Click here for a description of the Yellowstone Studies Center

1. The Source & Center for the research, study, and dialogue of, for, and about Life in the Greater Yellowstone Region Click here for a description of the Yellowstone Studies Center

2. This is a map of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). It is one of the most unique places on earth. If it were a state, its 20 million acres would make it the 40th largest state in the United States. At its center is Yellowstone National Park, America’s first and the world’s most famous national park . Just to the south is Grand Teton National Park. Surrounding these two world famous parks is a lot of public and private land and an incredibly diverse range of ecological wonders. Every year, thousands of researchers, students, and academic-minded tourists come to the GYE to try and better understand some very complex issues. They are wildlife biologists trying to figure out wolf and elk populations. They are fishery specialists trying to determine growth rates of native and non-native trout species. They are geologists trying to learn more about an area of land that has more geysers than anywhere else on earth. They are biologists and chemists peering into these geysers for potential solutions to problems that have been prevalent for centuries. Or, they are simply part of the nearly four million visitors who have been dreaming of visiting America’s greatest national park for their entire lives. They want to see a grizzly bear, a bison, or a bull elk up close and in the wild. They want to fly fish, camp, and climb mountains. They want first-hand experience of the ecological wonders that exist no where else on earth. This is the GYE.

3. The search for knowledge and the expansion of research frontiers in the GYE is constant. It is arguably the most unique and creative laboratory in the world. Take the wolf, for example. Not without controversy, wolves were reintroduced to the GYE in 1995. Scientists have been studying the impacts of this highly successful yet also problematic reintroduction ever since. Same , too, for bison and elk whose interactions with cattle have been a source of concern for many ranchers and land owners. This has led to constant research on brucellosis, grazing patterns, calving rates, hunting, and other issues important to the vitality of the region. Perhaps the most iconic symbol of the GYE – Yellowstone’s famous bears (both the grizzly and the black bear) are not just a favorite of tourists, but also of scientists. As climate change impacts their food sources, GYE bears are moving and expanding their territory. It’s not just mammals that are being studied. The GYE has an incredibly rich, and scientifically interesting, fishery population. Birds and insects, too, are under constant study. Nor is the GYE laboratory the sole domain for wildlife biologists. Foresters have been studying red, beetle-killed trees for years. Geologists from around the world hold field camps in the GYE to better understand the earth. The region’s active geysers, the most in the world within a defined area, attract scientists from around the globe researching microbes and other life forms living in one of the most extreme environments in the world. For scientists, researchers, students, and people and groups passionate about life on earth, the GYE has it all.

4. Despite its wonders and despite the annual arrival of thousands of researchers and students, the GYE does not have everything it needs for scientists and researchers. Many, if not most, of the researchers working in the GYE do so from a hotel room, a camper, a backcountry camping site, or they are forced to commute to their field research sites from their university. They do not have adequate access to a lab, offices, or storage space and even finding a wi-fi signal to check email and log onto the internet can be problematic. Despite the extensive research that is conducted every year in the region, the GYE still lacks a year-round, four-season research center. With a strong infrastructure and a service and logistics provider based in the center of the GYE, who knows what scientists may be able to uncover or what kind of new developments could take place? We are going to find out.

5. Introducing the Yellowstone Studies Center On December 15, 2010, the West Yellowstone Economic Development Council Inc. (WYED) made a huge leap forward to better understanding the GYE. It purchased an 11,500 square foot building in the center of the Town of West Yellowstone. The Purpose: To build an education and research center for the GYE. Inside this building – called the WYED Center – will be classrooms, office space, storage units, laboratories, and other infrastructure to help the learning process of the GYE move forward. The anchor tenant of the WYED Center will be the Yellowstone Studies Center (YSC). This will be a new nonprofit with the following mission: Dedicated to supporting and promoting research, study, and teaching by providing an academic infrastructure to educators, students, and groups who seek to develop a positive and non-partisan dialogue on the issues and activities emanating from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The YSC is seeking your input to make this happen. Read on to learn more about the YSC, what we need, and how you can play a role.

