2023 Semi-Annual Report
d e p p o i t s We mine! the LANDS WATERS WILDLIFE TRIBAL
NOTES FROM THE FIELD Greater Yellowstone is an extraordinary cultural and natural landscape. At the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, it’s our job to keep it that way. Our staff is passionate, collaborative, and innovative — and that’s why we succeed. Hear from our team and learn more about how they’re keeping this ecosystem remarkable.
“I’m developing management strategies and implementing conservation actions to protect key habitat types across the ecosystem within the context of a changing climate. We are currently assisting in identifying key watersheds to focus river restoration, beaver reintroduction, and wildfire prevention efforts.” KURT IMHOFF - LANDER, WYOMING
Senior C limate Conservation Associate “I am working to restore wildlife movement and connect landscapes just north of Yellowstone. We recently completed an assessment of Highway 89 to determine where wildlife like elk, deer, grizzlies, and cougars most frequently cross and identify possible solutions including crossing structures and fencing.” BLAKELEY ADKINS - BOZEMAN, MONTANA
The Volgenau Fnd. Wildlife Conservation Assoc. “We are pretty excited about the gathering we hosted with federal agencies, Tribal Programs, and nonprofit organizations. This was our initial effort to bring Elders and Young People together to talk about conservation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and exercising Wind River Sovereignty.” WES MARTEL - FORT WASHAKIE, WYOMING
Senior Wind River Conservation Associate “With our coalition partners, I am working to protect clean water and crucial wildlife habitat in Kilgore, Idaho, from the harmful impacts of gold exploration and the threat posed by a potential cyanide, heap-leach gold mine. Together, we can protect water quality, recreation opportunities, and wildlife habitat!” ALLISON MICHALSKI - DRIGGS, IDAHO
Senior Idaho Conservation Associate
MORE VALUABLE THAN GOLD One summer evening in my late teens, a group of friends and I found ourselves leaving Yellowstone’s north entrance in search of a place to camp for the night. We had an epic week of backpacking planned in my favorite place on Earth but had arrived too late in the day to snag a backcountry permit, so now we were scrambling to find a place to sleep before our early morning start. Thinking back now, the moment feels fateful. Our permit snafu led us to the foot of a massive dome-shaped mountain right along the Yellowstone boundary. From our campsite, we had stunning views of Electric Peak and the expansive northwest corner of Yellowstone. The evening light on the hills below us illuminated hundreds of elk and pronghorn emerging from their daytime hideouts. Just down slope, the Yellowstone River glimmered between canyon walls. It was idyllic. I couldn’t have known then that 25 years later the mountain on which we camped — Crevice Mountain — would be at the center of a massive effort to protect Yellowstone, its wildlife, and namesake river. In 2015, two proposed gold mines showed up on the park’s doorstep. Since then, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition’s passionate and talented team has worked every day to protect the park’s northern gateway. In May of this year, we shared the campaign to buy out the proposed gold mine on Crevice Mountain publicly, asking you to help us raise the funds necessary to end this mining threat forever. With a deadline of October 1, 2023, time was short and we were only 60% of the way toward our goal. Friends – we did it. Together, we stopped the mine on Crevice Mountain and protected Yellowstone National Park, the Yellowstone River, and irreplaceable wildlife habitat. I’m thrilled to share we raised the $6.25 million needed to purchase the mineral rights, leases, and claims covering 1,598 acres of land from Crevice Mining Group. This tremendous win adds to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition’s four-decades-long legacy of stopping gold mines on the border of Yellowstone National Park. We could not have done this without you. Donations came in from 47 states and seven countries, proving once again that Yellowstone is more valuable than gold. The outpouring of support has been incredible, and I can’t thank you enough. Wherever you are, I hope you will join me in celebrating this incredible achievement. I am proud of our team and so grateful you are on this journey with us. Thank you for your steadfast support.
