Instructors
Private Tours are led by naturalist guides who combine a scientific understanding of wildlife behavior, ecology, and conservation with detailed personal knowledge of the locations and movements of wildlife in Yellowstone National Park.
JULIANNE BAKER, M.A. moved to Gardiner, Montana, after more than 20 years visiting Yellowstone to hike, backpack, kayak, and ski. She retired from teaching in Michigan, where she taught environmental science, and now is a resident instructor for the Yellowstone Association Institute. She is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), a Wilderness First Responder, and a certified master educator.
SHAUNA BARON is a biologist who has studied large and small carnivore species, including wolves, bears, fisher, and bobcat. She has worked with the Colorado-based Mission Wolf captive wolf program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Red Wolf Project in North Carolina, and as a volunteer for the Yellowstone Wolf Project. Shauna is currently a resident instructor for the Yellowstone Association Institute.
MACNEIL LYONS is an experienced educator and National Park Service ranger. He has served at the Blue Ridge Parkway, Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Yellowstone National Park. Currently a resident instructor for the Yellowstone Association Institute, he designed the Institute’s award winning Yellowstone for Families program. MacNeil is also a published writer and photographer.
Amanda was super friendly and knowledgeable. I had a great time especially for not being an ‘out-doorsy’ girl!
Phil was an excellent guide–very knowledgeable, personable, flexible, and accommodating!
We saw many animals–most we would not have seen on our own!
This was the most fantastic introduction to the park. We spent the day with a knowledgeable, friendly instructor who went out of her way to answer our questions and who clearly loved the park.
Our guide was fun, knowledgeable and exuberant–such a great experience.
Amanda is fabulous!!! The best!!! I’ve never had a better more sincere, knowledgeable guide for any tour anywhere.
We felt like we were in the best hands possible in Yellowstone.
I learned a lot in a very short time, I learned more in this trip than my whole year in Earth Science.
We expected the wildlife, but the staff knowledge of the habitat, wildlife, issues, etc was special and having the world’s greatest classroom didn’t hurt.
I have learned so much about Yellowstone…visited here in 1949, 1979, and 2009. I have finally learned about Yellowstone!
Our instructor Julianne did an excellent job listening to what we wanted to do and tailoring our three-day program to our interests. She answered all our questions about the park, wildlife, geology etc. She was an incredibly knowledgeable resource for us. Our family had a great time!
Julianne was the perfect blend of knowledge, humor, and passion for the natural world.
A great way to spend time together—get educated by a passionate enthusiastic guide, who installed her enthusiasm.
Julianne was a wonderful guide who was full of information and very personable and friendly. She looked out for the needs of the group very well.
Brad was an excellent guide; he helped us see and love the park even more.
Brad Bulin was fantastic!! Very knowledgeable, personable, and great with our kids!
Wonderful way to learn about Yellowstone, especially if visiting the park for the first time.
Our guide provided information about Yellowstone that gave us insight we could not have obtained elsewhere.
The program provided insight into all aspects of Yellowstone that we could not get on our own. Our guide was wonderful and very well informed. He was also terrific in explaining things to our 9 and 12 year old.
This was a great way to see and learn about the ecosystem and how be respectful of the environment.
The instructors demonstrated a high degree of intellectual honesty in controversial topics.
Being here in winter is such a wonderfully different experience than visiting in summer.
The guides made an extraordinary connection with the kids. The park in winter is completely different, and so much more accessible than I would have thought.
The instructors tied everything together, making things meaningful.
The guide was very friendly and informative, answered all of our questions about geology as well as animals. It was wonderful.
Ashea was outstanding. She was very knowledgeable, informative, and friendly. The entire family group had a very pleasurable and informative day.
We had a great day of animal watching. Angela was knowledgeable, professional, and fun. We had great sightings and learned a lot about the park and its animals.
I think Angela is a perfect guide; she is knowledgeable and passionate about preserving nature.
The instructors demonstrated a high degree of intellectual honesty in controversial topics.
Being here in winter is such a wonderfully different experience than visiting in summer.
The guides made an extraordinary connection with the kids. The park in winter is completely different, and so much more accessible than I would have thought.
The instructors tied everything together, making things meaningful.
The guide was very friendly and informative, answered all our questions about geology as well as animals. It was wonderful.
Ashea was outstanding. Very knowledgeable, informative, and friendly. The entire family group had a very pleasurable and informative day.
We had a great day of animal watching. Angela was knowledgeable, professional and fun. We had great sightings and learned a lot about the park and its animals.
This was a great way to become engaged with the park and the ecosystem in a short time.
Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, knew all the best places to see, and adapted the tour to exactly what we wanted to see.
It was very educational and enjoyable. We saw parts of Yellowstone that we would not have found unguided.
This was an experience I will not soon forget. I am not sure I would want to experience Yellowstone any other way.
We saw a Yellowstone we may not have experienced without this tour.
Ariana was incredible! She is a natural-very informative and aware of needs/desires of the group. She made our visit all it could be.
There were so many opportunities were presented to me and my entire group throughout this trip. I truly appreciate the discussions about careers and colleges as a junior looking to work with natural resources. I only wish I could have stayed longer and I will definitely be back.
Brad was an awesome instructor, another true asset to Yellowstone. He captivated and cultivated in minds of nine juniors and seniors, not an easy feat.
The geothermal features and the discovery/identification of rocks were highlights. Ashea was one of the best guides I’ve ever had, and I’ve traveled to over 25 countries.
