We are surrounded by beauty, magic and connection on a daily basis here at Earthfire. The native land on which we reside. The majestic Teton Mountains to our east. The iconic Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of which we are a part. The wild ones we work with and the connections we form with wildlife and nature—it’s all incredible and deeply gratifying work. Our hope is that by sharing the intimate stories of our animals and our heartfelt mission, you will be inspired to protect habitat in your area—no matter where you are in the world. Wildlife and nature need habitat to flourish.
As essentially a working ranch, every day at Earthfire presents unique challenges, as well as rich rewards. This week, our challenges began with four veterinary visits within twenty four hours: one for Hope the wolf dog; one for Gypsum the fox; one for Kaya the wolf, and finally, one for burro Sarah. Expensive, but necessary.
Luckily, the week has also started with a lovely reward: the bears are slowly waking. We were paid a visit by Bramble, who took a brief walkabout in his night yard last week. Our unusually warm and dry winter has shortened this year’s hibernation.
We were also blessed with a visit from the local elk herd, courtesy of our South Leigh Creek wildlife corridor. This is one of many reasons why we purchased 120 acres of the corridor when it became available. Wildlands preservation is part of our mission. Safe passageway is critical to providing wildlife the ability to migrate, mate, forage, and find protection. We must protect these dynamic and complex ecosystems while we still can.
As spring approaches, we anticipate a litany of spring projects, including repairs to Tahi’s roof, yurt upkeep, driveway maintenance, and the landscaping and clean up required to re-open the bear gardens. We are also excited about our new venture into beekeeping and eagerly await the arrival of bee boxes!
Lastly, we are preparing for an extremely dry (and potentially hot) summer. Ensuring we have the water we need presents another challenge, courtesy of our changing climate. As a team, we are developing a hydrology plan and exploring how we might use rain, snowmelt, and gray water to ensure that not only is there abundant water for the animals, plants, and trees, but also sufficient reserves immediately available in case of wildfire.
And so it goes… As we move ahead, there will be more trials and tribulations. More joy and more reward. We hope you will join us in celebrating them.