Author: Jack Greene

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Forests

Forest Courtesy Pixabay, "Tom" a.k.a. Analogicus, Contributor
Forest
Courtesy Pixabay, “Tom” a.k.a. Analogicus, Contributor
Forests are beyond amazing! As a field ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service, and chairing the Smithfield City Tree Committee, their branches and roots have penetrated deep into my heartwood!

A community of trees has much in common with human communities. Trees nurture and protect one another through an intricate web of roots and mycelium. When one member of the community is suffering, other members will send resources to ward off attacks, and send water and nutrients to help the stressed tree recover.

By third grade you’ve probably learned they produce oxygen and absorb green house gases, cool the earth, filter the air, provide wildlife habitat. By fifth grade add protect watersheds, provide safe drinking water, protect communities from floods and landslides. Additionally, Older trees absorb and store more carbon dioxide than younger trees, helping us fight climate change. Many species of life are found only in mature old growth forests, adding to biodiversity. They provide banks of knowledge for complex ecosystems and blueprints for natural forest processes.

As a Wilderness Ranger and recreationist, I’ve trapsed through many of Utah’s Old Growth Forests. Thanks to our National Parks, Monuments, and other public lands, we have preserved remnants of Old Growth. Magnificent ponderosa pine yet exist in Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks. I’ve found pockets of Engleman spruce in the remote parts of our national forests, along with blue spruce on Cedar Mountain and south slope of the Uintahs along river corridors. Most of old growth Douglas fir was logged off in the late 1800s.

For myself, entering an old growth forest is a spiritual experience. I stand in awe while their majesty, deep history and resilience reach deep into my core. Silence sweeps over me, interrupted by bird song, squirrel chatter, and a whisp of wind in upper branches.

For Native American cultures that developed with, and in many cases shaped the old-growth forests, they harvested medicinal plants, berries, game, or old trees and bark for ceremonial or practical use. They would tend the forest to improve ecosystem services, occasionally burning forests to complementing its utilitarian value.

Thus my alarm sounded when the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would fast-track logging projects on federal lands, and the U.S. Forest Service has proposed opening hundreds of thousands of acres of mature (old growth) forests to commercial logging. R oads built through it will take centuries to recover. Our old growth forests are worth far more standing- economically, and for ecosystem services they provide.

Logging is warranted in younger forests, and for fire breaks near human development, while protecting water and airsheds, and sensitive species, but please, please allow Old Growth forests to continue on for the centuries it took to create them!

Jack Greene for Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I’m Wild about Utah’s Old Growth Forests!

Credits:

Picture: Forest, Courtesy Pixabay, "Tom" a.k.a. Analogicus, Contributor
Audio: Courtesy & © Kevin Colver https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/
Text: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Lyle W Bingham, Webmaster, and Jack Greene, Author, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Jack Greene’s Postings on Wild About Utah, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/

Popkin, Gabriel, How much U.S. forest is old growth? It depends who you ask, Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 26 Apr 2023, https://www.science.org/content/article/how-much-u-s-forest-old-growth-it-depends-who-you-ask

Franklin, Marcy, “The benefits of public wildlands, explained,” Vox, October 9, 2017. https://act.environmentamerica.org/go/6644?t=4&akid=6407%2E1385290%2EtS_2YB
Original: https://www.vox.com/ad/16447278/wildlands-benefits-protection
US House of Representatives, “H.R.471 – Fix Our Forests Act,” Congress.gov, March 6, 2025. https://act.environmentamerica.org/go/4036?t=5&akid=6407%2E1385290%2EtS_2YB

Mapes, Lynda V., “Proposed changes would allow more logging on federal land in Northwest,” Seattle Times, December 23, 2024. https://act.environmentamerica.org/go/4787?t=6&akid=6407%2E1385290%2EtS_2YB
Original: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/proposed-changes-would-allow-more-logging-on-federal-land-in-northwest/

Montgomery, Ellen, and English, Amelia, “The “Fix Our Forests Act” won’t actually fix our forests,” Environment America, January 22, 2025. https://act.environmentamerica.org/go/1541?email_blast=-10076407&t=7&akid=6407%2E1385290%2EtS_2YB
Original: https://environmentamerica.org/articles/the-fix-our-forests-act-wont-actually-fix-our-forests/

Ehrlich, April, “Northwest Forest Plan update continues, despite termination of national old growth proposal,” Oregon Public Broadcasting, January 8, 2025. https://act.environmentamerica.org/go/4786?t=8&akid=6407%2E1385290%2EtS_2YB
Original: https://www.opb.org/article/2025/01/08/northwest-forest-plan-update-continues-despite-termination-of-national-old-growth-proposal/

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Meadowlarks

Western Meadowlark Courtesy US FWS, Peter Pearsall, Photographer
Western Meadowlark
Courtesy US FWS, Peter Pearsall, Photographer
I loved Mark Brunson’s recent Wild About Utah on spring bird song, his words resonating with my own. Continuing on with his melodies leads me to a bird song that lifts me to new heights as I trot along a meadow trail. A bird of the prairie and countryside, the western meadowlark releases songs synonymous with spring grasslands flush with balsam root, lupine, death camas, larkspur, prairie smoke, and wind tossed grasses that shimmer in morning sun.

