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Flat Ranch Preserve offers summer speaker series

Make Nature Conservancy's East Idaho preserve a part of your Yellowstone vacation

Macks Inn, Idaho— July 3, 2007— The Nature Conservancy's Flat Ranch Preserve, located near Macks Inn just 15 miles from West Yellowstone, has announced its summer speaker series. The series is held each week at the preserve's visitor center, located just off Highway 20 just north of Macks Inn.

The summer program includes natural history programs on area wildlife, bird walks, fly tying lessons, nature hikes, educational programs on grizzly bears, book readings and more. Many events are perfect for families. All are free to the public.

The Flat Ranch Preserve is also open to wildlife viewing, hiking and fly fishing. A spotting scope is set up on the porch of the visitor center for viewing pronghorn, sandhill crane, moose, osprey and other wildlife on the Henry's Lake Flat.

Make the Flat Ranch a part of your Yellowstone vacation this summer!

Saturday, July 7th at 10:00 a.m.
The Raptor Rap: A.J. Chlebnik, with the Grizzly Discovery Ctr., will be here with live raptors to talk about these large birds. GREAT PROGRAM FOR KIDS!

Wednesday, July 11th at 7:00 p.m.
Aquatic Insect I.D.: Join Robin Jenkins, U.S.F.S., to learn what kind of creepy crawlies live in our local waters and how to identify them.GREAT PROGRAM FOR KIDS!

Saturday, July 14th at 10:00 a.m.
River Walk: Join Flat Ranch staff for a walk along the Henry's Fork of the Snake River. Bring walking shoes, binoculars, and a sack lunch.

Wednesday, July 18th at 7:00 p.m.
Karelian Bear Dogs - Bear Shepherding: Meet Jewel, a Karelian Bear Dog, and Jennifer Pils with the Grizzly Discovery Center, and learn how these dogs are teaching bears. GREAT PROGRAM FOR KIDS!

Saturday, July 21st at 9 a.m.
Bird Walk: Join us for a morning stroll on the Flat Ranch. Great for beginner or expert birders. Bring your binoculars.

Wednesday, July 25th at 7:00 p.m.
Bats! Myths & Misunderstandings: Dino Lowrey, archaeologist/scientist with Idaho National Lab., will be here to introduce you to this unique mammal and dispel many of the myths that people hold about bats.

Saturday, July 28th at 10:00 a.m.
"Sage's Big Adventure: Living with Blindness": A book reading - Gayle M. Irwin, author, will read about Sage's challenges as a blind dog. Sage, the blind springer spaniel, and Lovie, the wheelchair-bound dachshund, will both be present. GREAT PROGRAM FOR KIDS!

Wednesday, August 1st at 7:00 p.m.
Hatchery & Habitat : Damon Keen with Idaho Fish & Game at Henry's Lake will talk about the Henry's Lake fish hatchery and fish habitat projects.

Saturday, August 4th at 7:00 p.m.
Geology of Island Park: Jamie Farrell, PhD candidate from the University of Utah, will discuss the seismic and tectonic history of the area.

Wednesday, August 8th at 7:00 p.m.
The Art of Fly Tying: Nelson Ishiyama & Bruce Raskin will hold a fly-tying demonstration and workshop. Bring your fly gear and your questions.

Saturday, August 11th at 10:00 a.m.
Bear Education for Kids: Lynn Dickerson, Bear Education Technician with Idaho Fish & Game and the U.S. Forest Service, will talk about bear safety with kids. GREAT PROGRAM FOR KIDS!

Wednesday, August 15th at 7:00 p.m.
Aquatic Resources of the Henry's Fork: Jim De Rito, Henry's Fork Foundation Conservation Director,Lee Mabey, U.S. Forest Service Fisheries Biologist, Tom Herron, Department of Environmental Quality, and Idaho Fish & Game Upper Snake Region Fisheries Biologist. A round table discussion on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River and the many opportunities it provides.

Saturday, August 18th at 10:00 a.m.
Animal Tracking: Join Flat Ranch staff to learn the signs of animal presence through tracks, scat and fur. GREAT PROGRAM FOR KIDS!

Wednesday, August 22nd at 7 p.m.
Madison Valley Ranchlands Group will be here to talk about preserving traditional rural community life and family ranch values while maintaining healthy grasslands, wildlife habitat and watersheds.

Saturday, August 25th at 10 a.m.
Henry's Fork Outlet Restoration Project: Steve Trafton, Henry's Fork Foundation Executive Director,Jim De Rito, Henry's Fork Foundation Conservation Director, and Chet Work, The Nature Conservancy Conservation Manager will talk about wetland restoration taking place on the Henry's Fork.

Wednesday, August 29th at 7:00 p.m.
Assessing the Grizzly Bear Population Trend in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Mark Haroldson, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, will discuss the techniques used to estimate the GYE grizzly population and the results obtained.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.