Yellowstone National Park: Spring 2022
In the summer of 2022, I had the pleasure of visiting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). I visited 3 cities, Cody, WY, Gardiner, MT, and Jackson, WY with other classmates who went on the trip. During our trip, we explored different cities, met with stakeholders, and dove deeper into our respective stewardship questions. We shared one big stewardship question: should wolves be hunted or protected near the park’s borders? We also had a second question that my group and I worked together to develop: if humans should suppress naturally occurring fires, and if so, at what point do we intervene with these fires. Through our conversations with stakeholders and with the locals in the different cities, we were able to formulate our own opinions on these two complex issues. One unique aspect of our trip was one of our partners Scott Frazier. He was a Native American who knew the area well and helped show us around different parts of the GYE. He took us on hikes, educated us about his culture, and gave out information on different species and landscapes. Throughout our trip, we kept a small field journal to document our thoughts, feelings, pictures, and information about everything we encountered. Overall, I gained investigative skills to help form an educated perspective of a civic issue as well as a new perspective on how to mindfully interact with nature.
One of my favorite parts about the trip was seeing the wildlife and landscapes. I have included photos down below!