Western Meadowlark Courtesy US FWS, John & Karen Hollingsworth, Photographers
Western Meadowlark
Courtesy US FWS, John & Karen Hollingsworth, Photographers

Western Meadowlark Courtesy US FWS, Krista Lundgren, Photographer Western Meadowlark
Courtesy US FWS, Krista Lundgren, Photographer

Western Meadowlark Courtesy US FWS, John & Karen Hollingsworth, Photographers Western Meadowlark
Courtesy US FWS, John & Karen Hollingsworth, Photographers

It was a bit of shock when I learned this dazzling meadow beauty with a flashy yellow sunlit breast is a member of the blackbird family. I’m not alone in my reverence for this stunning songster. Six western states claim it as top bird, including our neighbor Wyoming.

A common and conspicuous bird across much of North America west of the Mississippi River, the Western Meadowlark was first officially described in 1805 by the famed explorer Meriwether Lewis. More than just a bird; it has captured the essence of open fields and wildflower meadows.

“Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn’t people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?” — Rose Kennedy

In Native American mythology, the Western Meadowlark is often seen as a messenger and a symbol of sociability and communication. The Sioux revered the meadowlark for its beautiful songs and considered its appearance a good omen, heralding joy and harmony. Some folklore tells of meadowlarks leading lost people back to their homes using their distinctive calls, embodying the spirit of guidance and protection.

The Western Meadowlark is widely distributed across western and central North America, ranging from British Columbia and northern Michigan to central Texas and northern Mexico. They exhibit partial migratory behavior depending on geographic location. Birds residing in the northern parts of their range migrate as far south as Texas and northern Mexico during the winter months. Populations in southern regions tend to be more sedentary, often remaining in their breeding territories year-round.

The Western Meadowlark significantly impacts its ecosystem through diverse feeding activities. By consuming insects like caterpillars and grasshoppers, it helps control pest populations, thereby supporting plant health and agricultural productivity. Additionally, the bird’s seed and berry consumption aids in seed dispersal, facilitating plant propagation and maintaining biodiversity in grassland and prairie habitats.

Furthermore, the Western Meadowlark’s ground nesting contributes to soil aeration and nutrient cycling, enhancing ecosystem health and resilience. Its presence serves as an indicator of grassland ecosystem health.

To attract females, males execute a variety of visual displays, including puffing out their vibrant yellow throats, flapping their wings, and engaging in a distinctive hopping behavior. Vocalization also plays a critical role, with males using a series of warbling and twittering sounds interspersed with whistles.

Ingeniously, the female weaves a roof of grasses and other plant materials to form a waterproof dome, which protects the eggs and young from rain and predators.

May you be blessed by its song and vibrancy!

Jack Greene for Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I’m Wild about Utah’s prairie bird!

Credits:
The Wonders of Bird Migration
Picture: Courtesy USFWS, Peter Pearsall, John & Karen Hollingsworth, & Krista Lundgren, Photographers
Audio: Courtesy & © Kevin Colver https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/ as well as J. Chase and K.W. Baldwin.
Text: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Lyle W Bingham, Webmaster, and Jack Greene, Author, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Jack Greene’s Postings on Wild About Utah, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/

Wilde, Steve, Western Meadowlark: Mythology, Habitat, Diet, and More, July 17, 2024, Global Birding Initiative, https://globalbirdinginitiative.org/bird-species/western-meadowlark/

Western Meadowlark, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Meadowlark/overview

Western Meadowlark, Utah Birds, Utah County Birders, http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/ProfilesS-Z/WesternMeadowlark.htm
Other views: http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/BirdsS-Z/WesternMeadowlark.htm

Colver, Kevin, Recording Artist and Copyright Holder, Wextern Meadowlark, Western Soundscape Archive, Marriott Library, University of Library, https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=1119499&facet_common_name_t=%22Western+Meadowlark%22&fd=title_t%2Csetname_s%2Ctype_t&facet_setname_s=uu_wss&facet_type_t=%22Sound%22

