Bears Safeguarding a National Treasure Along with Old Faithful, bears have become a symbol of Yellowstone for many people. In its early days, Yellowstone National Park was known as the place to see and interact with bears. But that closeness put both species at risk. Today, the relationship between people and bears remains delicate. Our robust bear conservation programs support and study the habitats and food sources of Yellowstone’s bears. Our work also promotes safety measures that reduce injuries to bears, humans, and property where they intersect. Preventing bears from obtaining human food is one of the top priorities of Yellowstone’s wildlife managers. Together we can strengthen Yellowstone as a safe place for bears to live and thrive. Some 150 grizzly bears live full- or part-time in the park. An estimated 717 range in greater Yellowstone.
PHoTO Steve hinch
PHoto Steve Hinch
Sadly, when bears gain access to human food, they become more aggressive and may need to be removed.
Education Learning for Life Yellowstone National Park is one of the world’s best classrooms — a natural laboratory brimming with life and an ecosystem unlike any other. Visitors young and old can expand their knowledge of Yellowstone and this remarkable planet by participating in any of our numerous education programs. Field Seminars offer the chance to explore the park’s wilderness with professors, naturalists, scientists, photographers, writers, historians, and artists. On-site Lodging & Learning programs blend education with recreation, while private tours get visitors upclose-and-personal with Yellowstone and the people who know it best. Teacher initiatives strengthen and inspire those who educate young people every day.
PHoTO Maria Bisso
PHoto Maria Bisso
All programs challenge students to cultivate critical thinking and leadership skills that extend far beyond their experience in the park. Yellowstone is a place for discovery and for wonder, but especially, for learning. Yellowstone Forever offers over 600 in-depth educational programs for people of all ages.
Lamar Sustainability Building a Greener Yellowstone for Future Generations Yellowstone National Park is a gift to us from ancient times. Across millennia, the earth has built mountains and plains, carved canyons and rivers, ignited geothermal marvels, and given birth to immeasurable wild creatures. Now it is our responsibility — and privilege — to carry forward the beauty and wonder of Yellowstone. Our sustainability initiatives in the Lamar Valley aim to make Yellowstone the greenest park possible. We’re working to reduce Yellowstone’s ecological footprint, increase operational efficiency, and better preserve environmental resources.
PHoTO Matt Ludin
PHoto Tom Kirkendall
As visitors, we borrow Yellowstone only for brief moments. But as stewards of this remarkable park, we can preserve it for always. Thanks to a donation, Yellowstone reduced the potable water used to irrigate historic lawns in Mammoth Hot Springs by 30%.
Native Fish Preserving Keystone Species More than 40 animal species in Yellowstone National Park depend on very special partners to survive: native fish. Cutthroat trout and Arctic grayling sustain countless animals year-round, including bears, osprey, river otters, mink, and 20 types of birds. But Yellowstone is losing these native fish quickly. Centuries ago, some four million cutthroat trout swam the crystal waters of Yellowstone Lake. Today a dangerous combination of predatory lake trout, whirling disease, and drought are decimating Yellowstone’s only native trout. Less than 10% of that historical population survives. Yellowstone needs these ancient fish to preserve its dynamic ecosystem. Our native fish programs can help reverse this staggering decline.
PHoTO Tom murphy
PHoto Tom Murphy
Our goal: reduce the predatory lake trout population by 95% and return native cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake to their historical population.
Ranger Heritage Strengthening the Rich Tradition of Rangers in Yellowstone Hundreds of park rangers live and work in Yellowstone National Park. These dedicated individuals are experts in education, emergency medical services, backcountry operations, resource management, law enforcement, and more. They do it all — and they need our help. Our Ranger Heritage programs promote the effectiveness, safety, and efficiency of Yellowstone park rangers, and preserve their special place in Yellowstone history. Our projects help rangers keep wildlife and visitors safe, and provide rangers with crucial equipment such as lifesaving CPR machines, horses and mules for transport, and well-maintained cabins and fencing. Through the Training Academy Program, we’re helping rangers develop and conduct high-quality, in-depth training and continuing education activities each year.
