Quarterly Y ellowstone
SUMMER 2017
Taking the Yellowstone Pledge Yellowstone Science Taps the Power of Storytelling Interview with Superintendent Dan Wenk
Dear Yellowstone Forever supporters, Last October, we brought the Yellowstone Association and the Yellowstone Park Foundation together to create a unified, national organization dedicated to preserving Yellowstone National Park. Our organization’s new name, Yellowstone Forever, reflects our bold vision: ensuring that this magnificent place endures for future generations to experience. Over the past several months, we’ve funded dozens of projects that address the park’s most pressing priorities, provided educational opportunities to connect visitors of all ages to Yellowstone, and launched our new brand and website to share our modern, cohesive vision for the park. At the heart of all these efforts is our steadfast commitment to our mission: Yellowstone Forever partners with Yellowstone National Park to create opportunities for all people to experience, enhance, and preserve Yellowstone forever. We’re excited to share our first summer as Yellowstone Forever with you. If you’re visiting the park, we hope you’ll stop by one of our 11 educational Park Stores, connect with our field staff, or join us on one of the many Yellowstone Forever Institute programs we offer. Our work to protect Yellowstone is so much bigger than any one of us— it depends on support from people like you who love Yellowstone. That’s why, as we look ahead to what’s next for Yellowstone Forever, we want to hear from you. I encourage you to join our online community and stay connected. Sign up for our email list and follow us on social media to get all the latest news and information about Yellowstone and our work. We hope you’ll tell us what you think, and share your Yellowstone experience with us. We’re extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, and we’re just getting started. We look forward to continuing this journey with you.
Heather White President & CEO Yellowstone Forever
CONTENTS
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08
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2017
02 Taking the Yellowstone Pledge 06 yf family Kelly Herman 08 Yellowstone Science Taps the Power of Storytelling 10 experience Go Fish 14 Life at Lamar 16 nps interview Dan Wenk 17 naturalist notes Otters 18 flora & fauna Green Gentian | Cutthroat Trout 19 supporters
Contributors writers Megan Boyle Stephen Camelio Wendie Carr Owen Carroll Chelsea DeWeese Neala Fugere Jenny Golding Barbara Lee Ruffin Prevost
images / pages Cindy Goeddel Tex Grubbs Tom Murphy Jane Hodgdon Bianca Klein Maria Bisso Ken Voorhis Ann Skelton
publication staff Megan Boyle Maria Bisso Wendie Carr Paula Degen Neala Fugere
cover 2 4, 12, 13 6 8, 9 14, 15 14 back cover
Executive Team & Board Members Executive Team
Heather White President & CEO
Ken Voorhis
Chief Operations & Education Officer
Kelly Herman
Chief Development Officer
Jeff Augustin
Senior Director of Park Projects
Wendie Carr
Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Thomas Cluderay General Counsel
J.D. Davis
Senior Director of Campaign & Special Projects
John Walda Secretary
Bob Shopneck
David Donovan Annie Graham
Treasurer
Carolyn Heppel
Vice President of Information Technology
Kevin Butt
Penney Cox Hubbard
Roger Keaton
Claire Campbell
Edna Johnson
Michael Campbell
Charles Kaufmann
Patty Carocci
Dan Manning
Terry “J.R.” Hunt
Vice President of Finance
Kathy Nichols
Vice President of Employee & Volunteer Engagement
John Costello
Joe Marushack
Board Members
Gail Davis
Robert Mathias
Kay Yeager
Tom Detmer
Bryan Morgan
Chairman
Lou Lanwermeyer Vice Chairman
Doug Spencer
lowstone P l e Y e h t g ledg n i k e Ta
Dan W enk
By Jenny Golding
It’s 6 a.m. in Lamar Valley, and the sunrise is just beginning its slow glide across the valley floor. You drive slowly, eyes peeled; the ranger in Mammoth told you there have been wolves in this area. At the top of a gentle rise, you notice a handful of cars gathered at a pullout. People stand with spotting scopes, looking intently into the rolling green expanse. Wolves! You hope against hope; you’ve never seen a wolf in the wild.
roads and five park entrances—is significant. Not everyone gets the message on how to behave appropriately in a national park, leading to increasingly negative consequences for Yellowstone. Enter the power of social media. In a truly grassroots approach, NPS staff are reaching out to online communities of photographers and other park enthusiasts to ask them to take the pledge and share it with their friends. The goal is not only to educate visitors, but also to tap into their natural enthusiasm for Yellowstone to spread a positive message of stewardship. To help the message catch on, the park is enlisting the help of “social influencers”— individuals and groups with a significant online following— to share the pledge with their digital audiences.
Barely containing your excitement, you pull into one of the remaining spaces and jump out. Slam! goes your door. “What do you see?” you exclaim. Several heads instantly swivel your way, as someone issues an urgent “Shhhhhhh!” Chastened, you stand awkwardly wondering what to do until a woman beckons you over. “There are six wolves from the Junction Butte Pack,” she whispers softly, and points you to her scope. “If you listen, you can hear them howling.”
Influencers include Josh Packer, a writer for The Outbound Collective, an outdoor adventure social sharing site with more than 6 million users and 650,000 Instagram followers. Josh wrote about the Yellowstone Pledge in a blog post, urging outdoor enthusiasts to take up the call to protect the places we love. “I’m taking the #YellowstonePledge, because I want others, including myself, to be more conscientious of how we treat our public lands and how we conduct ourselves when visiting them,” says Packer in his
Often we learn about places—and proper behavior—from our friends, family, and community groups. The desire to fit in with the crowd is a natural, driving force. In the case of the wolf watchers in Yellowstone, the community’s stewardship practices become everyone’s code of conduct.
“I’m taking the #YellowstonePledge, because I want others, including myself, to be more conscientious of how we treat our public lands and how we conduct ourselves when visiting them,” says Packer in his post.
In an innovative new education campaign, Yellowstone National Park Service (NPS) staff are hoping to take this kind of positive social pressure into the virtual world, teaching visitors ethical behavior before they reach the park. In January, the park launched The Yellowstone Pledge, a 10-point list of behaviors that encourage visitors to take personal responsibility for protecting themselves and the park. The pledge is intended to be shared primarily on the web through social media. As visitation topped 4 million for the second year in a row, the number of visitors acting badly in Yellowstone—taking selfies with wildlife; walking off boardwalks in thermal areas; taking antlers, rocks, and other natural objects; vandalizing natural features; and other unsafe or unethical behavior— has risen as well. Over 51,000 verbal warnings were reported by interpretive rangers in 2016 alone. Although rules and safety information are readily available via the park’s website, newspaper, visitor centers, ranger programs, and signs, the challenge of communicating necessary information to millions of visitors speaking different languages—and spread across more than 400 miles of
post. “If we help take care of our national parks now, we can help ensure that others will be able to enjoy them in the future.” The photo-sharing site Instagram has also been instrumental in helping the park develop an online community around the pledge, says Jake Frank, who
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Tourists with iPads keeping a safe distance from a bear in sagebrush.
managed social media campaigns in Glacier and Rocky Mountain national parks before coming to Yellowstone. Because Instagram users love to share pictures of national parks, it’s a natural fit. The photo-sharing company and the park have been working together to take advantage of the positive aspects of social media.
can spread like wildfire. As the word spreads, when people see someone doing something stupid, they will tell these people to quit doing it, because they want to protect our parks and the wildlife in them for future generations. If everyone took the pledge, it would work wonders for protecting our national parks.”
