WYld at Heart Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation
Written By: Sarah Reish
We were so happy we had the opportunity to meet Kyle Kissock with Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation and learning about the 25 year history this foundation has had in Jackson. Kyle provided us with tons of information and shared their mission and the work they have been doing in the community for the last couple of decades.
The Mission
Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation’s mission is to promote ways for the community to live compatibly with the wildlife in the region. The foundation is volunteer driven and relies on community support to achieve the impact of making a difference in nature and for the local wildlife.
The Core Areas of Impact
There are three core areas the foundation focuses on. We did a deep dive learning about them while we visited with Kyle and were able to learn more about the difference the foundation is making in nature.
Nature Mapping
For almost a decade, nearly 500 volunteer citizen scientists have worked to collect more than 50,000 data point observations in nature. This data is used for private and public entities in making informed decisions where nature might be impacted.
Give Wildlife a Break
In the last two decades collisions involving wildlife has doubled in Teton County. In an effort to mitigate the impact to wildlife and those on the road Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation has gathered economic data of animal related accidents, which between 2016-2017 surpassed $3 million. Efforts to reduce these accidents include radar, cameras tracking wildlife movement, and dynamic message signs alerting drivers to wildlife related accidents in an area.
Wildlife Friendlier Fencing
The purpose of this project is to create a landscape that offers easier movement for wildlife. From removing old and unsafe fencing to helping farmers and ranchers in updating and modifying their current fencing. The update is to ensure the fencing continues to serve a useful purpose for the farmers and ranchers, but it is modified to be wildlife friendly. In the past 6 years the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation updated 229 miles of fencing, had 1,870 volunteers, completed 124 fencing projects, and clocked 8,407 volunteer hours.
Things to know
Being Wild Jackson Hole
Embracing and promoting environmental stewardship. As described by Kyle, the Being Wild Jackson Hole campaign “is a visitor outreach campaign which intends to strengthen visitor bonds to wildlife conservation through storytelling, education, and opportunities for visitors to get involved.” Be sure to visit the Being Wild Jackson Hole website to read the stories, meet the people, and get involved.
Wild Women of Wildlife Series
There are some amazing women who work with the wildlife in Teton County and across Wyoming and Aly Courtemanch, the wildlife biologist with Wyoming Game and Fish is very much a part of this elite group of women. Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, under the Being Wild Jackson Hole umbrella, is doing a YouTube video series Wild Women of Wildlife highlighting these amazing women. Be sure to subscribe and keep an eye for the videos to drop.
Get Involved
Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation is doing so much to make a difference and we were so happy to get to know them and applaud their team and volunteers for all they have done.
We encourage you to get involved and here’s how you can do that.
Donate, as a nonprofit these projects are dependent on community support.
Volunteer. If you are more hands on, you can sign up for volunteer opportunities here.
If you decide to get involved spread the word on social media and tag us @LiveWYldMag and use #liveWYld