PHoTO NPS
PHoto Maria Bisso
There’s an old saying that rangers are born, not made. It’s our responsibility to support these incredible people who do so much for Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone's first park ranger came on duty in July 1915.
TRAILS Ensuring a Safe and Accessible Experience for All Millions of visitors come to Yellowstone each year to experience the vast beauty and wonder the park has to offer. Young and old, together or alone, they enter more than 90 trailheads to explore some 1,000 miles of backcountry trails. Sadly, many of those trails have fallen into disrepair. Substantial foot traffic, severe weather, and debilitating soil erosion have all taken their toll. Many paths fail to meet current standards for universal accessibility. Together we can help restore and repair Yellowstone’s heavily-used network of trails, so they are protected and safe for all who wish to enjoy them, now and for years to come.
PHoTO Matt Ludin
PHoto Matt Ludin
Without safe and accessible trails, visitors may miss out on Yellowstone’s most breathtaking sights, like the majestic Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Wildlife Protecting Yellowstone’s Most Important Residents Life abounds in Yellowstone National Park. Large predators, small prey, plentiful animals, and endangered species all roam Yellowstone’s vast 2.2 million acres. Grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, elk, bison, and cougars live here. Powerful raptors fly above and iconic native fish swim below in lakes and rivers. The park’s expansive wilderness is home to the largest concentration of wildlife in the entire continental United States. But human proximity, climate change, and disease threaten their habitats and health, putting the future of this unique and complex ecosystem at risk. Through our wildlife programs, researchers study and protect the animals of Yellowstone National Park. These extensive conservation and education projects range from our Bear and Wolf Programs to the Wildlife Health Project, Raptor and Cougar Initiatives, and Bison Management Project. Yellowstone’s ecosystem is unlike any other on this planet. Together we can ensure that biodiversity continues to flourish in Yellowstone National Park, and that these
PHoTO Tom Murphy
PHoto Tom Murphy
magnificent species live on for generations to come.
67 species of mammals, 285 species of birds, and 16 species of fish...all call Yellowstone home.
Wolves Conserving One of Yellowstone’s Great Predators The majestic gray wolf roamed freely in Yellowstone when the park was designated in 1872. Just a few decades later, this great predator had all but disappeared — not only from Yellowstone, but from the entire continental United States. Today some 100 wolves reside within the park’s boundaries, thanks to a massive restoration project that began in 1995. But the work is far from over. Gray wolves play an essential role in Yellowstone’s ecosystem, promoting biodiversity and helping to sustain critical food chains. Our nationally-acclaimed wolf programs monitor the wolves of Yellowstone and safely manage the visitors who flock to see them.
PHoTO Tom Murphy
PHoto Jim Futterer
The number one cause of death for wolves outside the park is human involvement.
Youth Programs Engaging Tomorrow’s Stewards The future of Yellowstone depends on the young. They are the caretakers, the stewards, who will preserve and protect the park for posterity. And young people need Yellowstone. From witnessing Old Faithful erupt to glimpsing a majestic grizzly bear, Yellowstone sparks a passion for learning and an appreciation of nature that lasts a lifetime. That’s why our signature youth programs connect Yellowstone and young people in unique and powerful ways. Each year, thousands of children, teens, and college-age students participate in multi-day to month-long education, leadership, and recreation programs, including Expedition Yellowstone, Youth Conservation Corps, Park Journeys, and My Yellowstone Adventure.
PHoTO Maria Bisso
PHoto Maria Bisso
For many, financial aid is essential. With your support, we can bring more young people to Yellowstone — and Yellowstone to more young people — than ever before. More than 50,000 youth participate in the Junior Ranger program each year.
Yellowstone Youth campus
Building a Place to Call Their Own A visit to Yellowstone National Park is something special. Moments here touch the heart, open the mind, and enliven the spirit. For the young, they are life-changing.
