Elk in a field on the Charles Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Flickr photo by by Nathan Jongewaard.

September marks the time of year when lush river bottoms along the Missouri River in north-central Montana are transformed into their annual splendor. In the late afternoon hours on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (CMR), golden light hits the fall colors of the cottonwoods, redosier dogwood, willow and chokecherry, illuminating a unique palette of color that lasts only a few precious weeks.  In addition, hundreds of elk congregate along the fertile river-bottom in the Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area—a cacophony of bugles and grunts fill the canyon walls into the twilight hours.  With the nearest major city hundreds of miles away, it’s no problem getting front row seats.

What is the Elk Rut?

The elk mating period, widely referred to as the “rut” is a spectacular opportunity to view large herds of male elk bulls aggressively pursuing female elk cows in a ritual courtship.  This annual courtship is photoperiodic, meaning that as the days become shorter in September elk take notice and the cows come into estrus. Large bull elk are on high alert and will often fight to secure a harem of more than 20 cows and spend significant time and energy fending off smaller, inferior bulls.  Since elk shed their antlers every year, the older bulls grow a larger set than the previous year—sometimes growing as fast as an inch per day during the summer and ultimately weighing more than 40 pounds. Using these massive antlers, the dominant bull is able to fend off the lesser competition and gain the opportunity to reproduce.

This video I had the honor to film through a spotting scope while at the CMR.

Click here to view the embedded video.

How to Get to the CMR

As the best places often are—traveling to the CMR is difficult and requires a certain degree of planning.  Although massive in size (1.1 million acres) this national wildlife refuge is extremely remote.  Most adventurous travelers drive through Billings, Montana and head north for about 150 miles to where the Missouri River crosses the landscape.  From there, one can follow signs to the refuge towards the east and roll down the windows to listen for bugling elk.  For more information on how to visit this spectacular refuge please contact fischerk@nwf.org.

NWF’s Work on the CMR

NWF has been intimately involved with wildlife and resource issues on the CMR for more than 25 years. Currently NWF is working collaboratively with landowners, agencies and sportsmen to restore a wild, free-roaming population of bison to the CMR. Show your support for wild landscapes like the CMR by sharing this exclusive footage with your family and friends and by learning more at NWF.org/RestoringBison.

Photolibrary.com

Well, it’s that time of year again! Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It’s time for raking leaves (and jumping in them), sipping spiced cider, and enjoying all the wonderful changes of the season.

In honor of my favorite holiday (yes, I prefer to eat than get presents), we’ve provided a list of wild crafts and activities your kids will “fall” over — all in the spirit of Thanksgiving.

Get outside with your kids and work up an appetite!

1. Make a Thanksgiving Centerpiece

Go for a walk and pick up pieces of Fall as you go – beautifully colored leaves, acorns, small pine cones and more. Bring them home and make this easy craft.

2. Make a Snack-o-Lantern

Turn your leftover pumpkins into feeders for backyard visitors such as squirrels, chipmunks and birds. Learn how.

3. Make Pumpkin Prints

Your kids will love making colorful pumpkin prints using nature’s paint brush – a carrot!

4. Make Thanksgiving Place Cards

Get the family involved! These place cards are easy and beautiful to decorate your Thanksgiving table.

Photolibrary.com

5. Pick Apples and Make Autumn Applesauce

Or if you aren’t near an apple orchard, find a local farmers market and pick out some ripe delicious apples to turn into easy autumn apple sauce!

6. Make Delicious Pumpkin Cookies

You’ll bring a smile to your child’s face — and to several dozen cookies — when you make this treat together.

Try these out and let us know what you think! Or share your favorite fall activities with us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Explore more ideas and inspirations for outdoor play at www.beoutthere.org.

Note: Apologies for the ads at the start of some of these videos. I promise it’s worth the wait! 

1. Lobsters Marching Away From Stormy Waters

The combination of the soldier-like crustaceans, David Attenborough’s narration, and the heroic orchestral music make this one of my favorite migration movies. Brace yourself, though, for one scene that shows a spiny lobster meeting a gruesome end at the hands (fins?) of a trigger fish.