SCOTT CHRISTENSEN
Executive Director
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Program Spotlight
Stopping the mine on Crevice Mountain Along the remote northern edge of Yellowstone National Park, Crevice Mountain rises some 3,000 feet above the glittering Yellowstone River. Cloaked in conifer forests and rich with wildlife, Crevice Mountain and the surrounding landscape exemplify much of what is extraordinary about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The area provides vital habitat for grizzly bears, lies within a critical migration corridor for elk and bighorn sheep, and is one of the few designated places outside the park where Yellowstone bison can roam. And until just weeks ago, Crevice Mountain was also home to the proposed Yellowstone Boundary Mine – the last remaining viable gold mining threat along the border of Yellowstone. Thanks to the swift action and generosity of donors like you, that is no longer the case. 2
On October 1, 2023, GYC successfully completed an ambitious fundraising campaign to buy out the mineral rights, leases, and claims to 1,598 acres of land on Crevice Mountain held by Crevice Mining Group, LLC. Thanks to an innovative agreement with the miner, we had a brief window of opportunity to complete the deal and save Crevice Mountain, forever. With ink on the closing documents now dry, the future of Crevice Mountain and the vital habitat it provides for iconic Yellowstone wildlife is secure. Wildlife large and small will continue to move freely across the forested mountain slopes, finding the shelter and sustenance and safety they need to thrive. The Yellowstone River – the longest free-flowing river in the contiguous United States – will continue to run clean and cold
On the northern border of Yellowstone National Park sits Crevice Mountain. East of Gardiner, Montana, and perched above the Yellowstone River, this mountain was the site of a proposed gold mine. GYC raised the $6.25 million necessary to buy out the mining company.
and free from the threat of toxic mining effluent emanating from a gold mine on Crevice Mountain.
that has protected the wild northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park for generations to come.
This is a landmark victory in GYC’s long, hard-won history fighting destructive gold mines around Yellowstone. Back in the 1990s, GYC worked alongside dogged partners and activists to help stop the proposed New World Mine near Cooke City. In 2019, again as part of a coalition of community partners, GYC worked to pass the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, which protects 30,370 acres of public land north of the park from mining. Our victory on Crevice Mountain continues this legacy.
As we celebrate the success of this campaign and the end of the proposed Yellowstone Boundary Mine, we are reaffirmed in our commitment to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of this remarkable ecosystem, and we are heartened to know our incredible community is standing beside us, ready to act. Again, and always, thank you.
Of course, this victory was only made possible thanks to the support of our generous donors. Not only did we receive support from a host of incredible foundations, but also from motivated individuals across the Yellowstone region and from 47 of the 50 states. To each person or organization who contributed: thank you. You have made a meaningful and tangible difference
The numbers behind stopping a gold mine 143 public fundraising days 1,172 total donors Donations from 47 states and seven countries 463 new donors $6.25 million raised 1,598 acres protected
Photo: (L-R) GYC’s Executive Director Scott Christensen, Director of Development Melissa Richey, and former Senior Montana Conservation Associate Joe Josephson celebrate successfully raising the $6.25 million to stop the mine at an event on September 30, 2023. © GYC/Emmy Reed
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The West this proj takes pla Yellowston these inn oriented ra are kept and liveli
Program Spotlight
Supporting innovative grizzly bear conflict prevention Southwest Montana’s Gravelly Mountains exemplify the intersection of the wild and the wild west: the range’s rugged, high elevation slopes are home to a vast array of iconic wildlife from grizzly bears to wolverines to bighorn sheep, while the productive forage across the landscape has long drawn ranchers seeking summer grazing opportunities for livestock. It is at that intersection between wildlife and traditional livelihoods that there is the most potential for conflict – and also the most opportunity for innovation. As the Greater Yellowstone grizzly population continues to expand, bears are increasingly moving back into parts of their historic range from which they have long been absent. In doing so, they are also coming into conflict with ranchers and their livestock. When bears predate livestock, the ranching 4
operations that preserve open space across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem become less viable, and the bears themselves are subject to relocation or lethal removal. Along the West Fork of the Madison River, one ranching family is working with conservation organizations on an innovative solution to livestockgrizzly conflict. Informed by their experiences living on the land and observing elk herd dynamics, the operators of the J Bar L Ranch are changing the way they manage cattle to reduce conflict with bears and improve range health on their Forest Service grazing allotment. The family has increased the number of cattle on the allotment, decreased grazing duration, altered grazing rotations to create more frequent movement of cattle between pastures, adjusted the timing of
Fork Allotment, where ject and partnership ace, is west of West ne, Montana. With novative, conservationanching pratices, grizzlies wild, people stay safe, ihoods remain intact.
