FVCC Nature Journal

Coyotes are adaptable predators that have long captured the imagination of humans. They eat just about anything, and they use at least 11 yips, barks, and other sounds to communicate. Recently, they have become a safety problem in some urban areas.

The tailed frog is the oddest little frog in Montana.  It is water dependent, and lives mysteriously under rocks and logs in fast flowing streams. Few people have seen one.   Join us on the FVCC Nature Journal and learn about this very primitive amphibian!

In this episode of the FVCC Nature Journal, Natural Resources Professor Tim Eichner describes a number of technologic advances that help us measure aspects of our natural world.  Practical applications include a variety of satellite imagery, drone technology, fire mapping, satellite telemetry, and more!

The gray jay, also known as the Canada Jay, is a common bird of coniferous forests in Montana and across the west. This “camp robber” looks for handouts around camps in the high country. This bird is a “scatter hoarder”, caching a variety of food items in the summer for winter use. 

There are hundreds of geysers in Yellowstone Park and each one has a story.  Learn about the sources of geysers, how they are formed, and why they are so rare in the world.  Professor Adam Wenz has been fascinated with the geochemistry of geysers since childhood, and he leads us through a fascinating discussion of these amazing, world-famous features. 

The Northern Flying Squirrel is one of two native tree squirrels in Montana. This diminutive glider spends its life in trees mostly of the boreal coniferous forests of Montana, making it the poster squirrel for the common Christmas trees cut by Montanans for their homes. This squirrel can glide up to 270 feet or more and demonstrates surprising skills of aerial maneuvering. 

The woodland caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou ) is an elusive member of the deer family that occasionally dips down from Canada and  is seen in northwest Montana.  The woodland caribou has a fascinating life style that involves deep dark forests and subsisting on tree lichens.  FVCC student Taylor Rose joins us and describes his efforts over the last two years to develop his grea...

This episode includes lots of fun facts about wild turkeys, their biology, and behavior. Learn about turkey-related Thanksgiving traditions, and hear the story of a cat hitching a ride on the back of a wild turkey!

The snowshoe hare lives across the Montana landscape, especially in lodgepole and other conifer woodlands.  Its white color provides almost complete camouflage in winter, but it is still preyed upon heavily by lynx, coyote, raptors, marten and other critters. Tune in to this podcast and learn lots of fun facts about this elusive prey species. 

Join top fisheries Scientist Clint Muhlfeld and host John Fraley as they talk about the history and genetics of Montana's state fish in the waters of beautiful Glacier National Park!

Join us for a ride through the interesting world of bats! There are more than 1,200 species of bats worldwide, and 15 species in Montana. Some bats can fly 100 miles per hour; they are the only mammal capable of true flight. The smallest bat in Montana is the western small footed myotis, which weighs only 5 grams. Bats are valuable insectivores, but they also represent spookiness and fear for thei...

In this episode, explore the variety of wilderness areas in Montana, focusing on the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex not far from campus. You’ll learn about how wilderness is designated and managed, and hear some fun stories about old-time and more recent wilderness visits! 

Porcupines have captured the attention of people for centuries. Their quills are used for decorations and are feared by other animals. In this episode, you will learn lots of fun facts, and join a discussion of factors behind the porky's near disappearance in western Montana. 

Tune in for a tour through the world of black bears and grizzly bears in Montana, including fun facts, stories, and management challenges. 

Deer and humans have had a long history together in our country. Deer have provided sustenance to people over time, and now are moving into suburban and urban areas creating challenges for the deer and for humans. In this episode we will peer into deer biology and behavior and talk about the continued value of our relationship with deer in Montana.

Join Dr. David Long and host John Fraley as they discuss fascinating chemical connections in the natural world around us. Dr. Long is a popular chemistry Professor here at FVCC known for his reflective and entertaining lectures. One of the things he describes in the show is a long ski across Yellowstone National Park and some surprising chemistry of thermal features.

In this episode of the nature journal, tune in and learn about the Pika, or rock rabbit, a small high-elevation critter found in the Jewel Basin high country and other mountainous areas. This territorial, 4-ounce animal cuts and cures alpine vegetation in hay piles under boulders to help them last through the winter.

Bull trout are the largest native trout in Montana, traveling one of the longest migration routes (up to 150 miles) of any inland trout. Join the discussion about the unique life history of this fish, which uses Flathead Lake, the river, and upstream tributaries to spawn. Biologists count bull trout nests each year to keep track of how they are doing. Bull trout are a federally threatened species...

The weasel family in is amazingly diverse, including the wolverine, otter, marten, mink, and three species of weasels. Surprisingly, the least weasel has the strongest bite (pound for pound) of any mammal, and the short-tailed weasel is probably our most numerous carnivore. Join host John Fraley and producer Collin Burkhart for a lively discussion of fun facts and surprising quirks of weasels in M...

Montana waters support at least 90 species of fish with a diversity of species and habits. Learn about the largest fish in Montana (paddlefish, up to 142.5 pounds) and the smallest (a tiny sculpin, 0.05 pounds). Some Montana fish can live to be more than 100 years old! Come along on the trivia trail by tuning into this week’s FVCC Nature Journal.

In this segment, John Fraley recounts some scary and funny wildlife encounters from the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Glacier National Park. Species include grizzly bears, moose, pine marten, and even ruffed grouse!

Game Warden Ben Chappelow, known as the” Singing Game Warden,” joins host John Fraley to talk about humorous and interesting experiences he’s had while patrolling on horseback in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Ben shares a few song segments on his guitar along the way!

John Fraley welcomes award winning wildlife photographer Chris Peterson, editor of the Hungry Horse News. Chris relates some surprising encounters with wildlife, and some of his favorite photos and stories from his long career in Glacier National Park. Chris spends about 250 days each year in the woods. 

Fish Detective Sam Bourret joins the program again to talk about tracing the origin of the illegal introduction of walleye into Swan Lake. By analyzing the geochemistry of inner ear bones of the walleye, Sam identified the source lake and is hot on the trail of the perpetrators.

Fisheries biologist and “Fish Detective” Sam Bourret is on a search for a glacial relic, the pygmy whitefish, in lakes ranging from Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. He has recently discovered the diminutive fish in Tally Lake, and in Big Salmon Lake deep in the Bob Marshall. This ancient, deep-water critter is an important link in the lakes’ food chain and an indicator of hea...