To navigate, click on the species of interest

Pollinators and Wildlife

Our goal is to preserve and restore habitat for the benefit of our wildlife and pollinators.

Latah SWCD has been partnering with landowners as well as local, state, and federal agencies to increase habitat for important pollinator and wildlife species.

Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa

Learn more about Monarchs
Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper

Monarch Butterflies

Danaus plexippus, Palouse Pollinator

Monarchs are an important pollinator on the Palouse and are easily identified due to their distinctive orange and black markings. Monarchs have an amazing migration with the western population making their way over multiple generations from their coastal California overwintering grounds north as far as Idaho and southern Canada only to return to California in the fall. Their population is in rapid decline which is why we are taking action with multiple partners to create suitable habitat.

Learn More

Pollinator Habitat
Showy milkweed (Asclepia speciosa) is native to the Palouse and is the only suitable food source for Monarch larvae, which is why Latah SWCD has partnered with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to plant and provide showy milkweed seedlings and seed to landowners throughout Latah County. A diverse mix of other flowering species that bloom throughout the season is needed to support adult butterflies as well. Species such as Missouri goldenrod (Solidago missouriensis), wester aster (Symphyotrichum spathulatum), blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata), and other species are especially important as they are a critical late summer/fall nectar source for Monarchs and other pollinators. Planting showy milkweed alongside a variety of other native flowering plants will provide excellent Monarch habitat.

Western Bumble Bee

Bombus occidentalis, Palouse Pollinator

The Western Bumble Bee is one of the most common bumble bees in North America. Recently, populations have been declining. Creating diverse landscapes with many flowering native plants and using pesticides carefully and only when necessary are a few ways to help conserve our pollinator friends (Washington State University Extension).

Learn how to make a
Bumble Bee Home

Bees of Idaho IDFG Guide

UI Pollinator Protection Resources

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Learn More on our
Resources Page

Beavers: Wetland & Wildlife

Habitat Program Beaver Benefit Videos

Beaver

Castor canadensis

Beavers are one of many keystone species in Latah County. A keystone species plays a critical and often unique role in the ecosystem they inhabit. The ecosystem would collapse or change drastically if they were removed. Beavers behavior benefits not only themselves but fish and other wildlife too. Beavers engineer the landscape to slow water, increase water retention and floodplain interaction. Latah SWCD work to increase beaver habitat with native plantings and riparian restoration, and often imitate their behavior to improve our wetlands. You can learn more on our Stream and Meadow Restoration page.

Beaver Issues and How to Handle Them Responsibly

Beavers often get a bad rap, and it is understandable that these little critters often get blamed for unwanted cutting of trees, blocking of culverts, flooding, and other problems in public and residential areas. However, there are easy ways to manage beavers and prevent these problems before they happen. By following Best Management Practices recommendations, we can learn to anticipate a beaver’s behavior and prevent the unwanted problems by using simple, cheap, and most importantly , effective solutions. Best Management Practices allow humans to work WITH beavers in their natural habitat instead of against them. Beavers are a very important keystone species in Latah County and they deserve our careful management and consideration in our restoration and conservation practices.

Read the
Potlatch River Watershed Management Plan

Steelhead Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Steelhead trout are culturally and environmentally significant species and can be found in the Potlatch watershed, here in Latah County. Anadromous fish spawn and rear in freshwater, migrate to the ocean, and return to freshwater after reaching maturity.

Steelhead in the Potlatch River watershed is believed to have the strongest component of wild steelhead within the Clearwater River Lower Mainstem population. Considered members of the Snake River steelhead group and are genetically different from other steelhead groups (Bowersox, 2011).

They are threatened due to current degraded water systems and habitat, passage barriers, and more. Learn how Latah SWCD addresses these issues on our Fisheries page.

Steelhead in the Potlatch River watershed

Idaho Fish and Game
The Pacific Lamprey Conservation and Management Plan

WA Native Lamprey ID Guide

Pacific Lamprey Habitat Restoration Guide

Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative

Lamprey

Petromyzontiformes

Pacific Lamprey can be found in tributaries to the Snake, Clearwater and Salmon rivers. Similarly to Steelhead, they migrate from the ocean to freshwater to spawn. These eel-like creatures play an important role in our communities and stream ecosystems. Like many other species they have been impacted by habitat loss and stream degradation (Idaho Fish and Game).