Here’s how it works: You share a picture of Yellowstone on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #YellowstonePledge, and tell your friends you took the pledge. Your friends share it; your mom shares it; your neighbor shares it. Folks either read the pledge in your post, or go to the park’s website to read more about it. Like cute puppy videos on Facebook, Yellowstone goes viral—reaching many thousands of people.
That’s the magic of social media—friends telling friends how to care for the park. It makes it “cool” to share rules. Yellowstone staff hope the message will reach people who may not read the online or printed materials, look at park signs, or attend ranger programs. “What I like about the pledge is it’s a positive way to help people understand about appropriate behavior in the park, without chastising them,” says Jody Lyle, chief of strategic communications. “It’s a message that people can latch on to, so they can say to their friends ‘hey, I love Yellowstone, I took the pledge, I want all my friends to take the pledge, because it’s the right thing to do, and it’s how we’ll save Yellowstone for the future.’”
The goal is not only to mobilize the park’s supporters, but also to reach new people who may simply be unaware of how to respect the resource. “So many people check social media every single day,” says Packer. “The message 4
@Y
r ve re
eNPS & @ yn ston w pf lo l o e
#YellowstonePle go.nps.gov/Yellowst onePledge
2017
Yellowstone Pledge
Take the pledge. Tell a friend. Protect the park. The Yellowstone Pledge can be taken anywhere: it doesn’t need to be taken in the park, out loud, or in front of anyone. It’s a personal promise you can make to yourself and the park. Tag #YellowstonePledge and encourage others to do the same! To be a steward and help protect myself and the park, I pledge to: • Practice safe selfies by never approaching animals to take a picture. • Stay on boardwalks in thermal areas. • Protect hot springs by not throwing anything into them. • Park in designated areas and avoid blocking traffic. • Stay with my car if I’m stuck in a wildlife jam. • Follow speed limits and pull over to let cars pass. • Travel safely in bear country by carrying bear spray, making noise, and hiking in groups.
dge
Back in Lamar, you quietly fold into the group of wolf watchers. For several minutes you barely breathe, transfixed, experiencing what no one ever forgets: the howls of a wild wolf pack. A tingle runs down your spine as the eerie sounds pierce the morning stillness, and Yellowstone’s magic irreversibly seeps into your soul. Another car pulls up. A diesel, idling loudly. Politely, you walk over and ask in hushed tones: “Can you turn off your engine? There are wolves howling.” In a matter of minutes you’ve gone from tourist to steward, picking up the signs of etiquette from the community of people around you. What if we can create that community online, and reach thousands of people, teaching them how to love and care for Yellowstone before they get to the park? Saving the park from being loved to death requires active participation from visitors, and the community. “With increasing visitation to Yellowstone, it is more important than ever to educate people about how to experience the park safely, both for themselves and park resources,” says Superintendent Dan Wenk. “With the Yellowstone Pledge, we ask people to join the growing community of visitors who understand the connection between their actions and the preservation of this national treasure.” Will YOU take the Yellowstone Pledge?
• Keep my food away from animals. • Recycle what I can and put my garbage in bear-proof containers. • Report resource violations by calling 911 or talking to a ranger.
Once you’ve taken the pledge, let everyone know with #YellowstonePledge on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter! YQ | 5
Jenny Golding is a former director of education for Yellowstone Forever. She currently runs the website A Yellowstone Life, and writes from her home in Gardiner, Montana, on the border of Yellowstone National Park.
s
Y F FA M I LY
Kelly Herman
Chief Development Officer As Yellowstone Forever’s chief development officer, Kelly Herman is a firm believer that education and philanthropy are equal priorities when it comes to preserving the world’s first national park.
What is your vision for the role of philanthropy at Yellowstone Forever?
Kelly comes to Yellowstone Forever after more than a decade as a nonprofit executive and consultant and an accomplished career in banking, international finance, mergers, and acquisitions. We recently had a chance to chat with her about her personal journey and vision for the new organization.
At Yellowstone Forever, we believe education is philanthropy and philanthropy is education. We are developing a new model of partnership with the National Park Service, and we want to build lasting partnerships with like-minded individuals and companies to preserve this wonderland. Our partnership with Toyota, which contributed $1 million to fund sustainability features at the new Yellowstone Youth Campus, is an example of what we envision.
How have education and philanthropy made an impact on your life?
What are some of the ways people can get involved with the park?
As a major gifts officer at Pepperdine University, program director at Healthy Child Healthy World, and as a mother who wants to inspire curiosity and wonder in my fiveyear-old girl, education is at the core of my professional and personal journey. I believe education sparks curiosity and awe that help create opportunities for engagement and philanthropy.
Volunteering is a great way to make a difference. Yellowstone Forever volunteers spend the season working in the park in roles such as program assistants, campus caretakers, park hosts, and information assistants. Open volunteer positions are posted on our website. Why is preserving Yellowstone so important to you?
As the world’s first national park, Yellowstone is a national treasure that must be preserved for the future. With more people visiting the park each year, it’s imperative that we protect it for future generations while enhancing the visitor experience. By nurturing people’s relationship with the park, we hope to build a community who will preserve Yellowstone and keep it accessible to everyone.
How has your daughter inspired you to help connect the next generation to Yellowstone?
It’s been fascinating to experience Yellowstone through my daughter’s eyes. She’s eager to ask questions and learn about the wilderness. I will never forget the way her eyes lit up when she saw Old Faithful erupt. She reminds me why it is so important to preserve Yellowstone for future generations. The children visiting and experiencing the wonder of Yellowstone today will become tomorrow’s stewards. 6
Learn With Us This Fall
Yellowstone Forever Field Seminars offer an in-depth way to experience the park alongside expert instructors. This year, immerse yourself in Yellowstone’s spectacular autumn landscape with the following programs: Autumn Wildlife Photography
Sept 10–13
Sept 17–20
Through engaging discussion and field trips, learn about the women who played a role in the development of Yellowstone National Park.
The elk rut is on! Capture this and other wildlife interactions as you learn the fundamentals and ethics of wildlife photography.