livestock grazing and composition of livestock herds, and enhanced around-the-clock supervision of livestock in grizzly habitat. Together, these changes reduce the chances of grizzly encounters, which in turn both protects livestock and prevents bears from being subjected to management action (i.e. relocated or euthanized). The effort appears to be paying off. While the last permit holder for this family’s portion of the West Fork Allotment recorded 19 confirmed cases of grizzly predation in a prior year, J Bar L counted just one in its first season on the West Fork. While there are numerous factors influencing the complex challenges tied to wildlife-livestock conflict in this landscape, the improvements are promising. However, the improvements come at a cost. This grazing approach is more resource intensive and requires more hands-on management of cattle. That’s where conservation partners like GYC come in. GYC, the National Wildlife Federation, and Property
and Environmental Research Center helped J Bar L secure the permit for the West Fork Allotment in order to test ranching practices that promote co-existence with wildlife. GYC is committed to keeping bears wild, people safe, and livelihoods intact. By contributing to innovative, conservationoriented ranching practices, we can support hardworking ranching families invested in coexisting with wildlife while reducing the chances that grizzlies encounter conflict as they move across the landscape. Cooperative agreements like this one – where ranchers, wildlife, and conservation groups all benefit – provide models for success that set the stage for improved tolerance across the ecosystem. We look forward to continuing to observe this project’s impact, and offer a hearty thank you to J Bar L, the National Wildlife Federation, and Property and Environmental Research Center for the innovative and productive partnership.
Photo: A grizzly bear sow and cub in Greater Yellowstone. © Danita Delimont/Shutterstock
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Program Spotlight
Enhancing coexistence for Yellowstone bison Stand in a rocky pullout along one of the park roads in Yellowstone, gaze out over a vast herd of wild bison stretching across a broad green valley, and, for a moment, you may have a difficult time placing yourself in the timeline of history. After all, Yellowstone National Park is the only place in the contiguous United States where wild bison have roamed continuously since prehistoric times. The bison that inhabit the park today are special for countless reasons; among them, incomparable cultural value to Indigenous Americans, the ability to engineer the very landscape they occupy, and the purest genetics of any plains bison in existence. Inside the park, bison are largely free to live without human influence or intervention, and as a result, are still subject to natural forces that keep their genes strong and their instincts sharp. 6
This past winter, heavy snowfall in Yellowstone caused record numbers of bison to instinctually follow ancient migration routes to milder, lower elevation habitat north and west of the park. While the mass exodus of bison received national attention and underscored how complex and politically charged bison management outside of Yellowstone is, it also provided an opportunity to observe the effectiveness of the Bison Coexistence Program, an innovative effort GYC has been a part of for the past twelve years. With the Bison Coexistence Program, property owners outside Yellowstone can apply for financial assistance to construct fencing to protect their property from roaming bison. Bison are large, powerful animals and unhindered, they can trample gardens, come into conflict with people and pets, and damage
In West Yellowstone, where many Bison Coexistence Program participants live, bison-resistant fencing is helping landowners share the landscape with bison and keep their property intact.
property. But that does not have to be the case. Bison-resistant fencing can help avoid unnecessary conflicts between bison and the communities they move through, which in turn can increase social tolerance for having wild bison on the landscape. In the winter of 2022/2023, these fencing projects were put to the test as hundreds of bison moved through Yellowstone gateway communities. One West Yellowstone program participant reported that the additional fencing they constructed with help from the Bison Coexistence Program was a great success in protecting their trees and gardens. The extreme climate and short growing season in the region means that it can take years of painstaking effort to establish healthy vegetation – and all that effort can be undone in mere minutes by a herd of roving bison. The peaceof-mind from additional fencing allowed participants to enjoy seeing bison near their homes instead of worrying about property damage.
