Biodiversity Institute

Biodiversity Institute Fostering conservation of biodiversity in Wyoming and beyond through research, education and outreach

The University of Wyoming's Biodiversity Institute fosters conservation of biodiversity through scientific discovery, creative dissemination, education and public engagement. In this setting, scientists and citizens, students and educators, come together to share a wealth of perspectives on the study and appreciation of biodiversity - from microbes to poetry and ecosystems to economics.

Welcome, UW Class of 2030! 🤠Freshmen moved in last weekend, and we loved being part of their orientation - The Saddle Up...
09/01/2026

Welcome, UW Class of 2030! 🤠

Freshmen moved in last weekend, and we loved being part of their orientation - The Saddle Up Program! 🤠 All week incoming freshmen explored campus, got to know what college life is like, and some were able to visit our ambassador animals at the Berry Center. 🦎

We also invited some new freshmen students to join us for our last Bat Walk at Curt Gowdy State Park! What a great introduction to the University of Wyoming and the greater Laramie area! 🦇

A new art exhibition is coming to the UW Berry Biodiversity Center! 🎨Students and the public are invited to join us for ...
08/27/2026

A new art exhibition is coming to the UW Berry Biodiversity Center! 🎨

Students and the public are invited to join us for an opening reception celebrating “Rocky Mountain Wildlife,” an exhibition by artist Jill Bergman. 🦌

For the past 20 years, Jill’s artwork has been inspired by the wildlife of the Rocky Mountains. From carving each design by hand to researching the animals, their habitats, migration patterns, and the challenges they face, her detailed linocut prints are the result of a slow, thoughtful process.

Jill grew up in Laramie surrounded by biologists, researchers, and outdoor enthusiasts at the University of Wyoming, experiences that helped inspire her lifelong connection to wildlife and the natural world. 🐻🦅

Join us to meet the artist, enjoy the exhibition, and celebrate the wildlife that helps define the Rocky Mountain West!

📅 Opening Reception: September 9 | 5–7 PM
📍 UW Berry Biodiversity Center
🎉 Free and open to the public
🖼 On display September 2 – October 13

Meet the people behind the Biodiversity Institute! 🙌When you attend one of our events, read our newsletter, participate ...
08/17/2026

Meet the people behind the Biodiversity Institute! 🙌

When you attend one of our events, read our newsletter, participate in community science, or learn about graduate students' research, you're seeing the work of a small but passionate team dedicated to connecting people with Wyoming's incredible biodiversity. 🦇🐝

With all that we do, our mission is the same: to inspire curiosity and connect people with the natural world! 🌎🌿

From left to right: Dr. Brent Ewers (Director), Dr. Erin Bentley (Associate Director), Abbey Morales Eggener (Communications and Marketing Specialist), and Mason Lee (Senior Project Coordinator).

Last month's Summer Moose Day weekend brought exciting sightings from the mountains outside Laramie, including 13 moose ...
08/14/2026

Last month's Summer Moose Day weekend brought exciting sightings from the mountains outside Laramie, including 13 moose across surveyed routes in the Snowy Range and Pole Mountain areas! 🫎

Observations included 6 bulls, 4 cows, and 2 calves, along with other wildlife like deer, rabbits, chipmunks, elk, turkey, and a pika. The data collected is shared with University of Wyoming biologists to better understand moose populations and habitat conditions over time!

Keep Reporting Turkey Vultures 🦅Turkey vultures will begin migrating south later this summer, making now one of the best...
08/13/2026

Keep Reporting Turkey Vultures 🦅

Turkey vultures will begin migrating south later this summer, making now one of the best times to spot them across Wyoming. If you see one soaring overhead or perched along a fence line, report your sighting through Vulture Watch Wyoming! Every observation helps researchers better understand where these important scavengers live and migrate throughout the state. You can still join the project anytime this season by visiting our website and watching a short training video to become more familiar with these awesome "cleaners".

Vulture Watch Wyoming website: https://wyomingbiodiversity.org/index.php/community-science/vulture-watch-wyoming

The Curt Gowdy Bat Walk has been RESCHEDULED! 🦇After weather cancelled our original walk, we’re excited to announce a ne...
08/12/2026

The Curt Gowdy Bat Walk has been RESCHEDULED! 🦇

After weather cancelled our original walk, we’re excited to announce a new date: Tuesday, August 25, from 8–9:30 PM at Curt Gowdy State Park!

This event filled up quickly when registration first opened, but only about half of the original attendees are able to make the new date. This means we now have about 10 spots available! We expect them to go quickly.

