Kevin Taylor has been part of the Wildlife Expeditions of Teton Science Schools team since 2002. Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master's Degree of Science in Botany, Kevin's biological research experience includes several wildlife research projects, as well as mapping the distribution of rare plant species and the effects of global climate change on mountain plants. He believes it's critical to include modern humans when discussing natural history and ecology and he studies and teaches ethnobotany and ethnozoology.
Hunting, gathering, gardening, raising chickens and bees, and constantly performing ethnological experiments in Jackson Hole, allows Kevin to become increasingly intimate with the ecology of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and interpret the human history of the GYE with a hands-on perspective.
Below are a few of his favorite things about the area, including critters and feathered friends.
Where Were You Before Making Your Way to Jackson Hole?
I have an undergraduate degree in biology from Bradley University (Peoria, IL) and focused much of the 1990s on doing ecological research based out of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado. I achieved a Master's Degree in Botany from the University of Wyoming in the late 90s/early 2000s and have been with Wildlife Expeditions of Teton Science Schools since 2002.
What is your favorite season of the year and why?
My favorite season is the one that I am currently experiencing at the time. Every season has its amazing occurrences. I never really want to leave this Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem because I feel like I will miss something.
I pay very close attention to the everyday changes and developments: what plants are flowering, what fungi are producing fruiting bodies (i.e. mushrooms), how bird species chicks are developing, how the snowpack is changing, etc. It makes me think of the Bible passage Ecclesiastes 3:1: For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven (inspiring the song “Turn, Turn, Turn,” written by Pete Seeger).
Where Do You Recommend People Stay in Jackson Hole and Why?
I recommend that people stay in the town of Jackson within walking distance of the Town Square. That way they can walk right out their door to a wide variety of restaurant choices, art galleries, the Farmer’s Market, Jackson Hole History Museum, etc. And there’s a range of different levels/costs of lodging in a relatively small area in town.
Where is Your Favorite Place to Eat?
Pica’s is a go-to restaurant of choice for my family. It has good fresh ingredients, and reasonable prices, and we can pick up a burrito on our way to Grand Teton National Park to listen to elk bugle in the Fall. I’m also a fan of Hand Fire Pizza. I think it’s the best pizza in town and I like the atmosphere of the converted old movie theater.
Where is Your Favorite Place to See Wildlife on a Tour?
One of the things that keeps my work fun and fresh is that every day is different. We spend time in great animal habitats, but there’s never any guarantee that animals are going to be there. And every group is different regarding their interests. It’s fun to spend time in those places that interest the group and looking for and watching those animals that are particularly intriguing to the group.
What Makes the Animals and Places Here Special?
One of the special things about Grand Teton National Park is that almost everywhere you are, you can have a view of the Teton Mountain Range. Sometimes people ask me if I take Teton views, watching moose and bears, or wildflower-filled meadows for granted. One of the things that I love about guiding is that trip participants don’t let me take this place for granted! I see this place through their eyes, and they remind me that this is not what everyone’s backyard looks like. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is an inspiring place and my hope for every visitor is that they take that inspiration home with them and that they are inspired to develop a relationship with their nature spaces back home. Relationship with nature is an amazing source of joy, peace, and when need be, healing. That is a little secret that I want everyone to know.
Where is the Best Place To Take a Photo on a Tour?
The best photos are of those places that make your heart soar like a Red-tailed Hawk on a summertime thermal. The hope then is that when you go home and look at that photo, you can recreate that feeling of wildness in your heart and mind.
A Local's Tips For Viewing Wildlife
• Get out in the parks early in the morning, preferably before sunrise; you can catch up on sleep when you get home! If you just can’t get your teenagers up early while on vacation, pick up Pica’s burritos on your way out of town in the afternoon, have a picnic in Grand Teton National Park (by the way, my favorite food is whatever I’m eating at a picnic with views of the Tetons), and stay out looking for wildlife until dark.
• Hire a guide! You only have so much time on your itinerary; a guide can optimize that time. Whether this is your guide’s first season or her 30th year guiding, you will gain insights and information, and see and experience things you never would on your own. Guides will show you how to take surprisingly high-quality magnified photos through spotting scopes and guides can have remarkable abilities to engage children in the exploration of the two national parks here. Regardless of what you see on a guided trip, you can go back to all of those same great habitats on your own to improve your chances of seeing great wildlife.
• Bring binoculars from home when you are out looking for wildlife without a guide. Having optics is a total game-changer when watching wildlife. The National Elk Refuge Visitor Center rents binoculars for free, and Teton Backcountry Rental rents both binoculars and spotting scopes.
• Be patient, be present and be flexible.
• The parks regulate that we stay 25 yards from wildlife and 100 yards from bears, wolves and mountain lions. These guidelines are for when you are at a pullout beside your car; 25 yards is often too close when out hiking and coming upon a bull bison during the late summer/early fall breeding season or a moose female with a brand new spring calf. We never want to watch animals with the risk of stressing them out or putting ourselves in danger.
To book a tour with Teton Science Schools Wildlife Expeditions, call 877-404-6626 or visit tetonscience.org.