Bison management is one of the most complex conservation challenges in Greater Yellowstone, and there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done to navigate the political, economic, and social challenges of restoring wild bison across the landscape. But successes like that of the Bison Coexistence Program provide tangible wins toward supporting bison and the human communities of Greater Yellowstone coexisting now and into the future. We would like to extend a bisonsized thank you to our partners at Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club for their continued commitment to the Bison Coexistence Program, and our heartfelt gratitude to all the donors who have pitched in to support these efforts. Your contributions are making a meaningful difference, and helping build a future where wild bison again roam the landscape of Greater Yellowstone.
Photo: Bison herd in Yellowstone National Park. NPS/Neal Herbert
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! We are so grateful to all of you who support us. All gifts, no matter the amount, help advance our work. Due to limited space, we are only able to recognize donors who gave $1,000 or more from September 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023. Anonymous
Suzanne Bressler
Evelyn Cranston
Staci and Stan Abel
Eleanor Briggs
Creighton University
Elaine and Hirschel Abelson
Judy Rosenblum and John Broude
Cross Charitable Foundation
Jeff Bruninga
The Ricardo J. Alfaro II Revocable Trust
Karen and Steven Crouch
Karen and Richard Allen
Mary and Alan Brutger
Daphne Chester and Kevin Crowe
JoAnn and Bruce Amundson
Bunting Family Foundation
Judy and Mark Cunningham
Rita and Tom Anderson
Deborah Butterfield and John Buck
Helene Daddona
Steve and Kathy Anderson Karin and Jeff Armstrong Mike and Sue Arneson
Catalyst Fund of the Network for Landscape Conservation
Diana Bailey
Whitney Hable and Giordi Caponigro
Deidre Bainbridge Wildlife Fund
Amy and Walter Carpenter
Steve and Rebecca Barkley Doris Barnard Susan and Nick Bartelt Beagle Charitable Foundation Bear Creek Council Michael Beeman Linda Tabor-Beck The Estate of Julie Anne Bell
Marie and David Delich
Jennifer Cavallaro
Stephen G. and Susan E. Denkers Family Foundation
Brian Chaffee Beverly and William Chitwood Mary and Jeff Christensen Jan and Fritz Clark Clarks Fork Foundation
A Donor Advised Fund of the Cleveland Foundation
Kitty Griswold and Scott Bergen
Robin Cloyd
Natalie and Warren Bergholz Richard Bickel, Jr.
Claire Davis
Mr. and Mrs. Doug Caton
Colette Daigle-Berg and Bill Berg
Joanne Berghold
Brenda and Swep Davis Elizabeth Taylor and David W. DeBruin
Noel Bennett
Sarah Heckles and Scott Berggren
Peggy and Kirk Davenport
Edward Castleberry
Charlotte and David Cleveland
Sarah and Glenn Bergenfield
Dan Bailey’s Outdoor Company
Karen and Kent Cochran Jennene Colky Anne Childs and Chip Collins Community First Fund of MT Community Foundation of Jackson Hole
Linda and Shaun Deola Jane Erwine and John DiMarco John DiSalle James Dolan The Estate of Steven P. Dolberg Joseph Dorn Missy and JD Doyle Nicole Friend and Gar Duke Peggy Dulany Anne S. Duncan Susan Dusenberry Eaglemere Foundation Earth Friends
Geraldine and Stephen Connolly
Ruth Eckert
Blue Spruce Charitable Trust Sara Blumenthal
Gloria Cooper
Jo Ann and Bert Eder
Peter Boerma
Brad Copeland
Gloria and Ross Edwards
Mei-Mei Bong
