From June 16-19, Home Range Wildlife Research (HRWR) hosted its third annual Wildlife Field Techniques Course at the Seattle-based Bush School’s Mazama campus. Offering wildlife education to the general public, aspiring biologists, and professionals needing a refresher is one of the core missions of this Methow Valley nonprofit founded in 2021 by Becca Windell, Carmen Vanbianchi, and Anna Machowitz.
All three founders met on the five-year Washington Predator-Prey project sponsored by the University of Washington and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2021. When the project ended, Anna said they noticed gaps in their careers that needed to be filled. They addressed these gaps by creating HRWR. Since then, HRWR has completed several wildlife research projects and hosted classes each summer, fulfilling their goals of education, research, and community engagement.
In several Methow Valley News articles, Ann McCreary has discussed most of HRWR’s past projects. HRWR, in partnership with Conservation Northwest, has examined how outdoor recreation impacts wildlife and found that — despite the benefits of building connections with nature, a conservation ethic, and pro-environmental behaviors — intense human activity on the landscape leads to degraded environments and negative impacts on wildlife. We can all tread more lightly, stay on the trails, leave no trace, and keep our dogs under control.
Anna Machowitz demonstrated a telemetry apparatus.
In 2022, HRWR launched the Methow Valley Community Bear Assessment, evaluating human and black bear coexistence in the Methow Valley. In collaboration with the Methow Conservancy, community members have been recruited “to monitor variation in natural food availability and contribute to a long-term study of black bear conflict in the Methow to help inform research related to black bear ecology.”
A problem bear is often lethally removed, so it’s up to all of us to contain our garbage and to be more tolerant of their presence. More recently, the U.S. Forest Service mandated that bear-proof containers be used when recreating on forest service lands and has issued guidelines for hanging food away from bears. See bearwise.org for more details.
With funding from the Paul G. Allen Foundation, in 2023 HRWR initiated the Lynx and Wildfire project. Using the 175,000-acre Tripod Burn as a study site, lynx are trapped and fitted with GPS collars, and long-term remote camera monitoring stations have been installed. According to Anna, in the past three years, she’s seen an increase in lynx footprints throughout the burn area. She’s optimistic that the lynx population is holding its own and perhaps increasing despite global warming and changing conditions. “Right now, it seems the lynx are in a productive state,” she said.
The first practical field skills training course was held in 2022. On their website, the curriculum is described as “instruction in wildlife track and sign interpretation, use of telemetry, animal capture and handling, winter survival skills, and first aid.”
Anna said that many aspiring biologists are coming from diverse backgrounds where they haven’t learned practical skills such as hauling and riding a snowmobile, backing up a trailer, driving a truck over rough roads, and managing snowshoes. This class aims to provide them with these skills. The spring class this year had 11 students, with three indigenous students given financial assistance by Re-Wild. In late summer, the class will be offered exclusively to the LGBTQ+ community.
The three founders of HRWR have been trained by wildlife veterinarian Mark Johnson, on how to safely inject trapped lynx with anesthesia so that they can be collared and located via telemetry. In September, HRWR is offering a telemetry course on the Sauk Suiattle reservation offered exclusively to U.S. indigenous people. Custom training to improve field skills is also available from HRWR.
Collaboration with other organizations, grants, fundraising, contracts, and private donations have so far enabled HRWR’s projects and educational events. But, like many non-profits in the valley, they’ve seen grants withheld (none so far for HRWR) and fewer grant opportunities. “We’re feeling the squeeze,” Anna said. She encourages everyone to consider donating, volunteering, or sponsoring an educational event in these uncertain times.
