The Murie Ranch 2018-19 Newsletter
www.murieranch.org
| 1 Murie Ranch Road, Moose, WY 83012
| 307.732.2246
An Update from the Murie Ranch One of the enduring legacies of the Muries is the power of paying attention to what is around you. The more we pay attention, the more we find the world reverberating with beauty. At the ranch this season, I’ve been paying attention to the numerous facets of beautify exemplified through the natural and human communities that comprise and interact with this place. I’ve noted the waxy, red sheen of the baneberry fruit as it refracts early summer light, the golden hues of arrowleaf balsamroot at the height of bloom, the frenzied activity of uinta ground squirrels as they rototill the earth, and the impact that time spent in an inspiring place can have on the outlook of an individual or group. But why focus on beauty when there is so much else that warrants our attention these days? It’s indulgent, perhaps, but noting these moments gives rise to a greater appreciation for one’s place—insights into interwoven systems, wondrous ecological phenomena, or the human aptitude for hope. This season was full of many such moments, from engaging educational programs, to new partnerships, abundant wildlife sightings, and passionate staff sharing Murie stories with visitors and participants.
Our multi-day, in-residence educational programs served 107 individuals this year. We welcomed back students from the University of Wyoming Haub School of Environment & Natural Resources who immersed themselves for 26 days in this place while seeking solutions to environmental challenges facing our valley. We engaged a new university partner, West Virginia University, through a weeklong photography course. How beautiful to witness the youthful energy and enthusiasm that these college programs bring to learning at the ranch. Thanks to the successes from previous seasons, we grew adult programs with our partner Road Scholar. This summer, we piloted a month-long Road Scholar Program called Living and Learning in the Tetons. Eight pioneering individuals spent the month of July at the ranch, exploring concepts of ecology and geology in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, engaging in stewardship projects with local partners, and collectively contributing over 300 hours of service to this community. How beautiful to see sparks of curiosity alight in learners at every age.
By adding a Program Assistant to our team (Docents Dan and Daniel!), we bolstered interpretive programming to reach over 5,300 individuals this season, up from 3,600 tallied last year. Youth visitation reached 1,200, including students enrolled in Teton Science Schools’ programs as well as youth visiting through our park partners and tour groups. How beautiful to hear young voices share stories of community leadership at campfire chats, announce the discovery of caddisfly larvae, or rise in wonder over the remarkable story of the Muries’ honeymoon adventure through the Arctic. Our summer Front Porch Conversation Series, themed” Voices for the Land,” explored topics ranging from public lands futures to conservation grazing with speakers who represented perspectives across multiple generations and fields. These community programs were attended by hundreds of individuals this season! How beautiful to experience genuine engagement in tough conversations with people of all ages and backgrounds. Please join me by attending to, supporting and celebrating these and other moments of beauty at the ranch and in your own backyards and communities. Christen Girard, Murie Ranch Faculty
Blockprint of Arrow-leaved Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) by Christen Girard
Citizen Scientists At Home In Jackson Hole By Daniel Fortner, Murie Program Assistant and Interpretive Lead Wayne felt like he was home. He was back in Jackson for Living and Learning: Discover the Tetons through the Murie Legacy, his twelfth Road Scholar program with Teton Science Schools. During this learning adventure, participants live on The Murie Ranch for a month while exploring the valley and carrying out daily conservation and service projects. On the first day of the program, Wayne leads his fellow Road Scholar participants around The Murie Ranch like a seasoned docent. Here, he explains, are the cabins built during the dude ranch boom of the 1920s. And just over this way is the half-mile trail through aspens and sagebrush.
Wayne has cultivated a deep affection for this place through service. He helped preserve the cabins with a fresh coat of linseed oil. And as part of Wyoming’s first citizen-science wildflower survey, he strolled the half-mile trail day after day with eyes on the understory and clipboard in hand. Participants like Wayne depart from The Murie Ranch having evolved from mere visitors into vital members of the community. Their work on behalf of the local human, plant, and animal communities has granted them an accelerated and nuanced familiarity with the valley’s socioeconomic and ecological affairs.
Wayne and fellow Living and Learning in the Tetons participants
Wayne’s experience demonstrates the power of community engagement; stewardship begets understanding, which leads to a newfound tenderness and appreciation for familiar resources. The affirming process of stewarding one’s community’s resources also fosters respect and care for other communities’ resources. Recent TSS stewards have reported becoming substantially more active in their native communities since visiting the Tetons. On his tour, Wayne pauses under the black bears’ favorite hawthorn tree. He recounts a humorous tale, his eyes beaming with pride. There is no doubt his time at The Murie Ranch will fuel stewardship and delighted stories for many years to come.