Cornell Douglas Foundation
Lisa and Hal Eisenacher
James P. Bourgeois
Eva Crane
Douglas Eisenberg
Tom Bowler
Marcella Crane
Jonathan Eng
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EcoTrust
The Enrico Foundation Lori Erdman Andrea Eschen Jo Ann and Robert Etter The Estate of Evan Evanoff Sharon M. Christensen and Douglas T. Ezell Fanwood Foundation West Paula Cleary and Paul Farrell Brooke Feister Alice and Michael Fischer James Fitzgerald Lisa Volgenau and Chris Fitzgerald Keelin Kelly and Michael Gadsden Beth and Tom Gadsden Karen and John Garre Jean and Jon Geller George B. Storer Fund at The Miami Foundation
Cathy Whitlock and Bob Gresswell
Cynthia Stewart Kaag and Donald Bricker Kaag
Grit and Grace Fund of the Denver Community Foundation
KARIS Foundation
Craig Groves Jane and Bill Gum Kay and James Guyette Sherry Guzzi Harold W. Sweatt Foundation Lee Halford Hamill Family Foundation
Ruth Katz Kaufman Family Foundation Linda and Bob Keiter Marisa Bueno and Robert Keith Laura Keith Michele and Robbie Keith Joanne Kim
Karen Hanson
Mr. and Mrs. William B. King, King Family Advised Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Darla Harbaugh
The Estate of Herbert A. Kirst
Bruce Hawtin
The Estate of Alberta Fae Knox
Edward R. & Cathy M. Hammer
Mary and William Hayes Dr. June Heilman Stacey Hellekson Timothy Hellkamp
Alec and Lee Koch Carter Kohlmeyer Joe Albright and Marcia Kunstel Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole
Kevin and Karin Germain
Kathryn Heminway
Susan Hinkins and Richard Gillette
John Heminway, Jr.
The Kurtz Family Foundation
Laurie and David Gissy
Chuck Hendricks Carolyn and Scott Heppel
Beedee Ladd
MaryAlice Herring
Carol and Sal Lalani
Loras Holmberg
Bob Landis
John Giurgevich glassybaby foundation
Barbara and Jerome Glickman Stephanie Housley Mrs. Theresa Godchaux, Kimberly Stewart and George Theresa Godchaux Payne Howard, Jr. Advised Fund of The Jackson Hole Art Auction Community Foundation of LLC Middle Tennessee Maryann and Tom Jalkut David Gomberg Robert James Rebecca Patton and Tom Minette and Wynn Jessup Goodrich Sandra Brooke Gordon Peggy and James Graeter Tim Offensend and Peter Graney Nicholas Grant Pria Graves Graw Family Trust
John and Margaret Sinclaire Foundation Roberta Crockett and Rick Johnson Cynthia M. Jones Susan Jones Steven and Carolyn Jones Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Sue Lang Linda Larson Kathy Firchow and Thomas Laurion Kathy and Ken Lichtendahl Barbara Linthicum Tom Livers Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation Lone Mountain Land Company Ted Lovec Jody and Mark Macedonio Ellen Macfarland Nicholas Mars Nancy and Sandy Martin 9
Barbara F. Martin
Evelyn B. Newell
Andrea Rankin
Dr. Carolyn J. Matthews and Dr. David A. Matthews
Paula and Eric Nielsen
Diana and Bruce Rauner
Terri and Alan Mawdsley
Suzi Hill and Eric Noreen
Paul Reichel
Northern Arapaho Tribe
Ricketts Conservation Foundation
Maryanne and Tim Mayeda
Jeremy Norton Josiah Ober & Adrienne Susan and Roy O’Connor Mayor Charitable Fund of U.S. Janet and William E. O’Neil Charitable Gift Trust June and Michael McCollister Susan and James O’Neill The Estate of Mary Lou H. McDonald
Mary Beth and Charlie O’Reilly
Nancy and John McMillan
William Oberdorfer
Mennen Environmental Foundation
Thomas Oberdorfer Janet and David Offensend
Dyke Messinger
Mihaela Onciu