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Outdoor Gear

Members of the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale, Colorado. Left -to- right: Clare Symonds, Elton Beard, Vincent Dalzell, Francis or Roger Duchesneau, Clifford Perkins. image c.a. 1940-1944. (Unit History Collection). (Members of what was then called the 10th Light Division (Alpine), prepare for ski training at Camp Hale, Colo. ) Courtesy US Army
Members of the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale, Colorado. Left -to- right: Clare Symonds, Elton Beard, Vincent Dalzell, Francis or Roger Duchesneau, Clifford Perkins. image c.a. 1940-1944.
Members of what was then called the 10th Light Division (Alpine) were recruited by the National Ski Patrol, which was directed by Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole. Applicants had to prove their ability to ski.
(Unit History Collection) Courtesy US Army, The Denver Public Library ArchivesSpace and Wikipedia
Skiing up our lovely canyon yesterday, enjoying American dipper and stream music, occasional king fisher chatter, Townsend’s solitaire melodies, I began ruminating on my ski equipment while watching their effortless glide through snow.

A few weeks earlier, I had donated a pair of WWII 10th Mountain Division US military issue skies to the Stokes Nature Center for their “History of Skiing” program. Seven feet long with leather and steel bindings, each weighing near 10 pounds. The Division trained at Camp Hale, Colorado with 60-90-pound packs, leather boots strapped onto seven-foot long wooden skis with thick cable bindings. Casualties in the winter of 1945 were staggering, but when the ski troops returned home they poured their heart and soul into the newly-evolving ski industry, opening ski resorts, managing ski schools and influencing innovation.

Compare this to my skies made of plastic materials with aluminum alloy bindings weighing in at 3 pounds each, my boots various synthetic materials, light and durable, and a minuscule day pack attached to my back.

When I began Nordic skiing some 40 years ago, my Bonna laminated wood skies were coveted. I miss their natural beauty and high performance. Now, they sit in a corner, replaced by a light weight, wax free pair. Somethings lost, something’s gained.

From there it went on to my backpacking equipment from boots, backpack with contents, and my clothing attire. All synthetics with the exception of RMI type, super light weight dehydrated space/military evolved food and equipment.

Looking back to my early Scouting days, our tents were heavy canvas, backpacks with heavy metal alloy frame and canvas fabric, clunky leather boots, wool and cotton clothing, and beefy cooking pots and pans, metal canteen, and several pounds of canned food.

We were tough then. My Scouts grew blisters on shoulders and feet. A few tears were shed from the arduous hike up a mountain or across hot desert, near collapse, sure they couldn’t take another step. Now, as middle aged adults, their fondest memories were from those crazy days of long suffering. Many survival stories came later of their intrepid accomplishments.

We have evolved to a plastic, synthetic culture replacing canvas, cotten, wool, wood, and heavy metals. How soft, comparatively effortless, and efficient we have become. No longer from a farm of hard work in extremes of hot and cold. Something lost, something gained. Nostalgia. Longing.

Do I wish to return to those days? Back then, we never foresaw an easier way in the offing. We just endured the pain and moved on, as did the mountain troops with their giant skis and heaving loads. I admire us as we were.

USU has a new major in Outdoor Product Design & Development to further design new, light weight convenient gear. “Master the design process, user research, idea visualization, and CAD modeling techniques to develop products conceptually and as producible prototypes.”

One thing that hasn’t changed appreciably are the natural wonders that surround us. Birds and flowers, butterflies, bees, and rushing streams are still with us. Challenging steep trails, scorching desert paths still challenge us, as are natures fickle atmospheric moods.

Jack Greene for Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I’m Wild About the Joy & Challenge of Utah Wilds!

Credits:
Image: Courtesy US Army army.mil, With text by way of US Army and Wikipedia
For additional images and histories of Camp Hale, we recommend the Denver Public Library, Special Collections and Archives Department
Featured Audio: Courtesy & © Kevin Colver https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/ and Friend Weller https://upr.org/
Text: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Jack Greene & Lyle W Bingham, Webmaster, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Jack Greene’s Postings on Wild About Utah, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/

McCrimmon, Katie Kerwin, Daring WWII ‘ski troops’ honored at new Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, UCHealth Oct. 27, 2022 https://www.uchealth.org/today/daring-wwii-ski-troops-honored-at-new-camp-hale-continental-divide-national-monument/

Kennedy (Drum), Mrs. Michelle, Bootprints in History: Mountaineers take the Ridge, US Army, February 19, 2015, https://www.army.mil/article/143088/bootprints_in_history_mountaineers_take_the_ridge

Charles Minot Dole, Hall of Fame Class of 1958, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum Inc., https://skihall.com/hall-of-famers/charles-minot-dole/

Chabalko, Justin J, Art of War Papers, Forging the 10th Mountain Division for War, 1940–45, How Innovation Created a Highly Adaptive Formation, Army University Press, 2019, https://npshistory.com/publications/usfs/camp-hale-continental-divide/forging-10th-mtn-div.pdf

