Antelope Island State Park Podcast

This is our final episode of the Antelope Island State Park Podcast.  I hope you 'll join us for an in-person event or activity on the Island very soon.  Find our upcoming events at antelopeisland.utah.gov

All of our law enforcement officers are park rangers - but not all of our park rangers are law enforcement! 

It's been a really busy year at the park with new amenities opening and upgrades to existing facilities.  Those don't come without lessons and we're talking about all of them.

Have you visited the historic Fielding Garr Ranch on Antelope Island? This property is full of diverse history and ecology.  Have a listen as Madison gives us a tour.

We're busy prepping for the 2023 Bison Roundup!  We're going on hiatus from podcasting so we can focus on this event - we hope you'll join us!

Park staff and volunteers are in constant battle against harmful invaders on the island.Madison tells us all about them.

Antelope Island is full of magic if you take time and look closely.  I'm sharing some of my most favorite magical things about the Island.

Madison takes us through Antelope Island State Park and its bison herd's dramatic history!

In last moth's episode we heard from Weber State Students about their recent experiences at Antelope Island.  They touched on a couple things I wanted to talk more about.  So I did.If you haven't yet - go back and listen to Episode 37 - antelopeisland.utah.govogden-astronomy.org

Students at from Weber State University have taken over the podcast.  Eavesdrop on their conversation about their Antelope Island Experience.

University of Utah student Natalia has been busy hiking a section of the island looking for one critter in particular: Porcupines!  antelopeisland.utah.gov

Happy Dark Sky Month!  Utah's Governor Cox named April as Dark Sky Month in Utah back in 2021.  What's so important about a dark sky?  I'll tell you in this episode!  antelopeisland.utah.govtackley@utah.govdarksky.org

One of my favorite roadside discoveries is our porcupine.  We're talking about them in this month's episode!

One of our coolest and easily overlooked creature on the island is the burrowing owl.  Folks come to the island specifically to find them.  In this episode you'll get some pointers on how to find them and some tips on enjoying them responsibly.Thanks to Jessica from Hawkwatch International for helping answer some of my questions.  Find info on the good work they're doing at hawkwatch.org.

2022 was a busy and incredible year.  Learn about the many successes we saw at the park this year as well as some of the challenges we faced.  Happy New Year!

Did you know that Antelope Island's bison herd started with only 12 animals?  Work has been done since to keep risks of inbreeding down.  I'll tell you all about it!antelopeisland.utah.govtackley@utah.gov

It's that time of year- all hands are on deck at the bison corrals where we're checking the health of our bison herd.  Come see us.

Rhodes Valley Outfitters is a concessionaire that offers tours of the island on horseback.  I interviewed Sage, head wrangler from Sage Valley about what those tours look like.  Find them at https://www.rhodesvalleyoutfitters.com/antelope-island/

Have you seen the island's bighorn sheep?  You're not alone!  They're one of our most elusive critters.  https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.22008

Antelope Island is known for diverse wildlife and incredible sunsets but it's also a mecca for geologists!  Rocks date from 1.7 billion years to as fresh as 15,000 years - and everything in between.  We'll take a very quick glimpse of the very complex history of a few of the island's rocks.

They're here!  Spider season is upon us and before you cancel your visit I hope you'll spend 10 minutes with me to become better acquainted with the spiders of Antelope Island.  I promise they're not as scary as they look.

Wilson's Phalaropes are coming through in hundreds of thousands right now!  I'll tell you all about them, and the bug situation in this month's episode.

Responsible Recreation was a thing long before COVID-19 messaging.  I'm going over some not-so-common considerations for safely and responsibly visiting Antelope Island.

We're talking about some of our favorite wildlife on Antelope Island - in miniature!Hannah interviews Steven Bates - the park's Wildlife Biologist.

Nahuel spent last fall with us as a student intern from the University of Utah.  He shares information on his project, some highs and lows and advice for future interns.

In this episode we explore the many different wildflowers that thrive in our dry, salty environment.

Many know Frary as the tallest peak on the island and arguably the most strenuous hiking trail due to elevation gain ~ but did you know that at the base of the mountain was the quaint homestead of a family with the same name in the late 1800s?  

Bats really don't deserve their bad reputation.  Wendy Wilson is here to tell us why.

It's no secret - this is the best job in the world.  In this episode you'll get to know the folks who are lucky enough to work at Antelope Island State Park.

Have you seen the Milky Way?  Many who live in cities or suburbs can't.  In this episode Hannah meets with Ryan Andreasen, creator of Night Sky Science, park volunteer and passionate dark sky advocate.  He tells us why he decided to get involved, what makes Antelope Island special for stargazers, and what it takes to reach IDA's Dark Sky Place designation.

It's brine shrimp season!  Did you know there was  a brine shrimp season? Brine shrimp are a keystone species in the environment in and surrounding Great Salt Lake.  Weather you knew about their existence or not, they likely have an impact in your life.  Get to know these tiny crustaceans in this episode.

Great Salt Lake is a thriving ecosystem - if you look closely.  In this episode Trish and Hannah discuss the lake, what lives in it and why it is so important. Thanks to Kailee Krause for editing this one.  We'll hear more from Kailee in future episodes.

Sea Monkeys are brine shrimp - but not all brine shrimp are sea monkeys!  In this episode I'll explain that and the tricks of the Sea Monkey trade.

With no predators and limited natural resources on the island, managing the Antelope Island bison herd is necessary for their and the island's overall health.  In this episode, Kailee interviews Chad Bywater to find out more about how and why our herd is managed.

This episode airs November 1, which is right at the peak of the biggest event of the year at Antelope Island - the annual bison roundup.  This one's a shorty~ check back in December 1 for something better. Join us at the bison corrals on November 2-4 for a tour of the handling facilities and a chance to get a closer view (safely) of the bison herd.

If you've ever visited Antelope Island during winter months, you know how different - and amazing it is!  In this episode we'll explore what makes the island different and what you can see when you explore in the winter.

Predators large and small are found all over the island.  Each one of them is critical.

Antelope Island is home to a very diverse collection of critters - some of which might surprise you.  Kailee tells us all about them, and where to look to see them.

With local temperatures hovering around 100° it doesn't feel much like fall, but here we are! We're already in the throws of our fall bird migration.  I'll let you know what you can expect to see at Antelope Island this time of year, and what we can do to help our feathered friends have a safe journey.

We're partial to Antelope Island, but Great Salt Lake's other islands have stories to tell as well.  Learn about the history of Antelope Island, and her neighbors in this month's episode.

Great Salt Lake broke its record for low lake levels last month and it's forecast to get worse through fall.   Thanks to Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College for their help with this one.  Check them out at greatsaltlakeinstitute.orgAlso, take a look at gslcouncil.utah.gov And our website at antelopeisland.utah.gov

There is a lot going on at Antelope Island this summer!  I'm filling you in on all of the exciting new opportunities coming up and giving you an update on the not so great lake levels we're seeing.

I asked you for questions and boy, did you deliver.  In this episode I answer questions posted to our social media pages. 

70% of Antelope Island's staff are volunteers!  I chatted with a handful of them about what they do and why they do what they do.  If you're interested in volunteering at your park, head over to our website for information and an application.

In this episode, Kailee takes us into the past to learn about Great Salt Lake's predecessor - Lake Bonneville.

March kicks off Great Salt Lake's spring bird migration.  Antelope Island hosts hundreds of different species of birds.  In this episode Kailee highlights a hand full of the most abundant.