Click here to view the embedded video.

2. Wildebeests — Millions of Them — Migrating in East Africa

In the spring, 1.5 million wildebeests join zebras and other animals to walk across the Serengeti to escape drought. The females make the 1000-mile trip just after giving birth!

Click here to view the embedded video.

3. Monarch Butterflies — They Fly 50-80 Miles Per Day

Can you believe 300 million monarchs fly 2,500 miles to Southern California and Mexico? No wonder they hibernate once they get there. (Oprah narrates this one!)

Click here to view the embedded video.

4. Thousands of Noisy Snow Geese

Though not a true video, I like this narrated photo slide show about the North American snow geese migration. Informative!

Click here to view the embedded video.

5. Eels Slithering to Sea

Here’s one that shows migrating eels getting tricked by a predator: humans! I’m glad the fishermen let the big ones make it to the ocean.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You can help migrating animals by turning your yard in a haven for wildlife. Certify your habitat!

Sprague Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park by Tom Wood

It’s mid-September: The days are growing shorter. The temperature is dropping. And this week, dozens of new TV shows are premiering. Are you northern-hemisphere inhabitants preparing to hibernate?

Resist! Resist! When the earth starts tilting away from the sun, we at NWF are even more motivated to shun the couch and celebrate the outdoors. And if you are the type of person that likes to organize fun around holidays, this is a BIG FUN WEEK:

• Sept. 19-22 is Great Outdoors America Week.
• Sept  23 is the first day of fall.
• Sept 24 is Public Lands Day AND Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play.

How can you celebrate, you ask? Make a bee-line to your favorite local, state, or national park, and bring your camera so you can enter National Wildlife Federation’s photo challenge. This month’s theme is “Celebrating America’s Public Lands.” We’ll pick six finalists to display on NWF’s Web site and on Flickr. Then the public will get to vote for the winner.

So whether you live next to Yellowstone or a tiny city park, we want to see your photos of the natural places that you share with your community.

Not sure where to go? Just enter your zip code into Nature Find to locate the nearest green spaces near you.

What animals do YOU see in this photo?

Clouds fill the sky, and raindrops fall. But there is sunshine in the autumn leaves—so brilliant against the gray background.

I find myself reminiscing this day, recalling a damp afternoon last fall when my kids and I ventured outside. We gathered leaves and other natural materials and fashioned animals out of them. We had no plan when we stepped out the door, but that’s the beauty of unstructured play: Imagination guides you. And leafy critters—be it a jellyfish or bird on the wing (my favorites in this image)—connect you with nature and one another.

Our backyard is truly my favorite place. Plants, laughter and a sense of wonder all grow there. I hope your neighborhood supports joy-filled green hours too.

Cheers to outdoor play!

The treasure to find was not jewels, but sand crabs. They are no bigger than a silver dollar and do not pinch when you find them, they just wiggle around and tickle a little bit. They like to bury themselves six to twelve inches just at the point where the water reaches the beach.

Watch this video >>

Luckily, we had adults with us who grew up on nearby beaches searching for them. Otherwise, I’m not sure we would have known they were there. Before we found our first sand crabs, we walked along the beach and met another family who was searching for them and showed us how to scoop down into the sand to find them.

Once the children found the sand crabs, they would let them go and search for more. The children never tired of the adventure, and found new ways to dig: scooping, twisting, and “splash digging.” Even the threat of rain didn’t stop them, and our discovery brought more kids out onto the beach to join in the fun.

When we arrived home, we volunteered at the neighborhood school to spruce up an outside learning garden for the kids. Students enjoyed digging and planting, finding worms, frogs, praying mantis, and butterflies. As we transition into fall, think about giving your kids a place to dig–at home and at school–and see what you can discover.

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, is a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being. For her weekly online video series, “Get Out of the House” as well as Starla J. King’s guest blog series “Savoring Summer,” visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com.