Bonna Wooden Touring skis, Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection, https://smhc.co.uk/collection/bonna-wooden-touring-skis/

Utah Outdoor Recreation Companies, Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, State of Utah, https://recreation.utah.gov/utahs-outdoor-companies/

Outdoor Product Design and Development – BS, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Utah State University, https://www.usu.edu/degrees-majors/outdoor-product-design-and-development_bs

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Waldo the Wildcat

Waldo the Wildcat with the WSC Cheerleaders and Marching Band Courtesy: Special Collections and University Archives, Weber State University.
Waldo the Wildcat with the WSC Cheerleaders and Marching Band
March 22, 1968
Courtesy: Special Collections and University Archives, Weber State University.
A week ago I received the Weber State University Alumni Magazine that released a flood of memories and emotions. “Waldo celebrates 60” with Waldo’s cartoonish face on the cover. Waldo was not a cartoon, but a genuine lady bobcat and Weber State College mascot, a gorgeous animal that stole my heart!

Wildcat WSU Alumni Magazine Winter 2025 Cover, Courtesy WSU Marketing & Communications, Copyright Weber State University
Wildcat WSU Alumni Magazine
Winter 2025 Cover
Courtesy WSU Marketing & Communications
Copyright Weber State University
She was in my life as her temporary caretaker for a year from 1966-67. She was a beautiful, lively, highly intelligent being, who loved playing fetch, chasing dogs, and pouncing on my back.

When I first picked her up, I was forewarned she didn’t like riding in a vehicle and should be sedated and placed in her cage, which was loaded in the back of my old pickup truck. I didn’t wish Waldo to be tranquilized and wanted her in the cab with me to avoid injury. Her caretaker was quite concerned for my safety.

She calmly sat beside me as her handler waved us away. From that moment, things spiraled down quickly. When I started the engine, she crouched with ears back emitting a low growl. Reaching for the floor shift, Waldo attacked my arm. Luckily, her canine teeth and front claws were removed when a kitten, so damage was minimal.

We rocketed away with the cat screaming and jumping between me and the passenger side window. While waiting for the light to change at a Washington Blvd. intersection, Waldo was wound up tight, emitting wildcat screams once we began moving again. Being a hot summer day, I had cracked the windows. Her caterwauls and thrashing about attracted considerable notice by drivers and those on nearby sidewalks. We finally made what seemed an interminably long drive to her new quarters. Once the truck engine was off, Waldo settled.

On numerous occasions in the year that followed, Waldo showed me her uncanny intelligence, strength, and agility. The challenge of getting her into the dog run cage was never easy. While playing fetch, it dawned on me that she would follow the ball into her cage! This worked once. The next time I threw the ball into her cage, she ran to the door, sat down, looked at me with an expression “You think I’m stupid?” One trick that always worked was tossing a hunk of raw meat into the cage- she couldn’t resist!

Another favorite game was dropping from the eight-foot-high open rafters in the garage onto my shoulders as I walked below. Waldo could effortlessly spring from the garage floor into the rafters, disappear into the shadows, and drop on my shoulders with mouth lightly pressed against my juggler “Gottcha!”, spring off and repeat this horrific act of terror against her victim.

We had our moments with the law. When neighbors saw a wildcat chasing their dog, soon after the Ogden police would appear, giving me the ultimatum to control the cat, or have it released into the wilds, which would spell doom for habituated Waldo without canines and front claws. She would soon starve, be hit by a car, shot, or lost to a predator. When her caretaker returned, it was a difficult parting, when I left Utah to continue my studies in Michigan.

This is Jack Greene for Bridgerland Audubon Society and I’m Wild about Utah Wildcats!

Credits:
Image: Wildcat WSU Alumni Magazine Winter 2025 Cover, Courtesy WSU Marketing & Communications, Copyright Weber State University. (Digital copy made available by Utah Digital Newspapers), https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=21945988
Image: Waldo Celebrates 60, Cover, Wildcat, WSU Alumni Magazine, Winter 2025, Courtesy Alumni Magazine Staff, Copyright Weber State University
Featured Audio: Courtesy & © Anderson, Howe and Wakeman
Text: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Jack Greene & Lyle W Bingham, Webmaster, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Jack Greene’s Postings on Wild About Utah, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/

Johnson, Marian, He’s a She!, Signpost, Weber State University Student Newspaper, https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=21945988

Bobcat – Lynx rufus, Fieldguide, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, https://fieldguide.wildlife.utah.gov/?species=lynx%20rufus

Harris, Kandice & Winston, Jaime, Waldo Celebrates 60, Wildcat, the WSU Alumni Magazine, Weber State University, https://www.weber.edu/wsumagazine/waldo-60-anniversary.html