YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Nov. 5, 2009 – In Yellowstone National Park, travelers often fit into one of two categories: those who briefly wonder what kind of animal made a track in the snow, and then move on, and those who wonder, and then find out. Travelers in the latter category fit perfectly the profile of the typical Yellowstone Association Institute (YAI) Field Seminar student.
The nonprofit Yellowstone Association Institute offers a wide range of Field Seminars throughout the winter. Typically two to four days, most seminars are based at the Institute’s historic Lamar Buffalo Ranch Field Campus in a remote section of Northern Yellowstone. Seminar participants spend their nights in shared, comfortable cabins and their days in the classroom and in the field with an Institute naturalist/guide. Participants must supply their own bedding and bring food for preparation in a communal kitchen. Most seminars are limited to 12 participants, and the minimum age is typically 16. Yellowstone Association Institute members receive a $10 discount off the prices listed in the examples below.
Field Seminar themes vary widely. Examples include:
• Food for the Masses – Researching How Yellowstone’s Wolves Affect Scavengers, Nov. 17-23, Nov. 23-29, Nov. 29 – Dec. 5, Dec. 5-11, $700. Offered four times this year, this popular program allows students to become part of an actual research team. Institute instructors take participants into prime wolf habitat to help with a variety of research projects. The project and seminar are particularly relevant this winter as January 2010 is the 15th anniversary of the reintroduction of wolves to the park.
• Wilderness First Aid, Jan. 8-9, $230. This 16-hour certification course teaches hikers, skiers and outdoor professionals how to respond in a backcountry emergency. Students learn a variety of skills for treating shock, wilderness wounds and other medical situations requiring backcountry emergency care.
• Secrets of the Snow, Jan. 21 – 23, $225. New this year, this seminar teaches participants to become snow scientists, at least for two days. Instructed by one of the world’s foremost winter ecologists, James Halfpenny, Ph.D., participants learn to dig and analyze snow pits to gather data that may tell how the winter conditions will affect the park’s ecology, including its plants and wildlife.
• The Artistic Journal in Deep Winter, Feb. 25-28, $420. Also new this year, students experiment with words and drawings to note their experiences in backcountry Yellowstone. Instructor Eleanor Williams Clark, M.L.A., leads participants into a variety of settings to observe wildlife and landscapes that will inspire creativity and introspection.
• Yellowstone’s Winter Serengeti, March 22-24, $300. Instructor Jim Garry, M.S., leads participants deep into Lamar Valley, known as the Serengeti of North America because of the abundance of wildlife. Participants will learn about the behavior and observe bison, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, fox, wolves, coyote and river otter.
The Institute also offers multi-day Lodging & Learning programs in partnership with park concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts. These programs include expert instruction each day by an Institute naturalist/guide, lodge accommodations, in-park transportation and some meals. Winter-season Lodging & Learning programs include “Winter Wildlife Expedition,” “Winter in Wonderland,” “Winter Wolf Discovery,” “Yellowstone on Skis” and the “Old Faithful Winter Wildlife Expedition.”
A third option for those wishing to take an Institute class is a Private Tour for families and other small groups that want a one-day introduction to the park with a focus on wolves in winter, wildlife of Yellowstone’s Northern Range or exploration of the park by ski or snowshoe.
To request a free course catalog or make reservations for the Field Seminars and Private Tours call 406-848-2400; for Lodging & Learning reservations, call 866-439-7375. Yellowstone Association members receive a $10 discount on all courses, and family memberships begin at $35 per year.