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Panhandle elk biologists have started tagging and collaring elk in Units 4, 6 and 7. Capture work will be conducted as weather permits in the Silver Valley, the North Fork Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe rivers.

The department plans to use nets or darts shot from helicopters to catch 60 cow and calf elk and fit them with radio collars to monitor their survival rates and movements.

If the targeted numbers are achieved, there will be a total of 180 elk on the ground wearing collars in the project that is in its fifth year.

The GPS collars record the animal’s location twice per day. The location, time, and other pertinent data are transmitted to a satellite and biologists’ email.

The study plan monitors survival rates, habitat use, seasonal movements, and causes of elk mortality. Since the study began in 2014, the annual cow survival rate has been 94 percent.

Naturalist chapter seeking members

Anyone interested in becoming a certified naturalist can attend a course sponsored by Idaho Fish and Game’s Lewiston office.

The Idaho Master Naturalist Program develops well-informed volunteers to help educate a public interested in nature, participate in, or guide conservation efforts, or help with fish and wildlife research projects, as well as teach the public about the importance of conservation.

A certified Master Naturalist completes 40 hours of hands-on, experiential classroom and field training about Idaho ecology, plants, animals and natural systems. Participants also complete 40 hours of volunteer work for local conservation agencies; hours can be divided between agencies such as IDFG, U.S. Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Idaho State Parks.

Contact Jen Bruns 208-799-5010, or Dave Eberle, Chapter President, eberledave@cableone.net to learn more about the Lewis and Clark Chapter of the Idaho Master Naturalist Program. Meetings are Jan. 10, Feb. 7 and 21, from 6-8 p.m. at the Idaho Fish and Game office on 16th Street in the Lewiston Orchards.

Tree identification classes announced

Because we have such a varied range of latitudes, altitudes, soils, and precipitation patterns, Idaho has a wider variety of native trees than most other Rocky Mountain states. The first step in caring for these trees, whether they be in a landscape or in a forest, is to correctly identify the species.

Distinguishing between Idaho’s trees can be a daunting task for beginners. Through a combination of images and live samples, a 2-hour workshop titled Identifying Idaho’s Trees will help participants quickly identify Idaho’s most common native trees, including: lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, western white pine, western larch, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, grand fir, subalpine fir, western redcedar, western hemlock, pacific yew, black cottonwood, quaking aspen, and red alder. Participants will also learn about the ecology, silviculture, and history of these species.

Identifying Idaho’s Trees will be held on Monday, Feb. 5, from 6-8 p.m. at the Kootenai County Administration Building, 451 N Government Way, in Coeur d’Alene; enter by Vehicle Licensing.

The program can accommodate a limited number of people. Those wishing to participate should pre-register at the University of Idaho Extension Office in Kootenai County by Tuesday, Jan. 30. A $10 registration fee covers handouts and refreshments.

For registration questions, contact the University of Idaho Extension Office in Kootenai County at 208-446-1680. The program is co-sponsored by University of Idaho Extension and the Idaho Department of Lands. It is also being held as part of the University of Idaho Master Gardeners’ Evening Horticulture Workshop Series.

Additional sessions of the program will be held April 6 in Sandpoint and May 10 in Bonners Ferry.