Colors on the Landscape: Fall Photography Sept 28–Oct 1
With Yellowstone as your subject, polish your skills with the help of two professional landscape photographers in this intermediate program.
To sign up or learn more, please visit Yellowstone.org or call us at 406.848.2400.
Make a Lasting Impact!
P H OTO S TE V E H I N C H
P H OTO TO M K I R K E N DA LL
Women in Wonderland
The Yellowstone Society is a community of supporters who contribute a gift of $1,000 or more annually—or through a recurring donation starting at just $84 per month. Society supporters enjoy exclusive benefits like invitations to in-park events, recognition on the Honor Wall at the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, and the satisfaction that comes with choosing to invest in Yellowstone’s permanent future. Join today by calling Shelly Siedlaczek, director of annual fund & society, at 406.848.2853.
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By Ruffin Prevost
Yellowstone Science Taps the Power of Storytelling
Why did the mule deer cross the road? To get to the other side, of course, as any comedy scholar or frustrated driver already knows. But if you ask where the mule deer was coming from, and where it’s headed, then you’ve got the kernel of a great migration story that might help protect the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) for the next century. That’s one of the key takeaways from the 13th Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, held last October at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park. Hosted by Yellowstone Forever, the conference—“Building on the Past, Leading into the Future: Sustaining the GYE in the Coming Century”— covered topics ranging from using laser radar to find lake trout to monitoring how changes in glacial conditions affect stream flows. It also featured three different presentations that touched on mule deer migrations: one looking at the
importance of private lands, another focused on vehicle collisions, and yet another covering forage quality. (In short, for mule deer, the grass is often greener on the other side of the road). Yellowstone biologist and conference co-chair Erik Oberg said more than 345 researchers, land managers, conservation groups, and students attended the conference, which featured more than 100 discussions and poster presentations. Oberg said a wide range of “tremendous work” is being done in labs and on public and private land across the GYE. “Getting people together in a room to share their successes and failures is still an important tool to learn from each other how best to protect this magnificent place,” he said. “There is simply no substitute for getting a group of people who devote their entire careers to learning about a subject, and letting them discuss the resource issues we face.” But researchers must also share information in a way that informs and 8
engages the public, said Stephen Abatiell, program manager of educational Field Seminars for Yellowstone Forever. Abatiell was part of a conference panel exploring how storytelling in science can aid in public engagement. “A lot of these topics are quite dense and involve a lot of complex background information,” Abatiell said. So when sharing key points with the general public, it’s important “to be able to tell a concise, engaging, and relevant story around that dense topic.” In Yellowstone, that could involve using the ongoing “soap opera” of family and pack histories as a way to explore the science behind gray wolf management. Telling a story about the prehistoric explosion of the Yellowstone supervolcano might be a way to “capture the imagination of a lot of people from outside this area who haven’t visited the park,” he said.
Migration stories are another effective way to capture public imagination, said Arthur Middleton, a research ecologist who was a presenter at the 2014 Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Middleton said he was inspired by the work of research biologist Hall Sawyer and photojournalist Joe Riis in tracking and documenting mule deer and pronghorn migrations in Wyoming. The videos and photos Riis has captured using remote camera traps tell compelling stories about previously unseen migrations, giving the public intimate insight into the struggles ungulates face as they navigate natural and manmade barriers during journeys of 100 miles or more. Most Yellowstone visitors only see elk along the park’s roads in the summer, while area residents may also see them in lower elevations outside the park in winter, Middleton said. “But I came to realize that if you’re not thinking about where those animals are for the other half of the year, in spring and fall, you can’t fully understand what’s going on with the overall ecology,” he said. Riis and Middleton received a seed grant in 2013 to study elk migrations between Cody, Wyoming, and the southeast corner of Yellowstone, with a mandate to engage the public with their work. Since then, additional funding and public exposure have helped them expand the project, including working with National Geographic. The strong storytelling aspect of the work is an important part of how Middleton approaches his study of elk migrations. “My job is to do research, but this needs to be entering the public conversation more quickly and in a bigger way than I can achieve as a researcher,” he said. Studying the nine different major migrations of more than 20,000 elk in and out of Yellowstone could provide a lifetime of work, Middleton said. “But I’m also thinking about what other avenues this opens up for
different kinds of stories” on topics like the role of private lands in migrations, or human conflict with carnivores in the region, he said. “The challenge inherent in telling any of these stories is people already have a lot of ideas about them,” Middleton said. “But when you really start studying it, you usually end up with a story that’s different and more interesting than you thought.” Ruffin Prevost is founding editor of Yellowstone Gate, an online publication offering community news and inside views about Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.
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Participarts gather to discuss topics at the 13th Biennial Scientific Conference in Jackson.
EXPERIENCE
GO FISH By Stephen Camelio
Whether it is rebuilding the cutthroat trout population in Yellowstone Lake, removing nonnative species from streams like Elk Creek, or reintroducing westslope cutthroat to their former habitat, in recent years Yellowstone’s Native Fish Conservation Plan has had a positive impact on the park’s aquatic ecosystems.
Mountain Whitefish Often neglected by anglers focused on trout and dismissed because of their sucker-like features, this native fish is a strong fighter and a willing eater of flies—making it a good target for beginners testing out their fly-fishing technique. A great place to find “el blanco” is the Gardner River near the park’s North Entrance. Though they will sip a dry, whitefish generally feed farther down in the water column, which is why shiny beadheads like Copper Johns and Princes are commonly called “whitefish candy.”
The plan has also changed how fishermen interact with these environments. Not only is it required for anglers to release all native fish unharmed, but in some areas of the park it is now mandatory for fishermen to harvest all nonnative fish that they catch. While the rules may be a little more complex, ensuring the health of the fishery and giving anglers a chance to catch native fish is worth having to follow new regulations.
Westslope Cutthroat To catch a westslope trout in its native habitat takes a bit of work. Right now East Fork of Specimen Creek (with High Lake at its headwaters) and Grayling Creek are two of the only places to catch these fish—which are differentiated from the Yellowstone cutthroat by a crescent shaped spotting pattern and often having colorful par marks as adults. Both these places are accessible by hiking from Highway 191 on the west side of the park. In these creeks, high-riding attractor patterns like Stimulators and Humpys should find rising fish, while in High Lake sight fishing with mayfly patterns or stripping streamers should do the trick.
Here are some great spots to catch the park’s four indigenous game fish: Grayling The times when grayling were common in the Madison, Gibbon, Firehole, and Gallatin rivers is gone, but you can still find them in the Gibbon River downstream of Gibbon Falls. Grayling are also found in Cascade, Grebe, and Wolf lakes, where they were stocked in 1921. Located off the NorrisCanyon Road, the hikes to these lakes range from four to seven miles and all are connected by the Chain of Lakes trail.
Stephen Camelio is a freelance writer living in Bozeman, Montana. His work has appeared in Men’s Journal, Runner’s World, Field & Stream, and Fly Rod & Reel.
