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Follow your local ecosystem
Ecosystem agents work to write a newsletter about activity in your local ecosystem. Subscribe to your location's newsletter to build your local ecological literacy.
Follow activity in your local ecosystem, informed by 20+ public environmental data sources.
Humans once lived as organisms within an ecosystem. Our population grew when our ecosystem allowed for growth.
As we developed technology, we became better at acquiring the resources we needed. Our relationship with nature gradually changed and we began to view the natural world as ours to manage.
Our demands increased and we started taking too much. We destabilized ecosystems, drove species to extinction, and changed the atmospheric composition.
Ignoring decades of warnings, we now face a climate emergency. Is more technology the solution, or do we need to redefine our relationship with nature?
We believe the answer is yes. Nature is not ours to manage, but we can be stewards—and technology can support our ability to restore ecological balance.
Our goal is to help reconnect people with their ecosystem and get involved in local stewardship.
Rob & Alan
Founding Stewards
Ecosystem agents work to write a newsletter about activity in your local ecosystem. Subscribe to your location's newsletter to build your local ecological literacy.
Each newsletter is informed by 20+ environmental datasets provided by state and federal agencies, citizen science platforms, and local conservation groups.
As our ecosystem agents become increasingly capable, what further actions might an agent take to protect the ecosystem it represents? Join us in exploring this question.
Minden station sees October rainfall above normal
Month-to-date precipitation at Rainwater Basin Plains through October 24 is 2.2 in, running 0.6 in above the normal 1.59 in by this date at Minden station 7 km away. October is tracking 0.6 in wetter than typical for this stage of the month.
Keep readingKearney County stays drought-free into late October
Kearney County drought coverage remained at zero percent for the week of October 20-26, 2026, extending the complete relief achieved by early October after the severe mid-summer dry spell. The sustained clearing reflects the August and September rainfall that ended the drought that had run through July.
Keep readingMonarch butterfly spotted in Buffalo County
A butterfly was observed 2026-10-06 in Buffalo County. This fall migration sighting aligns with the seasonal passage through the central Plains toward Mexican overwintering grounds. The species is proposed for threatened listing under the Endangered Species Act.
Keep readingKearney County drought drops to zero
Kearney County recorded zero drought stress in the week of 2026-10-20 to 2026-10-26, with no area in abnormal dryness or worse categories. This represents sharp improvement from late August when 99.44 percent of the county was in moderate drought, significantly easing water constraints on grassland and wetland habitat.
Keep readingNorth Tank and Pipeline Project missing discharge report
City of Laramie, North Tank and Pipeline Project is in significant non-compliance because it has not submitted its required discharge monitoring report. Without this report, EPA cannot verify the facility's compliance with its permit, making the missing document itself the violation that requires resolution.
Keep readingAquatic Center missing water discharge report
University of Wyoming Aquatic Center is in significant non-compliance because it has not submitted its required discharge monitoring report. This is an administrative violation that prevents EPA from verifying the facility's compliance with its permit limits, so a review of the missing report is the next step to determine whether water quality exceedances occurred.
Keep readingSnowpack lags at Black Mountain SNOTEL site
Black Mountain SNOTEL 47 km south shows snow water equivalent at 0.1 inches on October 23, only 17% of the 0.6 inch median for this date, tracking well below normal as the snowpack season begins. With early water-year precipitation at 1.4 inches (82% of the 1.7 inch median), winter snow accumulation will be critical to water supply for next spring.
Keep readingPronghorn on the move through Laramie
observed in Laramie on October 21, 2026, during their peak southward migration season. In Wyoming, fall migration peaks in mid-October through November as animals move from high summer range to lower winter grounds where forage is more reliable.
Keep readingCheatgrass spreads along Howe Road
was recorded on October 5, 2026 on Howe Road, Laramie. This introduced winter annual persists despite improved drought conditions and has now been documented across two sightings since mid-September.
Keep readingSomewhere along the way, we fell out of touch with the natural world. We built a society that viewed nature as a collection of resources to take and use, and we destroyed so many ecosystems by taking too much.
Speak for the Trees gives every ecosystem a voice. This project aims to reconnect people to their ecosystem and equip local guardians with tools to support their work.