Experiences like Wayne’s are possible because of your generosity. Growing programs at The Murie Ranch allows us to inspire and educate more participants through the Murie legacy. Thank you for your continued support.
Wayne was one of a hundred-plus participants to join local biologists this year in initiating Wyoming’s first citizen-science wildflower survey. For several weeks, he and his brother, no doubt drawn to Jackson Hole by Wayne’s starryeyed tales of the Tetons, struck out into the field every other day to wander among skyrockets, arrowleaf balsamroot, and the occasional moose before logging their phenologic findings in the Nature Conservancy’s Wildflower Watch database. Their records will help inform a multidecadal study that aims to tease out the effects of climate change on seasonal plant development.
Conservation In Changing Times By Marcia Kunstel, a 2018 Front Porch Conversation Panelist
We came to The Murie Ranch to discuss the future of conservation and what we can do as individual citizens to affect change. We came to address governmental policies threatening our public lands and why they are so worrisome. It turned out, on that sun-washed evening last July, the audience was already worried. We had gathered outside Olaus and Mardy Murie’s log cabin for a Front Porch Conversation, and the level of conservation awareness was high. These were engaged citizens passionate about preserving our public lands and wild places--professionals in the field, financial supporters or simply people who care. It was the perfect
crowd to be there, carrying on the Murie conservation legacy. Chris Agnew, executive director of Teton Science Schools, started off with questions to Gretchen Long and myself. Gretchen and I have worked for years on conservation issues. And we’re not short on opinions. What got interesting was the subsequent Q&A session. Not only did we, the panelists, answer audience questions, but others in the audience did, too. Frustrated participants who came looking for guidance were met with ideas and success stories, encouraging perseverance. It was a real conversation styled in the Murie tradition of concern and dialogue.
Your gift supports future Front Porch Conversations at The Murie Ranch
Passing The Baton Long-time conservationist & rising community advocate honored at annual celebration
Bert, Tanner & past Murie Spirit of Conservation Awardees Luther Propst, John Turner and Gretchen Long.
On August 14, Jackson Hole local Bert Raynes was bestowed with the 2018 Murie Spirit of Conservation Award. A preservationist, conservationist and self-proclaimed “tree hugger,” Bert has long used his voice to advocate for the environment. Over decades, Bert has tirelessly performed boots-on-theground habitat restoration and shared his passion for wildlife through his weekly column, Far Afield.
respecting wildlife and nature here in Wyoming. The evening was something Mardy would have enjoyed!”
Teton Science Schools board member Nancy Leon said of the evening, “Honoring Bert Raynes with the annual Spirit of Conservation Award at The Murie Ranch was one of the highlights of summer—a true community event, honoring a wellloved local naturalist for his lifelong accomplishments in preserving and
The evening was an important reminder that no matter where you live, be it a wilderness area or a city center, we can all engage in conservation efforts and community building.
Tanner Yess was awarded the Rising Leader award for his instrumental work with the Mill Creek Alliance and Groundwork USA. Tanner urged us to create a culture of conservation that invites urban, disenfranchised youth to become community partners.
Save the Date! 2018 Cookie Swap at The Murie Ranch, December 2, 2018 | 2-4 pm All cookie enthusiasts welcome. No RSVP required. 11 Murie Ranch Road, Moose, WY 83012
Mardy’s Cry Baby Cookies
For the icing:
1 cup sugar 1 cup Crisco shortening
1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla Canned milk
Instructions:
1 egg 1 cup molasses 4 cups flour
1 cup hot water 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Cream together sugar, shortening, salt and spices. Add beaten egg. Add molasses and blend well. Gradually mix the flour. Then add the water and vinegar. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Place on cooling rack. While still warm, dab taps of cookies with icing.
SAVE THE DATE! 2019 Community Soup & Ski at The Murie Ranch Spots limited, first come first serve, RSVP only to shaina.lemmon@tetonscience.org by January 7, 2019.
Continue the Murie Legacy Your generous gift will support Front Porch Conversations, docent tours, ranch maintenance and educational programming for the next generation of conservation leaders.
Donate online at murieranch.org
Call 307.732.7765 to make a gift on the phone or mail a check in the enclosed envelope