrush