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You are here: home → archives → columns → Jeff the Nature Guy
Jeff Ewelt of the Beartooth Nature Center shares stories of amazing animals (and his son, too). And yes, that's a vulture on his head in that picture!
by Jeff Ewelt
It is with a heavy heart that I write my column this month. The thought of Gary and Kathy selling the Local Rag is quite sad. In fact, the only thing keeping me from releasing a freshly shaken hive of bees into Gary's store is the fact that they have sold the prize publication to their wonderful daughter Heather and her business partner Melissa Cross.
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by Jeff Ewelt
As cold temperatures start invading our space, animals all over the state are preparing for the onslaught of snow, ice, and wind. Swainson's hawks are flying to South America, soft shell turtles are burying themselves in the mud, and chipmunks are getting their food reserves cached and ready to dip into when needed.
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by Jeff Ewelt
Oh, how I love the fall! Cooler temps, beautiful leaves and of course, Halloween. I have always loved this holiday. It's an excuse to dress goofy and ask for candy. I mean really, can it get any better? And now that I have my own little guy, I get all the leftover candy. All right! Besides the sweet benefits of Halloween, I have always loved the lore and myths this time of year brings. This is the time of year that the animal underdogs can shine their brightest.
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by Jeff Ewelt
Change is inevitable. Whether it is a growing toddler, the loss of a good friend, or the arrival of a new season, change can bring both good and bad. Many people don't like change, although it is everywhere you look. In nature, it is a constant. If it weren't for change, our entire, fragile ecosystem would crumble as we know it. Upon closer review, you too shall see that Mother Earth is always evolving.
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by Jeff Ewelt
I love a good tune. You name it and I'll usually listen to it. Music is great for the soul and can always be paired to your mood. It's especially fun now to see my little mini-me as he learns the fundamentals of swinging to those tunes. Sadly, at 21/2, he already out-dances his dear old dad.
That said, as with most things in this world, humans came into music a little late. Animals had been singing eons before us.
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by Jeff Ewelt
The crowds streaming into Red Lodge can only mean one thing; July 4th weekend is upon us. As all of us residents know, this weekend brings a world class rodeo to town, complete with tough cowboys, irritated bulls, and savage fans. As I was thinking of this year's rodeo festivities, my mind began to wander and I started wondering what other animals we humans have attempted to ride. For some odd reason, humans have always had an insatiable appetite for hopping on top of other animals for the thrill of the ride. Here's a short list of some not so typical animals you may find yourself on top of one of these days:
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by Jeff Ewelt
I've never been blessed with a large stature. Like any man, I often flex in the mirror and dream of having biceps as thick as my legs. However, all that stares back at me is a lanky, boney frame. But you know, I'm okay with that now. Sure, I received the occasional swirly in school and often used my little size to outrun bigger thugs, but now that I'm an adult--at least I think I am--size really doesn't matter to me anymore.
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by Jeff Ewelt
You can't miss them. You see them every ten feet while driving down the highway. Pheasants? Deer? No. Political signs. Sigh?. the season is upon us yet again. It is time to be inundated by campaigns, promises and broken hearts. Leave it to us humans to pull animal mascots into this debauchery. We all know about the donkey and the elephant, but why would we want to smear their good names to highlight human greed and power? Read below, and you'll soon find out.
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by Jeff Ewelt
Ah, spring is in the air. Snows are melting, temps are warming, and trees are budding. Mother Nature is again in a good mood. It is a great time of year to get out, take in the fresh air and be grateful for what you have. This is extremely evident to me this year, as I get ready to celebrate my son's 2nd birthday. Not only am I fortunate to have an incredible family and live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, but I am also fortunate that I have lived so long. In fact, my son has been fortunate to live such a long life as well. I know, I know, this sounds ridiculous. But in comparison to some animals in the world, living two years is pretty lucky.
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by Jeff Ewelt
I always laugh this time of year as I dress my little guy head to toe in ridiculously oversized winter clothes to ensure his warmth. To me there is nothing cuter than seeing a baby transformed into a roly-poly bundle of misery. Sad thing is, I'm usually the only one smiling. If looks could kill, I'd surely be dead. The poor kid just wants to play in the snow, but my forced threads have made that impossible. Luckily for me, my little man is cute, but not deadly. Sure he can throw a tantrum or throw a random object toward my head, but his cuteness remains in tact. This is not always the case in the animal world though. Cuteness is only a cover and looks are always deceiving.
