Biodiversity Institute

10/20/2026

Turkey vultures might not win any beauty contests, but they play an important role in Wyoming’s ecosystems. As scavengers, they clean up carrion that would otherwise be left to decompose, helping recycle nutrients and reduce the spread of bacteria and disease. 🦅

Their bald, red heads might look a little creepy, but there’s a good reason for them! Without feathers on their heads, vultures can feed on carcasses without getting as much bacteria and other debris stuck in their feathers.

So the next time you see a turkey vulture circling overhead or gathered around a carcass, remember: they're not gross or villainous but nature's cleanup crew. 🦅

10/20/2026

What can your gift do for Wyoming biodiversity? 🌿

UW Giving Day starts this Wednesday at noon, and we’ll show you exactly how your generosity helps bring biodiversity science to Wyoming by supporting the Biodiversity Institute!

🦎 $5 helps feed and care for our ambassador animals, who teach more than 500 people each year about native salamanders, toads, and snakes.
🏫 $50 helps prepare for K–12 field trips and events that bring local biodiversity questions to Wyoming kids.
📚 $100 helps cover the cost of printing our wildflower, wildlife, and macroinvertebrate guides, many of which we give away for free.
🌿 $250 funds a participant in the Wyoming Naturalist Program.
🦇 $500 can help bring a Bat Walk or similar program to a Wyoming community.
🔎 $1,000 helps us develop new participatory science projects and create more opportunities for people to contribute to research.
🎓 $5,000 can directly support important graduate research and the next generation of biodiversity scientists.

Almost 100% of our public programs, outreach, participatory science projects, and graduate research grants rely on private donations! Your support makes these opportunities possible for people throughout Wyoming.

Giving Day runs from noon Wednesday, October 21, through noon Thursday, October 22. Every gift makes a difference, and we hope you'll consider supporting the Biodiversity Institute and help us reach 60 donations!
🎉 , Oct. 21-22, noon to noon

10/18/2026

Most tree squirrel species are either scatterhoarders or larderhoarders. What does that mean? Squirrels that scatterhoard cones and nuts will bury them in “random” locations in the ground and come back to them later. On the other hand, squirrels that larderhoard will store all their nuts and cones in centralized locations so they’re all in one spot. 🐿🌰

Larderhoarders are usually pretty territorial because they have to defend their cone piles. One species that larderhoards its cones is the North American red squirrel, a small species found in coniferous forests across much of northern part of the continent. 🗺

Lauren Wetterau, a Biodiversity Institute Grant Recipient, recently completed her master’s degree studying these red squirrels and how their cone piles, known as middens, influence the overall forest ecosystem. She found that red squirrel middens contribute to higher biodiversity of wildlife, specifically facilitating the visitation of small rodents to these midden structures for foraging opportunities. Their predators, martens and weasels, also visit middens a lot, probably to hunt the rodents that are there. Therefore, red squirrels’ larderhoarding traits make them super important for forest ecosystem functioning! 🐿🌰

📸 1: A red squirrel sitting at its midden
📸 2: Pacific marten looking at a red squirrel in the middle of a midden!
📸 3: Lauren setting up a wildlife camera

10/16/2026

Yesterday we spent the day at Livingston Elementary School in Cody, WY teaching 270+ elementary students about ecology! We played food web games, discussed energy flow, and how species rely on one another for survival. Thank you for inviting us to be part of STEM DAY at Livingston, Wyoming Science Initiative!

Students also learned from other great organizations and UW undergraduate students all day long! UW School of Energy Resources Northwest College Wyoming Advantage Rehab Physical Therapy Wyoming Wildlife Federation Teton Science Schools University of Wyoming Psychology Department

We especially loved being part of this day, because Mrs. Morales (pictured here) went to Livingston Elementary back in the day! 📚

10/16/2026

10/15/2026

The greater short-horned lizard looks like it crawled straight out of a Halloween story. 🎃

Covered in spikes, effortlessly eats stinging ants, and perfectly camouflaged against the desert floor, this fierce little reptile has a few wild tricks up its sleeve. When threatened, it can sq**rt blood from its eyes to confuse predators! Despite its spooky defense, this is no mythical creature but Wyoming’s state reptile: the greater short‐horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi)!

📸: Size comparison between a juvenile and an adult. Adults can reach about 5 inches in length.

10/13/2026

From bat walks and salamander migrations to BioBlitzes and school field trips, the Biodiversity Institute connects thousands of people to Wyoming’s biodiversity each year. Nearly 100% of our programs and events are free to the public thanks to generous private donors! 💐🎉

Giving Day is our biggest fundraising event of the year, and every dollar directly supports our community science programs, student grants, events, and K–12 education.

Mark your calendar for next Wednesday and Thursday (noon to noon) and help us reach our goal of 60 donors in 24 hours! Your gift, no matter the amount, helps inspire curiosity and conservation across Wyoming. 🙌🏼

🎉 Giving Day, October 21-22, noon to noon

10/12/2026

🍂 Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall? 🍁

All year long, tree leaves contain a mix of pigments - chlorophyll (green), xanthophylls (yellow), carotenoids (orange), and anthocyanins (reds and purples). During the growing season, leaves produce chlorophyll to help plants create energy from light. The green pigment becomes dominant and masks the other pigments.

As days grow shorter and nights cooler, trees prepare for winter by cutting off the flow of water and nutrients to their leaves. Without new chlorophyll being produced, the green pigment fades, and the hidden yellows, oranges, reds, and purples finally shine through.

These brilliant hues aren’t new colors appearing, but the leaf’s underlying pigments that were there all along, waiting to be revealed. What a beautiful Fall it’s been! 🍂🌾

10/12/2026