Happy New Year to each and every one of you! We hope you have been having some quality time with friends, family, and other loved ones over this holiday season. The new decade brought a little bit of fresh snow to the region, but there’s still not enough on the ground yet to drive the buffalo to migrate to lower elevations. The only buffalo we are seeing these days are seen through a spotting scope, miles within Yellowstone National Park. Patrols are out every day, doing morning and afternoon patrols, checking all the migration corridors, but not seeing any of the gentle giants.

We have, however, had some wonderful wildlife encounters and amazing times on this wondrous winter landscape. Earlier in the week, temperatures plummeted into the negatives, one morning dipping down to -30, but this kind of cold, if you’re dressed right and moving, is really exhilarating to experience. On mornings like that, the willows, trees, and other plants along the creeks and rivers develop a glamorous hoar frost, every branch every stem coated in exquisite ice crystals. It almost feels like you’ve walked through the closet door and stepped into the fantastical realms of Narnia. And although we haven’t seen any buffalo up close and personal, we have had other amazing wildlife encounters with moose, river otters, trumpeter swans, elk, and others, and we have seen the fresh tracks of wolves, coyotes, foxes, ermine, and snowshoe hares. These wild lands never disappoint!

You, too, could share in these memorable experiences by coming to volunteer with us. Things will not remain quiet for very much longer, and we are really in need of volunteers from February to May. You can come for a week, two weeks, or the rest of the field season. We provide room, gear, board, and training — all you have to do is get here. Volunteering with BFC can be a life-changing experience. Standing with the last wild buffalo is extremely rewarding and we could really use your help. If you are able to join us on the front lines, check out our volunteer page to learn more and to fill our our volunteer application. You can contact our volunteer coordinator to make arrangements at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 406-646-0070.

And please mark your calendars and help us spread the word about our 3rd Annual Rosalie Little Thunder Memorial Walk, which will be held on February 14, in Gardiner, Montana. This walk is our way of paying homage to our co-founder, Rosalie Little Thunder, Sicangu Lakota Oyate, who walked 500 miles from Rapid City, South Dakota, all the way to the Gardiner Basin in Montana. Rosalie’s walk was a form of prayer for the buffalo and protest against their senseless slaughter. Rosalie passed away in 2014, so this walk is our way of keeping her memory alive and honoring all the incredible work she did — and continues to do from the Spirit realm — for the last wild buffalo. You can learn more about Rosalie by watching this video. Some of Rosalie’s family and close friends will be joining us for this sacred event. We will have more information for you very soon.

WILD IS THE WAY ~ ROAM FREE!