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by Jeff Ewelt
So here we are at yet another New Year. It is time for all of us to make those resolutions that we will be excited to start, but fail to finish. As a pop pop, I have a resolution to stop throwing things as I teach my son not to throw things. Aside from that monumental challenge, I have also jumped on the bandwagon by creating a "better eating" resolution.
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by Jeff Ewelt
There are many myths that surround old Santa's flying herd of magical deer. Are they real? Do they fly? Can they talk? Well, I'm here to answer some of those questions for you and let you make the decision for yourself.
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by Jeff Ewelt
This is the time of year that the turkey dreads. No, I don't mean the owner of this paper, I mean the lovable bird. Right about now, millions of Americans are beginning to drool at the thought of a delicious, crisp turkey at the center of their table. The turkey almost dodged this unfortunate fate, but more about that later. For now, lets look into this goofy, yet powerful bird.
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by Jeff Ewelt
Ah, fall is in the air. And with fall comes that dreaded phrase all kids hate to hear: it's time to head back to school. Now as a new parent, that phrase has a whole new meaning. Free afternoons! Whoohoo! No, no, no, that's not why I look forward to my son's school days. I'm excited for him to get an education--no, really!
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by Jeff Ewelt
Do you realize we are the only mammal that drinks the milk of another mammal? When you think about it, it's actually pretty gross. I've always loved the unique trait of mammals to produce milk. Even we, as humans, possess this talent--and yes, it is possible for men to produce milk too.
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by Jeff Ewelt
As I was singing a joyful summer song the other day, I quickly became depressed when I saw my tot's nose flowing with a lovely green goo. Hoping that it was just a sneeze gone awry, I wiped the mess away, only to see more come falling out. Ugh, another pesky cold. Right in the middle of summer. What a bummer. So as I sat with him at night, assuring him that he can still breathe through his mouth, my mind started wandering. I started thinking about the possibility that perhaps one day, we will find some magic potion that will help us get rid of that pesky cold. But in the meantime, I became fascinated with the idea that there are currently so many animals that help humans, so I decided to share my favorites. As a fan of the odd, I have chosen the least-known animal helpers, and--of course--the most disgusting.
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by Jeff Ewelt
What is it like to be a father? This is something I have asked myself many times until it happened. Honestly, having kids wasn't really ever on my radar. The sleepless nights, unlimited poop and deafening screams never appealed to me. Then one day, out of nowhere, my little dude showed up. That pesky stork! So here I was, a dad.
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by Jeff Ewelt
Who doesn't love their mother? Some may say they have had their troubles with dear 'ol mom, but when it comes down to it, remember what mom went through to get you here. I really came to appreciate what mom does when my little guy came into the world. I think I threw up more than my poor wife did throughout the pregnancy. In fact, I had the nerve to look at her during delivery and say "I don't think I can do this again." Not a good idea. I still have the fingerprint indentations on my wrist. I was blown away by the strength and will power that my wife, and all mothers, have during that time of labor.
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by Jeff Ewelt
I'm doing it. Prepare yourself before you read on. I'm going to talk about the dirty "S" word. But no worries, I will make it easy on all you and call it "love." You see, as I sit back and watch my son stumble around as though he has had one too many, I am amazed that two people, doing something, uh, "fun," can create something so incredible.
Don't worry, I won't go into detail about my particular, uh, "love" story, but with spring looming, you better believe my mind is racing with the happenings occurring in the wild.
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by Jeff Ewelt
It was 20-7 in the 3rd quarter. The Steelers were ahead in Superbowl XLIII. Everything was going according to plan until "it" happened. My ten-month-old son took his first steps. Of course, as a male, I knew that this was a sure sign that my boy was going to be the next superstar quarterback in the NFL. Ok, maybe an all-star Red Lodge quarterback; good enough.
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by Jeff Ewelt
It was early on a Monday morning in December. I had recently been named the new director at the Beartooth Nature Center, 2500 miles away from home. I had already convinced my wife that moving from Florida's 85 degrees to Montana's -20 degrees would be a good thing. I'm a miracle worker.
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