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Photo Credit: Diane Birdsall

Photo Credit: Wes Timmerman

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Next Program: Tues Feb 10, 6:00 pm MST

ZOOM ONLY!

"Saving the Cranes of Teton Valley"

Kim Trotter & Niah Pennington

Executive Director & Stewardship Coordinator, Teton Regional Land Trust

A note from the JH Bird & Nature Club:

Sandhill Cranes are an iconic and beloved species in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, nowhere more than in the sister valleys of Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Teton Valley, Idaho. Without conservation efforts such as those undertaken by the Teton Regional Land Trust, we may lose the dance of the crane here - and be much the poorer for it. Please consider joining this important look at the future of the Sandhill Crane.

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About the Program

Teton Regional Land Trust will present their efforts through their Sandhill Crane Initiative, highlighting ongoing conservation efforts that protect key habitats in the Greater Yellowstone region. We'll also discuss the unique morphology of Sandhill Cranes, from their resonant calls to their impressive wingspans, and explain how these adaptations support survival. We will trace the cranes’ long‑distance migrations, emphasizing the importance of stopover sites in eastern Idaho. Finally, we will delve into crane ecology, including breeding behavior, habitat needs, and the role local communities play in sustaining this iconic species, including TRLT's Crane Initiative.

Kim Trotter

Niah Pennington

About the Presenters

Kim Trotter is the Executive Director of Teton Regional Land Trust. For nearly three decades, Kim has dedicated her career to conserving agricultural lands, fish and wildlife habitat, and sustainable communities in the Northern Rockies through biodiversity conservation, environmental policy, wildlife and large landscape ecology, land and water transactions, and ecological connectivity and restoration. Kim received her Master of Environmental Management in resource ecology from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Puget Sound.

Niah Pennington is a stewardship coordinator with Teton Regional Land Trust, where she focuses on long-term habitat protection and stewardship of conservation easements. She holds a Master of Science in Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. She has worked in wildlife and habitat assessment, monitoring and related data collection across Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Her professional experience includes academic research and working with federal land agencies and nonprofit conservation organizations.