It can be a real thrill to see the grayling’s peacock-like iridescent large dorsal fin up-close, and using classic mayfly patterns, such as Parachute Adams or Hendrickson, is a great way to land one. The banks around the lakes alternate between marshy and heavily wooded, making float tubes (which require a National Park Service boating permit) a plus.
A Yellowstone fishing permit is required for all anglers 16 years of age or older. Children age 15 or younger may receive a free permit signed by an adult or may fish without a permit if accompanied by an adult with a valid permit.
Cutthroat Trout Once abundant throughout the West, genetically-pure Yellowstone cutthroats now occupy only about 10 percent of their historic range. One of the strongholds in the park for these fish is the Lamar River Drainage, where all rainbow and brook trout must be killed. While the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek are great places to catch one of these brightly colored fish—named for the red slashes under their jaws—during the summer these streams can be very crowded. For those willing to take a walk, Lamar tributary Cache Creek is a great place to prospect for cutties. In the warmer months, be sure to bring plenty of terrestrial patterns and your bear spray.
Anglers must follow all of the NPS rules outlined in the park’s fishing regulations, including:
• Use only lead-free artificial lures and flies with barbless hooks. • Bait is prohibited. • All cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish, and Arctic grayling must be released unharmed. • Remove nonnative fish where they harm cutthroat trout. There are no limits on nonnatives in the Native Trout Conservation Area. • All lake trout in Yellowstone Lake must be killed.
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Shop
Yellowstone’s Official Park Stores! Our Park Stores are the #1 source of information on Yellowstone, and sale proceeds directly benefit Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone Yesteryears: The Stagecoach Era Supporter: $10.19 Regular: $11.99 #2986 From encounters with bears to unearthly landscapes, discover Yellowstone through the eyes of early tourists on this journey through time. Published by Yellowstone Forever. Softcover. 66 pages. 8" x 10"
Yellowstone: The Art of Science Supporter $42.50 Regular: $50.00 #2993 Photographic art melds with natural science in this visually stunning examination of Mammoth Hot Springs. Delve into the deep history—and future—of our planet with a glimpse through this “Window on the Universe.” Hardcover. 299 pages. 8.25" x 10"
Yellowstone Ranger Supporter $19.50 Regular: $22.95 #2950 Former Yellowstone National Park ranger Jerry Mernin shares a lifetime of adventures, backcountry patrols, and heart-pounding encounters with grizzlies in this long-awaited memoir. Softcover. 367 pages. 5.5" x 8.5"
Can’t Chew the Leather Anymore Supporter $11.00 Regular: $12.95 #2992 Seasoned wildlife biologist P.J. White offers firsthand insight into the scientific, social, and political issues influencing wildlife conservation in the greater Yellowstone area. Published by Yellowstone Forever. Softcover. 129 pages. 5" x 8"
Grand Prismatic Poster
Supporter $10.15 Regular: $11.95 #2979 Let the unforgettably vibrant colors of Grand Prismatic Spring—the largest hot spring in Yellowstone National Park— liven up your home or office. Measures 36” x 12”
A bear doesn’t care if you’re just fishing.
Yellowstone National Park
Carry bear spray. Know how to use it. Be Alert. Make Noise. Hike in Groups. Do Not Run. Erik Oberg Biologist, Fly-fisherman
go.nps.gov/bearspray YQ | 11
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E XPERIENCE | PRE SERVE
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By Chelsea DeWeese
Life at Lamar
wild American bison back from the brink of extinction. A handful of animals had evaded poaching and were relocated to the ranch, where they were corralled and supplemented with genetically pure bison purchased from private ranches. The bison were fed, bred, and later released back onto the landscape, until operations ceased in the 1950s.
Karen Withrow vividly remembers sunset on the back porch of the bunkhouse at Lamar Buffalo Ranch—the fiery colors signaling nightfall in Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Valley. A retired high-school science teacher from Oregon, Withrow spent seven summers and two winters volunteering for educational programs at the ranch starting in 2006. “The first summer was magical,” she recalls. “The other summers and winters just added to the magic with new experiences.”
Today visitors enjoy the location’s historic significance while participating in educational programs offered by Yellowstone Forever and the National Park Service. A collection of five buildings built between 1915 and the 1930s comprise the Lamar Buffalo Ranch National Historic District, including the bunkhouse where participants take programs and gather for group meals. Participants stay in updated, propane-heated cabins and enjoy a shared bathhouse. On-site solar panels generate the ranch’s power; NPS and Yellowstone Forever are currently working to make the Lamar Buffalo Ranch run completely on renewable energy. All of this translates into increased learning opportunities for participants.
For visitors like Withrow, the Lamar Buffalo Ranch becomes a home-away-from-home—a place to regroup, recharge, and reconnect. Participants often take a Yellowstone Forever Field Seminar at the location and find themselves immediately planning a return visit. Some are drawn to the silence and solitude of the place, or to the area’s world-class wildlife watching and programs. For others, a stay at the ranch means seeing old friends and making new ones. One thing is certain: a stay at the ranch provides lasting memories. “Some of my best experiences were at the bunkhouse,” Withrow remembers. “I so enjoyed the camaraderie in the communal kitchen among instructors, volunteers, and the participants.”
“It’s a classroom without walls,” says Beth Taylor, the education program manager for Expedition Yellowstone, a weeklong NPS outdoor education program. While staying at the ranch, fourth- to eighth-grade students learn from rangers how to compare the temperature and pH of hot springs, investigate predator-prey interactions, study
The National Park Service (NPS) established the Lamar Buffalo Ranch in 1906 to bring Yellowstone’s last remaining
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artifacts, and explore how park biologists study wildlife. Expedition Yellowstone has brought an estimated 30,000 students to Yellowstone from across the United States since 1986. “Having a campus in the spectacular wilds of Yellowstone is an exceptional opportunity to delve into science, history, and stewardship ethics full force, rather than through a textbook or whiteboard,” Taylor says.
will our program offerings. We’ll continue to provide opportunities that connect today’s experts to the public in ways that are relevant and engaging.” For Withrow, the ranch is an integral part of the experience. “When people stay at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch, they are immersed in the wildness of this area,” Withrow says. “They do not travel from a town to see it. They are within and a part of it. They can hear the howls of coyotes and wolves, the chortle of sandhill cranes, and the sound of bison pulling at grass around their cabins. They experience what it’s like to stay in an ‘off-grid’ remote location. And they are in a setting where they can get to know people with similar interests from all across the country—and sometimes the world.”
