One of our goals here at Wild Echo Bison Reserve is to give you a new appreciation and love for the beauty of our natural world. As wildlife biologists, we have a number of plant and wildlife studies going on here at the Reserve, and your first night will be an overview of what those studies are, and find out which you would like to know more about, or even actually partake in. Whether your interest is in photography, birdwatching, flowers, or our furry four footed friends, we have something for everyone. Some of our ecological studies involve red squirrels, yellow bellied marmot behavioral study, bison behavioral studies, bluebird and woodpecker nesting studies, etc. Here is a sampling of some of the things we can do on the Reserve if you would like (of course, if you just want to sit back in an easy chair on your cabin porch, or lay around in a hammock, well.... you can do that too!).

What Do You Mean We're Lost!

Learn how to make fires, use GPS units, read topographic maps, pack a backpack and be safe in the wilderness. We have lots of fun places to see, be it a short walk, or an afternoon hike with a picnic.

 

Fun With Feathers and Fur

After a slide show and discussion of the various birds and mammals that inhabit Wild Echo Reserve, we take hikes that include bird watching, track identification (making plaster casts of various tracks) and observation of easy-to-see mammals (mule deer, elk, various mice species and their importance, yellow bellied marmots, red squirrels, etc).

I Want to be a Wildlife Biologist

Go behind-the-scenes at Bison Quest and learn what it takes to be a wildlife biologist. We start with a "Bison Behavioral" study where each person in the group chooses an individual bison adult or calf to observe (from the back of our truck or behind a railed fence - no one is allowed to walk among the animals). We discuss bison biology and how what we see in the bison behavior in front of us relates to their ecology and survival as the largest land animal in North America (bigger than grizzly and polar bears!).

We also usually have several ongoing projects studying other forms of wildlife that inhabit the reserve (red squirrels, yellow bellied marmots, bluebirds, woodpeckers, etc) that guests can take part in.
For those interested, we introduce you to the book "A Sand Country Almanac" by Aldo Leopold and the amazing author behind it, as well as writings of other wildlife biologists (including popular and scientific articles written by our own biologists at Bison Quest). As we hike the reserve, we will look at the land through the eyes of wildlife biologists both then and now.

Indian Summer

Since families are relaxing in authentic Native American tipis, this is a chance to understand a little of the history of some of the tribes that used this area, their customs and lore and, of course, their use of the ingenious lodging called a "tipi". We will talk about (and experience) a sweat lodge and how the idea of "purification" was important for the first people who lived in this area, and how we can benefit from it today.

Drum Making

For kids (or for the kid in all of us), we can also teach you how to make drums out of rawhide for a chance to create your own music.

Creatures of the Night

After discussing the many nocturnal species of wildlife on the reserve, we take you along on a night time animal spotlighting trip. By the use of spotlights, we can see many of the creatures that wander after dark, and discuss how this method is used to find, and census, many forms of wildlife. Besides, it's fun!!

 

Flower Fantasy

For those fascinated by flowers, we amble through meadows thick with wildflowers (particularly in May and June), where guests can pick armloads of flowers, while we discuss what they are, and their use - both by Native Americans in the past, and what we can use them for today. For those who would like to learn how press flowers and plants, we have, and will show you how to use, a plant press.

Firewalk

We'll take a fire ecology hike up from camp through an area that a huge forest fire went through about 8 years ago. We'll discuss pine bark beetle infestations and other insects and the role that fire plays in our forests. We'll also look at various woodpeckers and their nest cavities and discuss why they are there, and how fire plays an important role int their lives.

The Sky's the Limit

With virtually no lights from any cities or even homes, there are few places better to look at the heavens through a telescope. For any interested amateur astronomers, we set up a telescope at 6200 ft Raven's Roost to stargaze.

Dutch Oven Cooking

We use a lot of Dutch Oven cooking here at the reserve because it's fun, tastes fabulous, and is new for many of you. For those adventurous folks who love learning new things, we are happy to make cooking a meal an all inclusive event for the whole group.

Journals, Photo albums, and Scrap booking

One of the reasons we set up Bison Quest, was to help folks rediscover their roots with the wild. To this end, we present each guest with a journal (a journal/scrapbook for kids) to record their exploration into the wild lands and native history of Montana's mountains. We want to make your journey here one of excitement and discovery.

Photography

The Reserve is just a great place to take photos of wildlife. Cavity nesting birds are in abundance, and we have several places where those with patience and a camera can photograph adults and young (without disturbing them) during the nesting season. We can also set up blinds for those who have a particular species they would like to photograph. And bison - well, suffice it to say that you will go home with more bison pictures then you'll know what to do with.