6. What is the Yellowstone Studies Center? If the old adage of ‘location, location, location’ for success in the world of real estate holds true, the WYED Center and its anchor tenant, the Yellowstone Studies Center, should do pretty well. The new facility is in almost the exact center of the GYE and literally a five minute walk to Yellowstone National Park. There are very few places in the world where a one hour lecture can be delivered followed by three hours of field study literally by walking out the door. The YSC is just such a place. But what exactly is the YSC? First, it is a fully equipped office building available to anyone who is interested in the GYE. The facility will provide office space, storage, classrooms, laboratories, internet connectivity, and work stations among other infrastructure needs. Second, it will be the logistics and service provider for colleges and universities across the United States who are working on GYE issues. This will include supporting masters and doctoral student research. It will also include hosting and managing a lecture series, workshops , seminars, and accredited courses. Third, the YSC will actively pursue grants and foundation funding for its own programs and programs supported by the YSC and partnering colleges and universities. Lastly, it is what the YSC will become. Its founders have no less a goal than to become the premiere institute in the world for the Greater Yellowstone Region.

7. How will the Yellowstone Studies Center be developed? With an 11,500 square foot building already in hand, the YSC will be developed in phases: Phase One – Business Center This will provide office space, work stations, and office infrastructure to visiting researchers and students. This will allow them to walk in, flip open their laptops, grab a cup of coffee, and immediately start working on their GYE project. Phase Two – Research Headquarters This will boost the level of services available for visiting researchers and scientists. It will include storage space, conference room use, audio-visual services, data access, and eventually laboratories. It will also include YSC support staff to assist researchers with their projects as needed and as available. Phase Three – Education & Events Management This will be provision of logistics and management services to market, host, and manage everything from a monthly lecture series to a one-day workshop to multi-day workshops or seminars and even full-fledged block courses. It will also include distance learning programs. This effort is to help researchers tell the world about their research projects. Phase Four – The Premiere Institute for the GYE These phases and efforts all lead down a single road. The end goal of the YSC is to become the premiere institute and research center for the GYE.

8. How can I be part of the Yellowstone Studies Center? For the past few months and most likely up to at least mid summer of 2011, Sam Korsmoe, the executive director of WYED and the lead manager of the YSC project, has been on an outreach campaign. Sam has visited at least 50 colleges, universities, and organizations and groups involved in the GYE. There are at least 50 more to go. In his presentations, Sam makes three requests when asked how people and groups can get involved with the YSC project. Human & Intellectual Capital This is a basic request for ideas, projects, and synergy. There are already thousands of researchers arriving in the GYE every year. The YSC wants to work with these individuals and groups who are already here and add value to their research work and ideally help them come up with better outcomes. The YSC can also act as a bridge builder between groups and universities with common research interests. Financial Capital The YSC has begun a capital campaign with the goal of raising $250,000 by the middle of 2011. These funds will be invested in human resources, programs, and some infrastructure needs to help researchers better their jobs. After this initial capital campaign, the YSC will begin a multi-year endowment drive to raise research dollars to be used for projects developed by the YSC and its partners. Make A Commitment The final message to interested participants is to take a bold step forward and commit to using the WYED Center and the services of the YSC. If you are a college or university, this could mean holding a workshop or classes in the YSC. If you are part of a group, it could mean leasing out space in the WYED Center so your organization will have a direct presence in the GYE. This request basically means to follow through on any comments that this is a good idea that has been a long time in coming to fruition. It is here now, so use it.

9. Thank You! We are not out to change the world. But, we do want to help those scientists, researchers, educators, and students who do want to change the world for the better. Please join us. Start by send us an email (or pick up the phone) and tell us what you find most fascinating about the GYE. Next, tell us your vision. Finally, tell us how the YSC can help you achieve your vision. We look forward to hearing from you. Sam Korsmoe Project leader – Yellowstone Studies Center Email: sam@madcoedc.org Office Phone: 406-682-5923; 406-646-7119 Cell: 406-570-4531