Ecology and Adaptation in Yellowstone

Ecology and Adaptation in Yellowstone

Introducing Melanie Hill, Yellowstone Social Media Liaison & Guest Blogger Melanie Hill is a Media & Public Engagement MA graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder. Her creative-track thesis, the Bears & People Project, explores how the use of...
Arriving in Yellowstone

Arriving in Yellowstone

My arrival to Yellowstone National Park yesterday afternoon did not disappoint. The skies were blue and welcoming as I drove through the Roosevelt Archway, en route to the Lamar Buffalo Ranch. The bison were plentiful; I must have passed hundreds of them on my short...
Day 1: Yellowstone Orientation

Day 1: Yellowstone Orientation

It was our first morning at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch, and the students and teaching team were teeming with excitement. We started the day off with a gourmet breakfast, and settled in for lectures that would orient the students to the Yellowstone Ecosystem. The 18...
Day 2: Wolves in Yellowstone

Day 2: Wolves in Yellowstone

Today’s agenda: wolves. The class got a bright and early start to make the most of our time with Nathan Varley and Linda Thurston, two wildlife biologists in the region. Nathan was among the first volunteer field interns hired after the reintroduction of wolves in...
Day 3: Pronghorn and Winter Ecology

Day 3: Pronghorn and Winter Ecology

Excerpt from Built for Speed: North America’s fastest mammal, the pronghorn can accelerate explosively from a standing start to a top speed of 60 miles per hour—but it can also cruise at 45 miles per hour for many miles. What accounts for the speed of this...
Day 4: Snow Science with Dr. Halfpenny

Day 4: Snow Science with Dr. Halfpenny

Last night four students paired up and spent the night in our custom-made quinzhees. Another brave volunteer, Luke, decided he’d like to try sleeping outside as well, but with just his sleeping pad and sleeping bag. Jim Halfpenny worked with one student, Dylan,...