Kathy and Peter Metcalf
Donna and Jim Onstott
Robyn Meyer
Robin and Ed Orazem
Barbara Meyer
Marge Ordway
Louis Miles
Michele and Samuel Osborne
Marilyn Miller Susan and John Mills Stephanie and John Minteer Dwight Minton William Moliski Elaine Rees and Gerald Morsello Arikha Moses Maryanne Mott Robert Murdoch Donna Murphrey Mary Swanson and Peter Murray Barbara Francis and Robert Musser Kathleen and George Myers
Park Foundation Patagonia Betty and Walt Parks Eva and Duncan Patten Frederick Paulman Lynn Foxx Pease and Dave Pease
Ann Rhoads Daniel Robinson Karen Rockey Brett Roeder Suzanne Bonner Romatowski and Peter Romatowski Terry and Bert Romberg Philanthropic Fund of the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation Rosemary O’Brien and Eigil Rothe Kathy Roush Barbara Moore Rumsey Rural Action Fund Kathryn Sales Mary Anne and Al Sanborn Marilyn and Jay Sarles Nancy E. Watters and Stephen B. Sayre Carol and Robert Scallan
Pat McKernan and Charles Petrie
Carrie and Jerry Scheid
Pew Charitable Trusts
Schilling Cider, LLC
Anna J. Gunnarsson Pfeiffer and Leonard Pfeiffer, IV Kelsey and Jarred Pickens Buzz and Carolyn Pierce Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Virginia and Steve Pollack
Kuni and Michael Schmertzler Nancy and Douglas Schrank Denise Hayman and Michael Scott Jean and Scott Seaton Sue and Howard Selmer Julie Mueller and Donald Sharaf
Richard Napier
David Posner
Natalie Orfalea Foundation Jeanne and Jon Nauman
Virginia W. Naylor and James Potter, Jr.
Laura Ryan and Chris Naumann
Caroline and Will Price Putnam Foundation
NDN Collective
Molly Raiser
Charlotte Shifrin
Hortensia Chang and John Nelson
Beth Burrough and David Ramsay
Lucretia M. Sias
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Lindsay and Anu Sharma Marian Kummer and Mark Sheiko Brenda and Howard Sheridan Shipley Foundation, Inc.
Joan Leydon and John Siff
Linda Summers
The Estate of Janet T. Simkins
Dan Summers
Sandy and Denny Simonson
Teel’s Marsh Foundation
Diana and Mallory Walker
The John and Margaret Sinclaire Foundation
Jennifer Durning and Geoff Tennican
Courtney Walker Wallace Genetic Foundation
Doug Skidmore
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
Ward Ferry Management Ltd.
The Conservation Alliance
Cynthia Wayburn
Sally and Thomas Skillin Bonnie Smith Catherine Smith Daniel Smith Snake River Fund Sharon Solomon Tim Solso William J. Sowter Cynthia McCollum and John Spellman Jane and David Spencer James Spencer Spencer Family Foundation April and Peter Spiro Pamela Stallings Laurie and Ben Stanley Georgie Stanley and The Stanley Family Fund Charlotta Eaton and D. Curtis Starr, Jr. Sara Strang and Robert Steinwurtzel
The Donald J. Slavik Family Foundation The Edna Wardlaw Charitable Trust The Enrico Foundation The Harder Foundation The Kendeda Fund The Rieschel Foundation The Scoob Trust Foundation The Vital Ground Foundation The Volgenau Foundation The Wilderness Society The WYldlife Fund Paul Thoen Thomas O. Brown Foundation Deborah Thompson McHenry and Lisa Tichenor Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas Carol Tolan
Susan Quarles and Geoffrey Stephens
Tortuga Charitable Foundation
George B. Storer Fund at The Miami Foundation
Debbie and William Tracy Kelly and Leonard Trout
Betsy and Ralph Stephens
Lisa and Russ Tuckerman
Justin and Brett Stevenson
Turner Foundation, Inc.