In the summer and winter, programs at the ranch shift from younger students to college-aged and older. These multi-day continuing education programs are offered through the Yellowstone Forever Institute and include curricula on topics ranging from geology to Native American studies to wildlife. Students spend time both in the classroom and in the field engaging in a variety of activity levels and experiential learning. “You can spend a lifetime marveling at the mountains and hydrothermal features of the park,” says Stephen Abatiell, program manager of Field Seminars for Yellowstone Forever, “but I hope after one geology seminar you’ll see Yellowstone in a whole new light and decide you want to take a seminar that’s a little bit outside your usual interests next time.” He says multi-day programs like photography will continue to be offered, and he is always seeking new ideas to appeal to a variety of interests. “As the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem changes—and the folks who are coming to connect with Yellowstone change—so, too,
For more information on programs offered at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch, please visit Yellowstone.org. Chelsea DeWeese is a journalist and guide who writes from her hometown of Gardiner, Montana, at the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Visitors enjoy a range of activities and experiences at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch.
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NPS INTERVIE W
DAN WENK
Yellowstone’s Superintendent it’s necessary on the landscape in terms of natural resource preservation and enhancement will be a bigger topic of conversation for us because some of those areas that burned are going to be visible.
A record 4,257,177 million visits. The spectacular National Park Service centennial celebration. A festive Lake Yellowstone Hotel anniversary party. A National Geographic issue devoted entirely to the park. The merger of the Yellowstone Association and the Yellowstone Park Foundation—2016 was an eventful and historic year for Yellowstone National Park. We spoke to Superintendent Dan Wenk about the past year and what is going on in the park today.
Could you talk about your evolving approach to technology as it is a key component of this year’s #YellowstonePledge campaign? One of the reasons technology is limited in the park is because we have very little connectivity; but many people want to share their park experience with their family and friends. We’re going to continue to work on enhancing those opportunities in the park’s developed areas. Technology is also an important tool for us to get out information about the park, like forest fires and road closures. We have apps that help visitors enjoy the park by telling them when eruptions are predicted or about ranger-led activities. Beyond that, we use technology to reach people who are not able to visit, so they can feel connected to the resources of the park and understand why Yellowstone and other public lands are important and why they deserve our protection.
Given last year’s record visitation, what are you looking at this summer in order to handle and understand the larger crowds? We made significant changes to how we operated between 2015 and 2016, and now we’re trying to build on those successes. I expect another rise in visitation, so we’re trying to have the people in place to manage the entrance stations, the visitor centers, the wildlife jams, etc. We also have a social science program that uses both surveys and observation to understand how crowds affect the natural resources and the cultural resources of the park. That information will help us make decisions in the future about how people can visit and possibly even how many people can visit Yellowstone National Park on the busiest of summer days.
How are you dealing with wildlife management, which is an issue with implications both inside and outside of the park? Trans-boundary wildlife issues are always going to be critical in our relationships and our negotiations with surrounding management agencies, primarily the three state agencies. In terms of bison, we’re making progress managing the population within the guidelines of the Interagency Bison Management Plan while working with our partners in the states and other federal agencies and native tribes to try to find ways to move bison to other
Are there any other key topics the park is focused on this summer? Yellowstone had a very busy fire season last year. We had four major fires within the park that burned more than 62,000 acres—the most in a season since 1988. The new growth that came about as a result of the 1988 fires is now starting to carry fire. The whole issue of fire and why 16
public lands in the West. When it comes to grizzly bear delisting, we’re watching closely the states and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as they develop the final rule. Yellowstone National Park supports the delisting: We believe that it is a recovered population, but we remain very concerned about what post-delisting management looks like in terms of how grizzly bears will be managed outside the boundaries of the park. Now that Yellowstone’s two nonprofit partners have merged, what has it been like to work with one organization instead of two? The benefit of working with just one organization isn’t about simplification; it’s about magnification. Bringing together the strength of membership and education with annual donors and philanthropy will provide greater resources and support for Yellowstone. The fact that philanthropy in many ways depends on educating people about the park is a natural benefit of the two organizations working together. Plus, eliminating any confusion for the public in terms of the differences between the two is a positive as well.
N AT U R A L I S T N OT E S
Captivating Creatures By Owen Carroll, Lead Instructor Illustration by George Bumann
Only a select group of animals in Yellowstone seem to captivate visitors the way otters do. The North American river otter, Lontra canadensis, has a certain charisma that suggests playfulness; a group of otters is even called a “romp.” Yet these aquatic members of the weasel family are also keen predators capable of chasing down trout swimming through rapid water. I have seen them drive off coyotes and bald eagles attempting to steal fish they have caught, as the otters exit the water to devour their prey.
Is there any specific program in which the benefits of the merger are already evident to you? There’s not one thing, because everything that Yellowstone Forever does is in direct support of the priorities of Yellowstone National Park and our mission. But visitors should know that every day they are seeing benefits of Yellowstone Forever and the work they do. Everything from the work at Lamar Buffalo Ranch to create a totally sustainable system, to wildlife health, to management of wildlife jams—all of this is possible because Yellowstone Forever said, “We can fund that.” I could also mention countless other projects that people don’t see every day but they’re the beneficiaries of the strong contributions of Yellowstone Forever.
These sightings are incredible when a person is lucky enough to experience one, but far more often I see evidence of the otter passing by, rather than the animal itself. Sometimes I see their tracks in sandbars as I stalk trout from riffle to pool, or see a pile of oily scat filled with fish bones and scales left strategically along the edge of a lake or stream. I have even caught fish with fresh scrapes and torn fins, suggesting a narrow escape from an otter’s mouth.
Anything in particular that the National Park Service will focus on for the next hundred years? For the first one hundred years, the NPS mission was centered on resource preservation and visitor enjoyment. Last year, Congress enacted new Centennial legislation that added another element to our mission—education. We will continue to look to future generations to carry our mission forward. If we are able to do that like the people who’ve managed Yellowstone for the last 145 years, we’ll be in a good place for the bicentennial of the National Park Service in 2116. We won’t be around to see it, but the work we do today will make it possible.
Although they may be hard to see, and they can move more than 10 miles in a single day (further making it difficult to spot them), I always look for otters whenever I am near a body of water. Their elusiveness only makes them more attractive—one of the many marvelous wonders of Yellowstone.
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F L O R A & FAU N A
Cutthroat
Visit the New
Yellowstone Art & Photography Center The Yellowstone Art & Photography Center is a celebration of art and its role in preserving the public lands we cherish today. Stop by to take in a presentation on the history of art in Yellowstone, peruse the gallery, or channel your inner-Moran with an interpretive watercolor activity.