This program made me realize how much more I have to learn about the parks, the environment, and our personal responsibility to enable the earth to survive and flourish, with respect to ourselves and nature.
Our instructor added so much more than we expected. She went above and beyond in giving us stories and explanations.
Our day was absolutely outstanding! Ashea blew our expectations out of the water!
The friendly and knowledgeable instructor really made the trip fun, educational, and enjoyable. Barbara and Arian gave us a great trip and we saw every type of wildlife.
Ms. Stoltz is an extraordinary guide and leader. Her knowledge, ability to understand the needs of her clients, and her insight (and eyesight) is remarkable.
Ashea did a superb job! It was obvious that she was dedicated to preservation of Yellowstone and providing a learning experience.
Our instructor was wonderful! I learned a lot and really enjoyed the entire program-we’ll do it again and often.
Wow! Best vacation ever! Far exceeded my expectations! We saw the young of many animals and even birds, saw animal interactions, saw black bears feeding on elk and fish, and a coyote feeing on a bison calf. Barbara was very accommodating about stopping for various opportunities to observe wildlife.
Your staff is superbly qualified, thoroughly familiar with both sides of issues. This was a great mix of field work and didactic presentations.
MacNeil was phenomenal. His passion for Yellowstone was contagious. He made the program a spectacular one.
MacNeil Lyons is a phenomenal guide. His knowledge and passion for the park had a huge impact on my experience here. I will definitely not hesitate to recommend this program to friends and family back home.
The entire staff was, as always, excellent and did a great job of relating to the students. The unbelievable sightings we had just added to the experience.
The instruction was fantastic. They were informative and engaging. The excellence of the instructors was really beyond words.
The cabins were very nice, and the shower/bathroom area exceeded my expectations.
Our guides were awesome and very friendly. They talked to us, rather than at us, cared about what we had to say, and answered all of our questions well.
Being a senior in high school, I’m still somewhat confused about what I want to do with my life. This program helped me get away from the stresses of civilization and gave me some ideas for what I want to be in the future.
The staff is truly professional. The Institute runs like a well oiled machine.
Barbara was warm, friendly, great with children, intelligent, and a great teacher. Three days was not enough with her.
Barbara was by far the best guide we’ve ever had. She was extremely informative and knowledgeable, a joy to be around. We nicknamed the bus The Magic Bus because she had a magic wand for all of these wonderful animals.
I wanted information on the wildlife within the park and a guided tour on our first full day in the park would help us find the wildlife and get insight to the rest of our stay. Our guide was very knowledgeable on the wolves within the park and my son was most intent on learning about, and seeing, wolves. We did get to see the wolves and learned quite a bit about them. We also saw many other animals and the equipment our guide supplied was very useful.
Eric’s manner was wonderful. He aimed the program at kids and adults. He was very knowledgeable and showed us many animals. The wolf pack was amazing!
Kathie far exceeded my expectations. I saw every animal I wanted to see. I have a new appreciation for the fact that we need to preserve and protect our wild animals.
This was a very memorable day for our family, one that we will cherish for years to come.
Brad’s incredible knowledge of the park and its wildlife went beyond all my expectations. I never expected to see as many birds and animals and encounter such fascinating natural situations as we did.
Luckily we came across lots of wildlife but more importantly we gained great information from a qualified and very personable instructor. This was the best part of our visit.
Our instructor was the best and I would come back again just for him. We also saw 19 bears and just about every animal I can think of. Our luck and timing for everything was amazing and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Barbara was extremely knowledgeable about the park, the wildlife, and the geology that we explored. She was very caring and encouraged our group to ask lots of questions.
This was an outstanding tour of Yellowstone. We could not have come close to creating the same experience on our own. Thank you Barbara!
This was better than anything I ever expected! Definitely the 'Wow Factor!'
This program is an absolute must if you really want to understand the park and its significance.
The warm reception of the volunteers was amazing. The level of expertise surpassed my expectations – the guest speakers were leaders in their fields.
The guides at the Institute are walking encyclopedias. Not only are they guides up to date on Yellowstone, but are able to relate information to current events. We would love to have both on our staff. They were able to balance great crowd control and the safety of others.
MacNeil was the very best guide I’ve ever been fortunate to have. He was friendly, intelligent, and made our day so worthwhile. I wouldn’t change a thing!
Both Melissa and Julianne were extremely knowledgeable, shared their knowledge enthusiastically, and in such a way as to encourage us to be better stewards of Yellowstone.
Brad and Melissa were outstanding for us-they know how to relate to eighth graders; they were sensitive to our needs and very flexible.
Our instructors were both excellent and went above and beyond to make our group feel welcome and provide high energy, motivating, and excellent education.
Knowledgeable personnel make a huge difference-you can really feel that our guide knew his stuff and invest time in learning.
The people who taught and guided us are so in love with Yellowstone and its preservation that we were inspired to honor this environment for the future.
I really was impressed with the cabins, bathrooms, heated floors (too wonderful), and the ease with which food prep and clean up was enabled. You have made it very easy to plan, prepare, and serve meals.
Our instructor was outstanding in his presentation on the history, ecology, and management of Yellowstone Park. The fact that he lives in the area and has strong ties to the park only added to the strength of the program and personalized the experience for us.
I greatly enjoyed learning about the botany of Yellowstone and the magnificent walk in the Lamar Valley
Our guide was a delightful, knowledgeable companion and was outstanding with our 3 children ages 7 to 11.
I very much enjoyed hearing our instructor discuss the wildlife of the park. I got a sense of a much bigger picture.
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