We’ll start the evening with a short introduction to Wyoming’s bats, then take a slow stroll through the park to look and listen for the bats that call the area home. We’ll also use an acoustic detector that translates bats’ high-pitched calls into sounds we can hear, giving us a chance to discover which species are flying overhead! 🦇🔊

📍 Curt Gowdy State Park
📅 Tuesday, August 25
⏰ 8–9:30 PM
🎟️ About 10 spots available!

Sign up here: https://bit.ly/SummerBatWalks

Do Not Transplant Salamanders 🦎🚨During the summer and fall, tiger salamanders leave their breeding ponds and travel back...
08/11/2026

Do Not Transplant Salamanders 🦎🚨

During the summer and fall, tiger salamanders leave their breeding ponds and travel back to their winter homes. If you find a tiger salamander crossing a road, you absolutely can and should help it cross the road in the direction it was traveling so that it does not get killed by a car. Only move the salamander across the road in the direction it was traveling, even if you disagree with the direction that the salamander was moving. The salamander knows where it needs to be – you do not! If you find a salamander in your yard/around your house/etc., please DO NOT take it to a body of water because you think that’s better habitat for it. That salamander wants to be exactly where it is and has worked hard to get there! Please do not undo its hard work by moving it somewhere you deem more appropriate (of course, if it is inside your basement, you can move it outside into the yard).

Salamanders are wildlife and should be respected as such. Trust that they know where they need to be! We can and should be good stewards and help them get across roads in the direction of their travel. But salamanders DO NOT need us to move them farther than that!

Keep an eye out for salamanders on roads, especially for those of you who travel around LaBonte in Laramie. If you see a salamander anywhere in Wyoming, at any time, please report it on our website to contribute to our understanding of this awesome native wildlife. 🦎🚨

Pinedale friends: We are headed your way for another Bat Walk on August 26! We're halfway full, so have your family and ...
08/10/2026

Pinedale friends: We are headed your way for another Bat Walk on August 26! We're halfway full, so have your family and friends sign up today at our website. We’ll start with a short talk about bats and then take a slow stroll looking for bat species present in the area. We will use an acoustic device that can translate their high-pitched calls to a pitch we can hear!

📍 August 26 – Pinedale
Registration is required, and spots are filling quickly!
Sign up: https://bit.ly/SummerBatWalks

It's lovely to see this delicate native plant - Bitterroot - out on a hike, especially in the most barren, rocky environ...
08/07/2026

It's lovely to see this delicate native plant - Bitterroot - out on a hike, especially in the most barren, rocky environment you can imagine. It's encouraging to see how it somehow finds a way to emerge through harsh times. If you don't spot it while hiking, you can spot it at the Berry Prairie native plant garden. 😍🌼

Bitterroot is the state flower of our neighbors up north in Montana. Its scientific name, Lewisia rediviva, honors Meriwether Lewis, who collected it in Montana in 1806. It was rightly named rediviva, which means "reborn", because the specimen came back to life after being dried and mounted onto herbarium paper. Can you imagine being the first to witness that sight?! This occurs because bitterroot has substantial roots that enable the plant to survive long periods of dormancy. 🌼

Welcome back to Willow Wednesday! 🌿All willows are part of the genus Salix, in the family Salicaceae. This family and ge...
08/05/2026

Welcome back to Willow Wednesday! 🌿

All willows are part of the genus Salix, in the family Salicaceae. This family and genus name is the reason that the compound salicylic acid is named what it is! This compound is a plant hormone that was first identified and derived from willows, and is now synthesized and used as an active ingredient in aspirin as a pain reliever and many skincare products to reduce inflammation. 🌿

Indigenous communities have used willow bark for thousands years for its medicinal properties before Europeans identified its uses and began to commercialize and synthetically manufacture the natural compounds. If you are ever on a hike and have a headache, gnawing on a willow branch can be a relatively effective way to reduce the pain - if you can manage to handle the extreme bitter taste. 🤯

📸: Salix cascadensis female (first photo) and male (second photo) flowers in Medicine Bow National Forest in the Snowy Range. For scale, the lines on my ruler tattoo are to scale to the 0.5 centimeter, up to 4 cm. The female flowers are still relatively immature, with no fruits yet developed. The male flowers are starting to release pollen from their very long exerted stamens. These are some of the smallest species of willows and are so easily overlooked when hiking! Keep an eye out for them. They are so cute :)

This Willow Wednesday series was brought to you by BI Enhancement Grant recipient and UW Ph.D. student Caroline Brose! 🙌

Address

Berry Center 231, Lewis & 10th
Laramie, WY
82072

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+13077666240

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