Trout By Barbara Lee Artwork Thomas Cluderay
Green
Gentian By Barbara Lee PHOTO Karen Withrow
The remarkable Green Gentian, or Monument Plant, blooms and releases seeds just once in its lifetime—up to 80 years—and dies soon after. Used as a medicinal plant by Yellowstone’s native peoples, this gentian species reaches a height of three to five feet and is a powerful magnet for insects. During July and August look for its unmistakable tall, leafy column in the park’s alpine meadows, especially those near Mt. Washburn, Dunraven Pass, and Canyon.
location
Old Faithful Village near the visitor center open
May 26–September 4 hour s of oper ation
Daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Also offering art supplies, gifts, and other resources for artists and photographers 18
Wild, wily, and handsome, the Yellowstone cutthroat trout is considered one of our “keystone species,” an important food source for many other creatures. The park’s Native Fish Conservation Program is engaged in a multi-year effort to save this iconic fish, and the removal of nonnative, predatory lake trout from Yellowstone Lake is a primary focus. Look for cutthroat— identified by a red throat slash—in Trout Lake, Yellowstone Lake, LeHardy Rapids on Yellowstone River, and at Fishing Bridge.
SUPPORTERS
MANY THANKS! We wish to acknowledge those who contributed to Yellowstone Forever between October 1, 2016, and December 31, 2016. Because of space constraints, the following list includes contributions of $1,000 or more and Special Tribute gifts. Your support—regardless of size—plays a critical role in connecting people to Yellowstone. YELLOWSTONE SOCIETY
$10,000 – $24,999
Joellyn and James Barton Kathy and William Buente Janet and John Costello Lisa and Harold Eisenacher Debbie Erdman Hannelore and Karl Falkenberg Cecily and Bannus Hudson Axson and Bryan Morgan Jean and Robert Morgan Glennis and Jim Nokes Diana and Bruce Rauner Robert Sanders Nancy Tronaas Denise and Tim Weglicki
$5,000 - $9,999
Kay and Keith Anderson Susan and Michael Arneson Mary and Len Beavis Stella Bentley Paul Bertelli Linda Bozung Cindy and James Briggs Marguerite and Tom Detmer Connie and Tom Dotzenrod Liberty Godshall JoAnne and Donald Heltner Zona Kreidle Karen Kuehneman Katherine and Jim Loo Shery and Jan Packwood Joy and Jordan Renner Brynn and Eric Schmidt Jeanne and Alan Taylor Dawn and Bruce Tecklenburg Patnawon Thung
$2,500 – $4,999
Susan and Douglas Brengle Debra and William Brownlie Rhonda and Steven Caldwell Ginny and Michael Campbell Ginny Coleman and Paul Allshouse Shirley Cooper Kathleen and Dominic DeMarco Melissa and Lindel Eakman Lee-Ann Edwards Betty Jean and Thomas Eubanks Barbara Francis and Robert Musser Ellen Halter Helen and James Hamilton
Dabney Hart Shelley Kuehneman Julia and Richard Llewellyn Dana and David Martin Patricia McKernan and Charles Petrie Cara and Adam Mika Deborah and Dale Nickels Carolyn and David Oxenford Mary and Phillip Pattison David Pfeffer Jean Phelps Jane and Frederick Poole Shauna and Mike Poulsen Katharine and Kurt Rice Elizabeth and Alfred Richter Diane and Leland Selby Jerry Smith Joann and Scott Snowden Mary Swanson and Peter Murray Joan and Rufus Taylor Kathy and David Titley Leann and John Washabaugh Heather White and David Diamond*
$1,000 – $2,499
Delores and John Adams Richard Adkerson Cookie Agnew Mary and John Alda Linda and Barry Allen Michele and Craig Amacker Edward Amrhein Catherine Aves Julie Barrick Michelle Bergeron and Patrick Gaunt Susan and Steven Bergin Shelly Bermont and Clay Lorinsky Alexander Bernhardt Sherry Black Joseph Bondy Dorothy and James Bowers Melissa and Jeffrey Brodsky Patrick Brunetti Harlan Bryant Karen and Kenneth Buchi Eileen and John Buckley Cheryl Budzinski Nancy Bull Kerry and Keith Burkhardt Jennifer and Chad Carlson
Dora and Wilkie Chaffin Janet Chapple and Bruno Giletti Meryl Charles Sandy and Lee Choate Amy and John Cholnoky Jan and Richard Clotfelter Susan and Arnold Cohen Linda and William Cornell Chris and Jim Cowden Marlene and David Culberson Catherine and Brooks Darby Joseph Davenport Chris and Timothy Davis Robert Dawkins Chad Dayton Pam Doidge Catherine and Richard Dowdell Janet and Jim Dulin Patty and Thomas Durham Debbie Eddlemon Debbie and John Edgcomb Elizabeth Edgeworth Rosser Edwards Margaret and Randall Ellenz Michael Engel John Engelbart Lynn Evans* Charlotte and William Fecht Cynthia and Joel Fedder Gregory Ferguson Cheryl and Roger Fiery Kim and Kent Fletcher Marlene Foard Frances and Robert Fosnaugh Sarah and Tom Foster Frederick Fox Bradley Fricke John Gardner Susan and William Gillilan Linda and Marshall Glenn Brian Goeckel Eugene Gordon Annie and Bob Graham Katherine and Connie Green Kathryn Harrison Laura Hastings Karla and Michael Hayes Alan Heibein Debby and Joel Hendrickson Scarlett and Don Hibner Laura and Robert Hockett Elizabeth and Kevin Hofstra
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Nora and Chris Hohenlohe Audrey and Chris Huffman Joan Hughes Betty and John Jarman Becky and Alan Johnson Sandra and Scott Johnson Jill and Steven Kadish Norma and Steven Kearsley Abbie Kennedy Harriett Kesler Joyce King Pamela and Charles Koob Elizabeth and Dale Kostelny Jean Spears and William Kropp Deborah and John Lahey Barbara and Lou Lanwermeyer Judy and Steve Laughrun* Carol Lee-Roark Theodora Lengowski Elizabeth and John Leonard Elizabeth and Leon LeVan Catherine and David Loevner Frederick Longan Randy Luing Wanda and William Lukens Judy and Michael Lynch Sarah Maca and Alex Alimanestianu Marilyn and Alexander Macgregor Denise and Gary MacLean Nancy and Erwin Maddrey Elizabeth Mann Margie and Jon Masterson Susan and George Matelich Beth Maxwell Chi and Ferrell McClean Rose Muldowney and Matthew McDowell Kathy and Roy Meyer Polly Miller and G. Nicholas Therese and Scott Miller Mariko and Dennis Molodowitch Barbara and Robert Mooney Judith and James Moroney Jane and Bill Mosakowski Sandra and Sandra Netzley* Kaye and Mark Nickell Blair and Dennis Nickle Josephine Nixon Elizabeth and Robert Noble Elaine and William Obernesser Dianna Obrien Susan and Roy O’Connor
Donna and Jim Onstott David Ottolino Pat and James Overstreet Yvonne and Ed Parish Robin and Zachary Park Geni and Steve Parker Chloe and Frank Pearson David Perdue Dana Phippen Martha Pittard Barbara and Michael Polemis Daria and Tony Pori Patty and William Powell Lori and Thomas Prokop Margaret Purves Anne and David Radke S.M. and Jeffrey Rarich Gregory Ratterman William and Chris Redmond Peggy and Chris Rice Patricia and Tony Richards William Ritter Richard Rowe Jocelyn and Daniel Samelson Annette Saxton Carol and Robert Scallan Celia and Jay Schad Sharon anad Richard Schaefer Ellen Schmidt Michael Semmler Ann and Michael Skelton Julie Slocum Judy and Jay Smith La Dean and Randy Smith Cheri and William Sowter Karen and John Springthorpe Richelle and Eric Stafne Colleen and Stephen Steinmetz Sidney Suggs Makoto Sumino Jane and Steve Sutton Susan and Richard Sweet Anne Symchych Curtis Tamkin Robin Tawney-Nichols and William Nichols Helen and Raymond Taylor Betty Tichich and Fred Bunch Rita Tracy Sandra and Dale Tremblay Elizabeth Trowbridge Jennifer and Timothy Van Roekel Diana and Mallory Walker Rebecca Ward and Mark Shull Anne and John Weisman Heather White and David Diamond* Marc Williams Marsha and Ronald Williamson Vickie and Kendall Wilson Anita and Gerald Wiseman Candace and Robert Woodward William Wynne, Jr. Anne Young and James Nielson John Youngblood Catherine and John Zammito Karin Zuckerman *Yellowstone Guardian: YF sustainable monthly giving program
SPECIAL TRIBUTE DONORS
The following donors made a contribution as a tribute to someone or something special in their lives.
