“Experience it today, preserve it for always.”
-yellowstone.org
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the largest intact ecosystems remaining in the continental United States. It is well known for its geothermal activity, unique landscape features, and its extremely charismatic megafauna (including bison, elk, and bears). Of course, it also has bats.
Although I grew up only a few hours from Yellowstone, I have visited on relatively rare occasions. Like many Montanans, I chose to recreate in less popular areas of the Beartooth, Bitterroot, and Mission Mountains. Every time I return to Yellowstone, however, I am reminded that it is a spectacular place regardless of the bison jams, and it is actually a wonderful thing to see so many people getting outside and enjoying wildlife and wild places.
I was recently invited to instruct a field seminar on bats in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Yellowstone Forever is the official nonprofit partnered with Yellowstone National Park. I was surprised and pleased that anyone would sign up for a class on bats when there are classes on wolves available (not everyone shares my opinion that bats are as cool as micro-wolves).
Over the course of three days, the class participants were able to watch hundreds of bats emerge from a maternity colony, trek through bat habitat, and build their own bat boxes to take home. I was encouraged by the enthusiasm and passion shown by the entire class. I was equally as impressed by the Lamar Buffalo Ranch, where the class was hosted.
The Ranch is located in the Lamar Valley–I have no doubt driven past the small collection of buildings and never noticed it before. The facility was originally built in the early 1900s to restore bison populations from the brink of extinction (the entire population was down to only 25 individuals at one point). Today, having served its former purpose, the Ranch is home to educational programs offered by the Park. There is limited electricity which is entirely powered by solar panels (and stored in a large number of Toyota Camry batteries.) The Ranch has separate cozy cabins and a very thoughtfully-designed bathhouse.
There are a multitude of programs offered by Yellowstone Forever, including photography, astronomy, and wildlife-watching–and the facility is open year-round (winter seminars are priced with the housing included).