Rendering Hennebery Eddy Architects
Rendering Hennebery Eddy Architects
The new Yellowstone Youth Campus equips the park with the proper setting for such transformational experiences to take place. This campus of living buildings — the first ever in a national park — will welcome young people from around the world for immersive educational programs. It will also embody the values of conservation and learning that Yellowstone holds dear. Through the Living Building Challenge, the campus will achieve the highest standard of sustainability, surpassing LEED Gold standards. Featuring housing, classrooms, common spaces, a dining hall, and distance learning studios, the state-of-the-art facility will give young people a place to call their own in this most singular location. The Youth Campus of the future is within our grasp today. Through its construction, we can inspire and empower generations of future stewards and leaders in building a more culturally aware, ecologically responsible and regenerative future. Yellowstone: not just a place for education, but a place that educates.
Yellowstone National Park By the Numbers
1872
Experience it today. Preserve it for always.
2.2 million+ 4 million 10,000+ 67 130 feet 150
PHoTO Steve Hinch
PHoTO Tom Murphy
1,000
Yellowstone becomes the world’s first national park Acres of wilderness and wildlife Annual visits Hydrothermal features, more than the rest of the world combined Species of mammals, the greatest concentration in the lower 48 states Average height of an Old Faithful eruption Approximate number of grizzly bears living in the park Miles of backcountry trails
11,358
Height of Eagle Peak, Yellowstone’s tallest peak
1,000+
Species of native flowering species
1,800+
Known archeological sites
Learn more at Yellowstone.org
How You Can Help $5,000
• Allows someone 15-18 years old to participate in the Youth Conservation Corps to restore Yellowstone’s trails, bridges, campgrounds, and most heavily-impacted areas. • Provides funding for an entire classroom from Montana, Idaho, or Wyoming to attend Expedition Yellowstone, an outdoor immersion education program. • Aids 12 volunteers to promote visitor safety and education in the Mammoth area for two months during the elk rut. • Purchases one horse to support backcountry operations. • Helps install three food storage boxes for Yellowstone campgrounds to promote safe food storage and bear safety.
$10,000
• Supplies 450 cans of inert bear spray for ranger-led bear safety demonstrations. • Underwrites fieldwork to document Yellowstone’s lightscapes and identify priority light pollution concerns. • Provides resources for 10 weeks of research on the dynamics of Yellowstone’s cougar population and how predator diversity affects the Yellowstone ecosystem. • Rehabilitates 12.5 miles of Yellowstone’s most heavilyused backcountry trails.
$25,000
• Eliminates 5,000 invasive lake trout from Yellowstone Lake through gill-netting efforts. • Sponsors four months of state-of-the-art diagnostic lab testing to understand infectious diseases present in Yellowstone and to manage health risks to humans and wildlife. • Funds an audiovisual presentation system for the Yellowstone Youth Campus, including projectors and a 6' x 8' projection screen.
$25,000 continued
• Provides wolf biologists with crucial funding needed to conduct aerial monitoring and research efforts. • Purchases all supplies and materials — including tents, camping gear, kitchen utensils, and educational materials — to support the Youth Conservation Corps for one summer.
$50,000
• Supports work to manage wild bison migration outside Yellowstone, a pressing conservation challenge. • Brings environmentally-friendly energy upgrades to the Lamar Buffalo Ranch through the purchase of saltwater batteries to hold solar energy gathered on-site. • Supports the development of a constructed wetland at the Yellowstone Youth Campus to treat 100% of wastewater locally for reuse or infiltration. • Supplies all paneling to rebuild the Stephens Creek corral fence, which is used to contain the Yellowstone horse herd and manage the Yellowstone bison herd.
$100,000
• Provides labor and materials to replace and repair 175 linear feet of crumbling retaining wall along the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. • Funds the purchase and installation of a 21kW solar system to power the classroom building at the new Yellowstone Youth Campus. • Finances three years of Yellowstone Science, a publication devoted to Yellowstone’s natural and cultural resources. • Supports research associates, biological technicians, and graduate students to conduct one year of research on Yellowstone’s golden eagle population.
PHoTO NPS
Experience it today. Preserve it for always.
Yellowstone Forever Bozeman Office
222 East Main Street, Suite 301, Bozeman, Montana 59715
Official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone
Yellowstone.org
406 | 848 | 2400