In honor of Don and Gloria Emerson
In honor of Cate McCoy and Jesse Pike
In honor of Dr. Geoffrey Frattini and Family
In honor of Wemelle and Charles Middlebrook
In honor of Alan Fant
In honor of John Morgan
In honor of Fred and Irene Fricke
In honor of Lynn Nieland
James Gilbert
In honor of Jeff Gilbert
In honor of Megan Norr and Eric Noel
In honor of Grandma and Grandpa
In honor of Maggie O’Donnell
In honor of Grandma and Grandpa
In honor of an old Yellowstone Ranger
In honor of Henry and Libby Groff
In honor of Celia Ontiveros
Paige Provenzano
In honor of Kathy Addington, Jerry and Carol Cantor, Carl and Lorelei Gorski, Charlie and Pat Grove, and Ian and Jamie Watson
Lynn Hidek
Jason Levin
Elaine and Steve Koenig
Bradley Fricke
In honor of Campbell Albrecht Campbell Albrecht
In honor of Don and Pat Albright
Susan and Richard Hieber
Karen Pineman
In honor of Mary and Gary Amerman
Julia and James Johnston
Jordan Stray
In honor of Dennis Babbitt Susan Wallace
In honor of Grace and Graham Ballard
Kelly Groff
In honor of Steve and Laura Hansen, and Kim and Nate Kirby
Kelly Ballard
In honor of Al Benford
Angela Benford
Christine Hansen
In honor of Jack and Ben Bilbrey
In honor of Owen Harrison
Sara and Ron Sprinkle
Laura Proctor
In honor of Mary Franklin Blackburn
In honor of Douglas Hatlestad Mary Hatlestad
Ann Hardy
In honor of Matthew Hube
In honor of Paxton Boren
Margaret and Frederick Hube
Lida and Hanes Boren
In honor of Michael Hudson
In honor of Maxine Bowers
Jacki Ratledge
Jill Bowers
In honor of Audrey Huffman
In honor of Maisie Brigham
Logan Reser
Beverly and John Folz
In honor of Martha Kelsey
In honor of Caroline Brown
Joanne and Steven Kozel
Stuart Brown
In honor of Alison Kinsler and Ryan Romanchuk
In honor of Chris Casey
Timothy Lindeborg
Susan Kinsler
In honor of Andrew and Kris Chandler
In honor of the Koenig Family
Jean Watson
Elizabeth and Dale Kostelny
In honor of Marianne Konvalinka and Steve Pline
In honor of Carol Corder Bonnie Rupe
Nancy Konvalinka
In honor of Janet and John Costello
In honor of Sarah Lott
Jennifer and Bruce Lott
Becky and Wyche Fowler
In honor of Don Lyons
In honor of Daniel Councilman and Bridget Brokaw
Deanna and Don Lyons
In honor of Marcy Lindberg
Ettie Councilman
Jana Lindberg
In honor of Dad
In honor of William Lindsey
Kara Myrick
Denise Wells
In honor of Justin Davis
In honor of Carol and Ken Marcoux
Sharon Davis
In honor of the Dehlendorf and Lincoln Families
Connie Wadsley
In honor of John and Marcia McCarley
Katherine Lincoln
In honor of Hayden Despain
Sara and Ron Sprinkle
Laran Despain
In honor of Tony McClellan
In honor of Matthew Doyle
Ron Dalgliesh
Karen and Mark Willers
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Debora and David Webster
Linda Graves
Margaret Vogt
Sharon Baker
Suzanne Norr
Sam Williamson
Elizabeth and Theodore Roeder Heidi and Chuck Ontiveros
In honor of Toni and John Prall Marcia and John Prall
In honor of Steve and Sue Roi Sandi and Will Long
In honor of Diane and Sheldon Schultz Kelly Schultz
In honor of Kevin Seehase
Valerie and James McGuire
In honor of Vietnam Vets
Joan and Jule Szabo
In honor of Jodelle Weaver Doreen Fiedler
In honor of Martin and William Wehrli Gay Wehrli
In honor of Heather White
Deanna and Thomas Stouffer
In honor of Ruste and Rob Wilke Carolyn and Geoff Krone*
In memory of Bob Barbee
Maureen Beverlin Marcia Blaszak Judith Caminer Sharon and James Clay Nancy and Robert Dunnagan* Sue Masica Harriett McClelland Roberta and David Moore Jolene and Jack Neckels Vivian and Robert Schaap Cheryl and William Schreier Marsha and Paul Schullery Dwight Short Ann and Alan Simpson Linda Sobeck Janice and Steven Specker Nancy Swanton Marilyn and Charles Tobin Nancy Trimmer Thomas Vaughan Jane Wanderer* Marilyn and Joseph Zarki
In memory of Patricia Bauernfeind
In memory of Donald and Irene Little
In memory of Leonard Bergman
In memory of Theresa Eleanor Magyar
Jessica French*
Connie and Alan Bergman
In memory of Millard Blackburn
Ann Hardy
In memory of Robert (Bob) Bryant
John Alderman Karen and Charles Alderman Albert Amon Harlan Bryant Linda Clark Mark Clark Douglas Gordon Sharon and Jimmie Grimm Monica and Mark Hemingway Elizabeth and Richard Lansford Laura and Richard Luchsinger Olive and Paul Miller Mary Stewart Janice and Dennis Turner
In memory of Dr. Harold Cheuvront
Debra and John Benschoof
In memory of Scott Corbett Nancy and Alan Proia
Marlene and Robert Cushing
Mary and Lyle Marlowe
In memory of James McNellis Shirley Kiely Cindy and Charles Zambito
In memory of Jerene Mortenson Lainey and Jane Slocum
In memory of William Mulvaney
Kathy and William Buente
In memory of Carolyn Nyman Pauline and Johnny Goff
In memory of Melvin Ray Petty
Christina and Jim Griffit Alison Chafton*
In memory of Stephen Randak Linda Randak
In memory of Dan Richards Donna and Raymond Zolandz
In memory of Mary Draeger Schulltz Paul Draeger
In memory of Clarence Schwak
In memory of Josie Earl and Karen Pina
Joel Dickenson
In memory of Richmond Eustis, Sr.