Marilyn and Louis Stoddard
Elizabeth Simpson and Ned Wheeler
Thalia and Robert Stoddard Sophia H. Stone Joan and Mark Strobel Robin and Sandy Stuart Foundation Gloria and Bill Stuble Daphne Crosbie and Jack Stults
Karen Uhlenbeck and Robert Williams University of Wyoming Amy and Stephen Unfried J. Gary O. Van Dyke Mary W. Vaughan
Angus M. Vaughan Charitable Giving Fund
Janis and Warren Watkins Christi and Doug Weber Weeden Foundation Georgia Welles Barb and Dan Wenk Kim and Jason West Carol Wester Jeanette and George Wharton Melinda and James Wiebush Wilburforce Foundation Wild Tribute Charles W. Wilkinson William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Jennifer and Charlie Wilson Fred and Eleanor WinstonThe Longview Foundation Thomas and Shasta WinstonThe Longview Foundation Nancy Winter Wolfensohn Family Foundation Fritz E. Wollett Marion Wong Levi Wood Charles Woodward Chris Wright Xanterra EJK Foundation Fund on behalf of Brian Yablonski Yellowstone Safari Company Yellowstone Summit Sandy Young Valarie Zupsan and Steve Whisler
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Fostering Conservation and connection through art Art is powerful. It connects us with nature, our cultures, and each other. Northern Arapaho artist and GYC’s Wind River Conservation Organizer Colleen Friday created a mural with Arapahoe School students to raise awareness for buffalo reintroduction efforts and water issues. The mural was installed over the summer alongside a walking path in Jackson, Wyoming. Colleen shares her inspiration for the mural below: “The Arapaho lifeway of the four hills of life (yeneini3i’ 3o3outei’i) is the main organizing concept for the mural. Northern Arapaho seasonal and life ways mirrored and were interdependently tied to the buffalo. The first hill of life is birth and childhood, associated with the color yellow and the direction of east. The second hill of life is youth and is the time of doing, associated with the color red and the direction of south. In the first and second hills of life, Arapaho people are expected to quietly listen, observe, and learn from those who are older than us. The third hill is the “age when you give it back” and is the time when we start to give back goods, knowledge, and other forms of value to others. As adults, this is the time where we start to speak up and advocate for our community. The fourth hill of life is the Elder stage associated with the color white and the direction of north. Arapaho people understand that culture is embedded in our stories and language and elders are at the center as the holders of all knowledge. Although this mural is in a linear format to fit the physical Pathways space, the four hills of life - like the seasons - unfold in a circle.” GYC is dedicated to stewarding the next generation of conservationists on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Thank you for supporting this work!
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Top and bottom left photos: Adrienne Vetter; Bottom right photo: Jackson Hole Public Art
Tune in for a conversation on climate change We know Greater Yellowstone is a remarkable ecosystem. It is also an increasingly vulnerable ecosystem. The impacts of climate change on this landscape can be felt far and wide and are showing up in some surprising ways. As these impacts put communities, water, and wild lands at risk, GYC is working alongside diverse partners and stakeholders to better understand climate-related threats, prepare for a warmer, drier future, and protect our most climatesensitive resources. Join us on our Voices of Greater Yellowstone podcast where we chat with GYC’s Climate Conservation Coordinator Sierra Harris and learn about her work: greateryellowstone.org/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.
celebrating yellowstone bison Photos: NPS/Jacob W. Frank
Back in 2021, GYC partnered with Yellowstone Forever and Yellowstone National Park to raise $1 million collectively to expand the bison quarantine facility, giving the park the opportunity to rehome more bison to Tribal lands and divert from slaughter. Thanks to donors like you, we reached this goal and gave Yellowstone bison a brighter future. This summer, GYC and partners celebrated the completed expansion of the Yellowstone Bison Conservation Transfer Program quarantine facility. GYC Executive Director Scott Christensen spoke at the event, remarking on the power of partnerships to create a resilient outlook for these iconic animals. Attaining a 4-star “exceptional” rating verifies the Greater Yellowstone Coalition exceeds nonprofit industry standards. Only 16 percent of charities evaluated have received at least five consecutive four-star ratings, which means the Greater Yellowstone Coalition outperforms most other charities in America. Charity Navigator is the nation’s largest evaluator of charities. They provide ratings for over 5,000 American charities based on financial health, accountability, and transparency.
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Front cover and back cover photos: © William Campbell
thank you for being a part of the legacy of protecting yellowstone from mining!