Wildlife Trails of the American West

  United States

Red Butte Canyon,  Salmon

Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: Inquire for specific dates.

Description: Research Mission
Track wildlife to help design efficient wildlife corridors.

Situation Report
Salmon, Idaho Human expansion and development have made ours a fragmented world, isolating wildlife species and threatening their survival. In 1987, conservation biologist Dr. Bill Newmark discovered that even U.S. national parks aren't large enough to sustain some mammal species. Wildlife corridors are a logical solution, but designing a corridor that animals will actually use requires understanding why and where an animal moves and how it uses available resources. The closest thing to actually getting inside an animal's head is examining wildlife trails, which provide a cumulative history of animal movement. That's precisely what Newmark and Dr. Eric Rickart are doing with Earthwatch teams in magnificent mountain landscapes of the American West.

Meals and Accommodations
Your team will stay in rustic but comfortable accommodations at an established mountain lodge, in heated cabins divided by gender. Each cabin features hot showers, essential after a hard day of mapping muddy trails, as well as flush toilets and simple kitchen facililties. Teams will share cooking and cleanup duties, using fresh ingredients from the local store.

Highlights: On the Expedition
You can expect a whole new perspective on wildlife while exploring these rugged, mountainous landscapes. You will hike along routes used by deer, moose, elk, coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, black bears, wolverines, and wolves. Along the way you'll census wildlife, identify and count tracks, map game trails and kill sites using global positioning system (GPS) units, and survey vegetation. To document predators, you'll prepare carnivore scent and track stations and monitor and download remote cameras. Volunteers need to be fit for hilly country, unpredictable weather, and steep, slippery paths. You will be hiking five or six hours a day along some of the trails that Lewis and Clark followed 200 years ago.

Qualifications: Earthwatch volunteers are enthusiastic to learn about the research topic and are willing to contribute their time and energy to support leading scientists in conducting field research. Volunteers will be trained upon arrival at the research site. Teams have a minimum age of 18, unless accompanied by parent or legal guardian, in which case the minimum age is 16.

Cost in US$: 1,946

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Earthwatch expeditions appeal to a variety of people: educators gain new knowledge and develop exciting lesson plans; students explore career options and build research skills; writers, photographers and artists contribute their skills and share their experiences through a variety of media; businessmen and women, doctors and nurses, engineers, homemakers, retirees . . . people from all walks of life choose to volunteer on research expeditions each year. Volunteers are actively engaged on a daily basis with the research project, develop global perspectives, and explore new cultures and environments.

Age Range: 18 - 90

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to United States Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 7-15

Scholarships are Available. Fellowships may be available, mainly for high-school students and educators. Visit our website for more information.

Application Process Involves:

• Other
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement: Earthwatch Institute engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Through a unique method of funding, the volunteers Share of Cost contributes directly to the support of the research projects. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. Each year, over 4,000 people from 46 countries directly contribute to scientific research by working alongside scientists, local community members and other volunteers. Earthwatch volunteers can track sea turtles; join archaeological digs; observe animal behavior; collect rare plants, study dolphin behavior and more. The Earthwatch community also includes 20,000 global members, 4,000 eager volunteers each year, 50 collaborating conservation organizations, and 50 corporate partners, all of whom work together to make a difference. Below you will find out more about our leadership, employment opportunities, and contact information.

Year Founded: 1971