Hidden world in the aspens: getting to know voles and more

Voles, mice, and other small mammals are around us all the time—but we rarely see them and often forget to appreciate them. This story takes a dive into the hidden world of the small mammals around us: abundant creatures, highly important to the functioning of ecosystems, that many of us ignore. Set in a recently-burned aspen grove in Wyoming, this episode shares a small mammal study being conducted by Cody Lane and the Ricketts Conservation Foundation. We take a look at the diversity of life present in aspen groves, learn about small mammal research techniques, and explore vole identification and some of the ecological differences between species.  The ambient sounds in this episode include a Lincoln’s sparrow that I recorded in Powell County, Montana (with background sounds from olive-sided flycatcher, white-crowned sparrow, spotted sandpiper, warbling vireo, willow flycatcher, and pine siskin); an olive-sided flycatcher I recorded in the same area; and a white-crowned sparrow call I recorded in Glacier National Park. Find the written version of this story, plus photos, here: https://wildwithnature.com/2024/01/01/voles-aspens-wyoming/