FRIENDS OF DUBOIS BADLANDS
To unify the public toward understanding, appreciating and protecting
the unique features and resources of Dubois Badlands
Painting by Laney Hicks
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
To unify the public toward understanding, appreciating and protecting the unique features and resources of Dubois Badlands
Understanding the Badlands
Our primary goal is to educate people about the incredible variety of wildlife, the unique habitat and the stunning scenery.
Appreciating the Badlands
Our activities emphasize getting people into the habitat so they can see for themselves the richness of the Dubois Badlands.
Protecting the Badlands
A large part of our educational focus is on helping people understand how some of our normal activities can have severe impacts on the land and on the wildlife.
Our Badlands truly are a wonderland of scenery and beauty, home to an ample variety of wildlife and a place to be treasured.
What you can do in the Badlands
Hike
Hiking is the best way to discover the beauty and mystery of these badlands. Find clues about how animals live that frequent the Badlands. Watch how water changes the landscape in a storm.
Photograph
Few places in the world offer a more varied and interesting opportunity to photograph the evocative nuances of the landscape.
Meditate
Find peace and joy in the solitude and majesty of these wild lands. The Dubois Badlands are locally known to be a powerfully spiritual place which rewards your introspection.
Discover our Wilderness
Although the Badlands often look deserted in the middle of the day, they are home to hundreds of birds, plants and mammals and of course insects! The large number of mammals that live here is surprising to many people because some can only be traced by their scat and tracks. The beautiful herds of rare bighorn sheep are well known and often seen.
mammals
plants
insects
birds
geology
our recent activities
The Dubois Badlands are high desert vistas of fragile red, white, gray and tan sandstone cliffs with deep arroyos, plateaus and towering spires providing homes for bands of bighorn sheep, elk, deer, antelope, cougar, coyote, mountain bluebirds, soaring eagles and a quiet place for people to enjoy nature.
Friends of Dubois Badlands is dedicated to preserving
the health and sustainability of the badlands habitat
through education, Citizen Science activities, outreach and engagement for the social, economic, and
environmental benefit of the Dubois community and
visitors from around the world.
Our first project in 2021 was one of invasive species control. We eliminated an invasive tamarisk tree that had taken root in one of the canyons of the Dubois Badlands and tried spraying a large area for cheat grass.
2024 We continued the project with the BLM to take down some of the barbed wire fencing in the Dubois Badlands Wilderness Study Area to improve wildlife movement in the area. In addition we sponsored a school classroom talk with Jason Baldes who helped us understand the position of the Buffalo in the history of the Badlands
2022 and 2023 had a variety of exciting activities including the beginning of species inventories in the badlands, hikes, talks and work projects with the BLM, including beginning to update and correct the BLM signs that mark the boundaries of the Wilderness Study Area.
A delightful hike and talk was given by John Mionczynski on Plants of the Badlands. We continued our species inventories and did a geology hike with the Boys &Girls Club. Plus our first float in the July 4 Parade.
The future
Significant Activities: Spring/summer, 2024
We carry on our Citizen Science project: laying the foundation for an ongoing species inventory of specific areas of the Dubois Badlands Wilderness Study Area. We started with plant and bird inventories, and will add later invasive plant species, mammals and insects. Participants learn the basics of doing an inventory, recording their findings and gaining insight about the species involved. This is a crucial step in attempting to eventually protect the wilderness values of these Badlands.
Come join the fun! These Badlands need your observations and help! Check the calendar on our Activities page for next year!.
There are thousands of acres of badlands both East and West of the town of Dubois and North of the highway. Many areas have different ownership and usage requirements. The parcel from Mason Draw to the East past Byrd Draw has been under protection as a Wilderness Study area, but this is temporary. Please respect private ownership tracts which are not open to the public without permission and thus are not part of the FODB focus.
Current Staus
For the last 30 years, 4600 acres of BLM land just East of Dubois has been a Wilderness Study Area offering protection similar to any designated National Wilderness area, There is a bill before Congress proposing 4200 acres of this land become a National Conservation Area with many advantages for conservation .
WPLI Bill in Congress
Bill S-1750, known as the Wyoming Public Lands Initiative (WPLI), has been reintroduced into the US Congress this year. It proposes that the majority of the old WSA become a National Conservation Area.
National Conservation Area
National Conservation Lands offer the American people exceptional opportunities for hunting, solitude, wildlife viewing, fishing, history exploration, scientific research and a wide range of traditional uses. The BLM manages these public lands for the benefit of current and future generations.
Subscribe to get in touch
You will enjoy seeing our occasional News letter: Badlands Bulletin.
Our latest news
These blog posts describe the projects that we have undertaken. Go to the NEWS page to see the full descriptions.