Cynthia Dalmadge
Marlene and Robert Cushing
Catherine and Richmond Eustis*
In memory of Stuart Furman
Jonathan Ansbacher
In memory of John Ginalick Elaine Ginalick
In memory of Sharon Glynn Christine Brocato
In memory of Ronald Haroldson
Joanne and Ronald Haroldson
In memory of Leslie Sue Hawley
In memory of Michelle Minyard Schwartz In memory of Holly Scott
Joyce and Merv Olson
In memory of Floyd Sendmeyer Carole Sendmeyer
In memory of Evie Shanks and Lorraine Rosebrook Nancy and Ricky Shanks
In memory of Clifford and Craig Snider Marion Snyder
In memory of Timothy Stickney
Julie Melia
Jennifer Brown Patricia Roggenbeck Janet Wyatt
Toni Gannon
In memory of Robert Heinritz
In memory of Nelson Strecker
In memory of Phil Jenkins
In memory of Joseph Sweeney
Margaret Walker
Susan Horning Susan Watts
In memory of Ed Stilwill
Sallie Hunt
Mary Ellen Decker
In memory of William Taylor
In memory of Paul Joubert
Joan and Matt Campbell
In memory of Justice
In memory of Bill and Rose Marie Webb
Woody Ekegren
Old Faithful Society The Old Faithful Society recognizes those individuals or families that have included Yellowstone Forever in their estate planning to ensure the preservation of Yellowstone for future generations.
Richard Braslow
Jeanne and Alan Taylor
In memory of Sylvia Kephart
In memory of Sherrie Weinstein
Abbey Irwin Ralph Kephart
In memory of Martin Lane Scott Lane
In memory of Robert Lenz Duejean and Bob Garrett
Walter Weinstein
In memory of Susan Wilson
Florence and Richard Micolucci Michael Starr
Barbara and Robert Aaron Bruce Anderson Alva Anderson, Jr. James Angresano* Tracy Arthur* Lynn Bart Natalie and Aaron Bissonette* Debra and Brad Blome Sheila Boeckman Leslie Boff Nina and John Bottomley Kenneth Bowling Judy Bradley Claire and Brian Campbell Chris and John Cavanaugh Linda Collins Lara and Stephen Compton Diana and Craig Connolly Pat Crane Caroline Cullen Stella and Alphonso DiPasqua Mona and Richard Divine Theresa and Richard Dixon Kris and Jim Dorris Catherine and Richard Dowdell Lucinda and Thomas Downing Susan and Robert Duke Charlene and James Eckman David Edwards Linda Edwards Beverly England Eva Mariana Farova Teresa Fischer Denise and Walter Fitzhenry Linda and Eldon Francis Betsy Franz Kathy and Ed Fronheiser Courtney and Trent Gaines Maureen and Larry Gamble* Marie Gore* Laurel and Robert Graham Barbara and Christian Gunther Kathleen Haines* Barbara and Daren Hanka John Harvey Amy Haugerud Arvis Heling Frank Hensing Carolyn and Scott Heppel Jim Hersrud Debra Hopfer Dorothy Howard-Flynn Cecily and Bannus Hudson Gayle and Michael Hughes Chrys Hulbert Heidi and Mark Ingenito Jeslyn and William Johnson Cynthia and Mark Jordan Sherry and Dave Kapes Dianna Kellie Mary Ann Kiely Stephanie and Lief Kiewlich
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Beth and Michael King Connie and Robert Landis Jane and A. Lerner Cindy Lewis and Doug Ruffin Susan and Boyd Light Sarah and William Lindsey* Karen Litt Steve Lokker Kathleen Lynch Susan and Mitchell Malone Jane and Walter Massey Terri Lynn McConnell Linda and Robert McPhail Shane and Scott Mills Judy and David Mitchell Marshall Moss Donna Murphrey Mary and Peter Murray Jan Nethery Nancy Nicolai Natalie and Kevin Nolan Gerald O’Sullivan James Pape Wayne Parsons Susan and W. Lawrence Patrick Valeria Peyton Jean Phelps Jayne and Dennis Poydence Barbara and Franklin Propst Susan and Boyd Ratchye Peggy and Chris Rice* Jed Richardson John Reed Rodgers Hedy and William T. Ryerson Ellen Schmidt Janet and Walter Schuchmann Monica Schultz Susan and Stanley Schumacher Allison Schumer Kevin Sheridan Catherine and Robert Shopneck Ann and Michael Skelton Jerry Smith Luetta Smithhisler* Linda and Joseph Summers Mary and Peter Swanson Anne and James Taylor Helen and Raymond Taylor Marguerite and Ron Thompson Neil Uranowski Rita Wetzel Rita Boulton-Wolfe and Gary Wolfe Pamela Wrench Barbara Wunderlich Linda and Howard Wynne Anne Young and James Nielson *Yellowstone Guardian: our sustainable monthly giving program Every effort has been made to ensure that this list is accurate and complete. We apologize if your name has been omitted or otherwise improperly reported. Please contact us at 406.848.2400 if you feel this is the case so we can correct our records.
PO Box 117, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 406 | 848 | 2400 Yellowstone.org
Yellowstone.org
Leave a Legacy at Yellowstone A planned gift to Yellowstone Forever is a simple and flexible way to meet your own estate and financial goals while providing a commitment to Yellowstone that lasts forever. Contact J.D. Davis, senior director of campaign and special projects, at 406.586.6303 to learn more.
“We love Yellowstone because it is Mother Nature in all her glory. From its beautiful valleys and majestic mountains to the rivers and lakes and the creatures that call it their home, Yellowstone holds a special place in our hearts. A day spent casting to a rising native cutthroat on the Yellowstone River is a day well spent for us and our way of experiencing peace and tranquility. That is why we keep returning year after year.” — Jane and Walt Massey
Y ellowstone For ev er supporter s