With hyperphagia in full tilt right now, you may just see the bears conserving energy on the habitat after they've hunted and foraged for food. Their bodies signal that now is the time to take in as many calories as possible while expending as few as they can. Only Nakina makes lounging look this comfortable however. The bears typically gain between 50 and 150 pounds in the fall, even though they do not hibernate.

 

With Forest Service permits in hand, the animal keepers will make their last tree run between now and the end of October. These trees will be used in the bear habitat, then moved into the wolf habitats. A few will also be used in the bird mews before eventually being mulched for landscaping around the Center.  

 

Our 5th and final fish delivery arrived two weeks ago now. The wolves, bears, and birds were all able to partake. With the changing season, we are now able to switch gears and start receiving game meat. Big bones go to the bears, scraps go to the eagles, and everything else will be given to the wolf packs.  

 

Construction on a new aviary is underway. In the spring you will notice the new space and a change in the birds on exhibit. In the meantime, most of the birds-of-prey will remain outside until the weather forces us to move them in. When exactly? Your guess is as good as ours. We hope they can stay outside through Thanksgiving, but we'll keep you in the know right here. 

 

 
The 11th Annual Fall Photo Festival, co-sponsored by Yellowstone National Park and the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, took place last night. What an incredible gathering of amateur and professional photographers. This event gives "slide show" a whole new meaning. Upcoming on our calendar is the Bridger Raptor Festival, which you won't want to miss October 5th and 6th in Bozeman. We'll be there with birds on. Sorry. Couldn't resist.

The GWDC, in partnership with the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), is offering a professional certification course for individuals who will be delivering interpretive programs at interpretive sites. The Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) program is designed for anyone who delivers interpretive programs to the public. It combines both the theoretical foundations of the profession with practical skills in delivering quality interpretive programming to visitors. The 32-hour course will take place Oct. 17-Oct. 20 at the West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center. Advance registration for the course is required. Please contact Trent or AJ at education@grizzlydiscoveryctr.com or call 406-646-7001 for more information. You can also check out a full course description and find out more information on NAI and the CIG program on the web.

 

The Education crew has been tracking visitor contacts - close to 1,400 last week, which for mid-September seems like a hefty number. The after school program also kicked off last week with an afternoon of making slime and talking about chemical reactions. Also news-worthy? Our brand-spanking-new Trophic Cascade Program, held in the Naturalist Cabin to make use of the amazing graphic and River Otter exhibit model is a must-see. Finally, if you've been keeping up with our Bear Safe Community Project, we have given out 30 bear safe community checklists so far! Thanks to everyone who has participated (we have more if you haven't).

 

If you're interested in visiting the GWDC with your family or with your students, or if you'd like to sponsor a Teaching Trunk or outreach program, let us know. One of the Center's naturalists can visit your school for special assemblies, programs or activities. As you know, some of our birds-of-prey can travel for such programs as can our large collection of wolf and bear artifacts. We will customize the program or the Teaching Trunk for your group and areas of special interest.

We hope you enjoy this issue, learn a little something, and feel like you are here with us for just a few minutes. It's a pretty special place to be. Have a great couple of weeks and a fantastic summer, and we'll look forward to seeing you soon.

If you remember in the spring, we celebrated the 18th birthday of Selway, an original member of the Gallatin pack here at the Center. Our thoughts are with Mission: Wolf on their loss of Selway this past Sunday. She was transferred to Mission: Wolf in 2003 where she lived a long, happy life. Thank you Mission: Wolf for taking such great care of this special girl. Farewell beautiful Selway, run free with your pack. Thank you to all the people who loved and supported her! She will be missed.

Thanks again for keeping up with us and for all you do.