Bert Raynes News Today

A few years back Peter Ward asked his good pal Bert Raynes what he wanted to have happen when he left this world.

An esteemed wolf biologist and an avid Jackson Hole naturalist are the recipients of two Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative awards that celebrate conservation biology and citizen science. Meeting virtually for the Jackson Hole Wildlife Symposium, staff for the Jackson-based organization announced that the Raynes Citizen Conservation Award recipient for 2021 was Tim Griffith, a fixture in the valley’s birdwatching community. Meanwhile, Yellowstone National Park Senior Wildlife Biolog...

ibis, a pair of killdeer and several blue-winged and green-winged teal. A northern harrier dived on the teal but did not make a catch. A burst of swallows: tree, barn and violet green on the wing over water. Deb also heard curlews. chorus frogs are calling vigorously. In Buffalo Valley superb evening concerts of chorus frogs, snipe winnowing and Canada geese providing commentary. Fifty seems to be the magic number of species at the South Park Wildlife Habitat Management Area this week. T...

Wyoming treasures its wildlife. Some value the opportunity to hunt wild game to feed their families. Others prize the chance to see a grizzly fill its belly with the meat from an elk or bison that didn’t survive the winter. Preserving wildlife for both possibilities takes resources. So we’re glad to see the so-called “hook and bullet crowd” and the “bug and bunny people” joining forces for the sake of wildlife. That second moniker is one that our beloved Far Afield...

I have lived in East Jackson for 45 years. Most days when I take my walk I stroll around or through May Park. Each time I silently thank Wayne May for having the foresight to sell this precious piece of property to the town of Jackson. The 10 acres was zoned for duplexes and multifamily homes. But in 1990, Wayne and Selma May sold the property to the town for $400,000. It was well worth $2 million back then. The contract read that the Mays could live on the property until their death. Jackson...

On New Year’s Day, as the birds and the bears did their thing, one of their greatest admirers passed from the earth. Grizzly 399, arguably the valley’s biggest celebrity, waddled through the snow, leading her elk-fattened brood of four cubs north toward the den, while the man who championed the valley’s wild creatures for nearly half a century took his final breath. Now more than ever, our increasingly divided and contentious world needs nature and beauty. The awe and wonder that...

There’s a new Bert in town. Bert Raynes, Jackson Hole’s most beloved bird watcher who died on New Year’s Day, has had his first name bestowed upon the Teton Raptor Center’s newest avian ambassador, a Northern saw-whet owl. The young hatch-year owl was originally behind a home in Rexburg, Idaho, and had a left wing injury that impaired his ability to fly. Fortunately, Raptor Center veterinarians decided the affliction would not cause the bird long-lasting pain, and in Decembe...

There was plenty of praise to go around Monday night as the Jackson Town Council thanked two outgoing members for their service, while welcoming two new faces to the council and former Vice-Mayor Hailey Morton Levinson to the mayor’s seat. Councilors Jessica Sell Chambers, a political consultant, retired educator Jim Rooks and new Mayor Morton Levinson were all sworn in to their seats in an Oath of Office Ceremony on Monday morning, then participated in Monday evening’s meeting for th...

Bird lover, skilled naturalist and Jackson Hole News&Guide “Far Afield” columnist Bert Raynes died Friday. He was 96. “It is with heavy hearts that we must tell you that the Big Bird has flown,” wrote the Jackson Hole Bird and Nature Club. “This morning, at the dawn of a new year, Bert Raynes — our founder and the best friend the birds ever had — quietly passed away at home, as had always been his wish during his long illness.” Raynes always credited his ...

If you’re still hunting for holiday gifts and looking to support local authors and businesses, look no further. The News&Guide has compiled a list of 22 books for Wyomings County 22. The books, recommended by Jackson Hole Writers and local bookstores, are written by local authors or those with Wyoming ties. Theres truly something for everyone, from kids to photographers to poetry lovers. 1) Ski Run Fun by Hannah Navarro Wilson resident Hannah Navarro has published her first children’s...