Our speaker was Taylor Brannock, Wildlife Technician of the Superior National Forest, Kawishiwi Ranger District. 

 

Taylor Brannock is a Wildlife Technician for the Superior National Forest out of Ely.  She graduated with a BS in Wildlife Biology from Southern Illinois University in 2015. She worked a variety of seasonal wildlife research jobs across the country for about 5 years studying spotted owls, winter marten and fisher, sage grouse.

 

She started with the Forest Service in 2019 and became a permanent wildlife tech in 2022 in Ely. Taylor works on a variety of projects, including restoring moose habitat, banding songbirds, and monitoring sensitive species populations like American goshawk, wood turtles, bats, butterflies, songbirds, owls, and Canada lynx.

 

She spoke about identifying the lynx and their habitat. This area is a critical habitat for lynx being a boreal forest that provides the cover lynx need for their existence. They are monitored because they are considered threatened due to trapping, habitat loss and competition with other predators.

 

She discussed their breeding. They typically have 2-3 kittens in a litter that stay with the mother for about a year. 

 

Snowshoe hares are their mainstay for diet. She discussed the tracking methods and studies for population monitoring. 

 

They value citizen reporting as well as tracking and studies. Report sightings if you have pictures or videos. Coordinates are helpful or a good description of the sighting location.

 

Thank you to Taylor for sharing her interesting work and studies of wildlife in our area.

 

Contact Taylor at: Taylor.brannock@usda.gov

 

Speaker, Jamie Koppes, Director of the Northern St. Louis County Sexual Assault Program. (Photo above)

April was Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). She started working as an advocate in 2019, and has been committed to providing ongoing direct services and advocacy with victims of sexual violence through their healing journey. The non-profit started in 1984. They are located in Virginia, MN at City Hall. 

 

Mission: To provide free advocacy services for victims, their families and friends of sexual violence with the ultimate purpose of preventing this type of crime through awareness and education. 

 

Statistics show one in four girls and one in six boys are victims of sexual violence by the age of 18. Sexual violence is often someone known to the victim or the family, not a stranger. One in five children are solicited online. Assaults are known to be under reported.

 

The organization serves Ely, Cotton, Nashwalk, Aurora and Hoyt Lakes areas and all small towns in between.

 

The organization receives funding through the Office of Justice Program who provides 70% if their funding. United Way is also a significant resource for funding. It is uncertain how funding will work going forward. They have been notified that St. Louis County will not be funding them in 2026, a loss of about $18,000 a year.

 

They are working with nursing homes to have appropriate protocols in place. They provide awareness and prevention education to families, students, local community agencies, hospitals and law enforcement with the goal of prevention through education and advocacy.

 

This is not an easy subject to listen to or to address, but from the volume of support the organization is involved with, it is still a serious concern for our communities in northeastern St. Louis County. 

 

Thank you to Jaime and Rose for being advocates and providing education to the public and families on sexual assault and providing ways we can protect ourselves and our children.