“They’re fierce predators. Do you know they even kill porcupines?” Elena Ulev asks as she focuses her spotting scope so I can get a better look at the great horned owl peering out from a hole high up in a tree at Council Grove State Park. Being an avid birder, I thought I knew quite a bit about great horned owls, but not this. I also thought I was pretty good at spotting birds, but I would have never known the owl was there without Elena sharing her scope and her knowledge as I take part in one of the many excursions she offers through her company, Blue Heron Nature Tours.
Elena goes on to explain how the owls will flip porcupines over to gain access to their soft vulnerable belly. She then directs my attention to the other birds taking advantage of this bleached out ponderosa pine that she says is nicknamed the “hotel tree” for its ability to provide room for not just the owl, but the American kestrel hanging out on a bare branch and the Canada goose perched on top like a star on an old-growth Christmas tree.
Elena started Blue Heron Nature Tours in 2023 for two reasons. The first was as a way to fill what she saw as a void in nature-based educational outings for adults in the Missoula area. “We teach kids about nature, which is great, but I’ve found that a lot of adults are also hungry for information about their surroundings and there’s just not that many resources,” she says.
The second reason is a little more personal. “I wanted to work outside,” says Elena. “I’m not suited to sit at a desk and I pretty much bird and hike every day, so I figured why not do something I love that I’m doing anyway and make a business out of it.” Her first step was christening her tour company after her favorite bird, the great blue heron. “I think they look like old men in trench coats.”
As Elena and I move through the woods and along the Clark Fork River, she encourages me to not only look, but listen, touch, and smell. “Hear that? There’s a ring-necked pheasant calling over there,” she exclaims. She does a wonderful job describing the nuances of every call we hear, then we look up the bird in her field guide to associate the sound and the physical traits.
I point excitedly to a brilliant spray of yellow flowers poking up from the brown grass of late winter. “Those are sagebrush buttercups. It’s often the first flowers you’ll see in the spring,” she says. Standing on either side of a large ponderosa pine, we inhale the calming vanilla scent emanating from the bark. We then circle the base looking for owl pellets, which Elena explains are created when owls cough up the undigested parts of a prey animal. Finding one, we carefully pull it apart to reveal minuscule bones and ponder what tiny animal was on the menu.
Elena currently offers 10 unique outings through Blue Heron Nature Tours including wildflower painting sessions, birding trips, guided hikes, native plant walks, and cross-country ski tours in the Missoula area and the Bitterroot Valley. The tours last from two to four hours and start at $70. She provides all the necessary equipment including binoculars, scopes, bear spray, and transportation if needed. She even brings homemade cookies on longer tours. “Mainly because I just love cookies,” she says. Throughout the tour, Elena keeps track of all the species seen and emails a list to you after the tour with a brief explanation that helps jog your memory.
No matter which tour you choose, don’t expect to follow a restricted schedule. Elena takes care to gear each one toward individual abilities, and she is eager to hear what you would like to learn and what you hope to see. “Maybe someone’s into mosses, so we’ll talk about mosses,” she says. Elena is a pro at identifying plants and recognizing animal behavior and she knows just where to go and what to look for based on the season. “I prepare pretty much every day for these tours. I’m always visiting these places and keeping an eye on what’s going on so I know what birds have recently flown in, what flowers are blooming, are there cool mushrooms to check out.” As my interest lies mainly in birds, Elena takes me down to the river where I delight in seeing a pair of wood ducks she knows have been hanging out along the opposite shore.
Elena also feels she has been preparing her whole life for running a business that educates others about the natural world. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has lived in Missoula for 25 years. During that time, she has worn many hats working as an educator and field biologist. When not leading tours, you’ll find her teaching classes at the Montana Natural History Center and the Montana Folk School and leading Montana Master Naturalist courses in the Bitterroot Valley and Glacier National Park.
After years of teaching, Elena has found that people, especially adults, are nervous about asking what they feel is a “dumb question.” These fears quickly dissipate as she avoids making her tours feel like a test, but instead a chance for everyone, even Elena, to discover and learn together. “I consider myself a naturalist, which is defined as a scientist, a writer, and an artist. I think anyone can be a naturalist. It just takes practice, a curious mind, and spending a lot of time in nature paying attention and being mindful. Taking the time to stop and smell a ponderosa pine.”
Elena hopes to inspire everyone she takes out to continue exploring and learning about the outdoors long after the tour is over, not just for the educational aspect, but so everyone can reap the benefits of spending time outside. “Going out into nature is my natural Prozac,” she says. “If I’m down or low, I go outside and immediately feel better. I try to do that with my kids, too, and it works every time. There’s always a new flower blooming, or a bird that’s new to you flying through the sky. You never know what you’re going to see. It’s like a treasure hunt every day.”
To learn more about Elena and sign up for one of her tours visit BlueHeronNatureTours.com.
“We teach kids about nature, which is great, but I’ve found that a lot of adults are also hungry for information about their surroundings and there’s just not that many resources." Elena Ulev
"I’m always visiting these places and keeping an eye on what’s going on so I know what birds have recently flown in, what flowers are blooming, are there cool mushrooms to check out.”