Teton County City Nature Challenge Starts Friday!
Teton Counties WY and ID will be participating in this year’s City Nature Challenge April 28 - May 1. You can learn more about this world wide event by checking out the project is here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2023-teton-county-wy. You do not need to join the project to participate, but consider joining to receive updates.
As luck would have it, we’re finally supposed to have a sunny weekend without snow! That should make for great conditions to observe organisms that thrive in the early spring. On the project site, you will also find information about the CNC and additional BioBlitzes occurring this year.
It’s pretty hard to know who among the top IDers in the area are local and might be around in the shoulder season. I looked for users that seem to have most of their observations from around the area and users with recent activity. I’ve tagged people I think might be interested below.
@alorenz, @swhippss, @kerrykey, @humblegardener, @paulgraham, @john1569, @orindaacademy, @birder0288, @nhwinterrose, @mmeslobos, @hydapse, @jackofalltrades, @williamp25, @casey_keeley, @jonahand, @lranelli
Happy iNatting!
Comments
Because I am primarily a plant person and there is currently nothing blooming as far as I can tell and all the trails are still either snow or mud covered, I would have to say that this is very early. I'll look in ditches for early stuff, but I haven't much hope. Perhaps the birders can do better.
John Cheeseman
john1569
Understood! The CNC is a global event and not particularly well timed to show off our biological diversity. There are some other BioBlitzes in June, July and September.
For those who might be interested, here is a guide on the earliest spring flowers: https://tetonplants.org/2017/04/15/earliest-of-spring-flowers/. I did see someone post a buttercup within the last week, so there is some plant activity. My plan is to hike Crystal Butte on May 1 when it opens. I saw a steershead there a few years ago and hope to see one again. There is almost always phlox and a few other flowers coming up on those sunny western slopes by May 1.
Also if anyone is interested in learning conifers, I published a guide on pines that I could post here and I could finally publish one that covers firs, spruces, and Doug firs (I’ve had it in draft for months). The spruces are thick with cones right now, which helps with IDing.
Thanks for the invite, and for the helpful link to earliest-of-spring-flowers! Regrettably, I won't be up in the area again until the end of May.
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