Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
dents, and include both field and classroom sessions. Play your cards right and you can even
get academic credit through Colorado State University.
Here are some of your options:
•
Field seminars.
These intensive educational experiences provide a closer look at a
specific subject in the areas of wildlife, geology, ecology, history, plant life, art, or
outdoor skills. The hundred or so yearly seminars are taught by the top experts in
their field. “Wolves of the World,” for example, is taught by Dr. Doug Smith, the
project leader for the Yellowstone Gray Wolf Restoration Project. “Mammal Track-
ing” is taught by Dr. Jim Halfpenny, a prominent tracker and author of a popular
tracking field guide, and the “Yellowstone Volcano” class is led by the two scient-
ists featured in the popular BBC docudrama
Supervolcano
. Although workshops are
held throughout the park, the home base for a majority of the field seminars is the
Lamar Buffalo Ranch, a comfortable field campus in the park's northeast corner.
Overlooking the Lamar Valley, a haven for elk, bison, mule deer, and bighorn sheep,
the ranch was the site of the park's bison recovery project in the early 20th cen-
tury. “The ranch is right in the middle of one of the richest wildlife habitats in North
America,” says Jeff Brown, director of education for the institute. “You can literally
walk out your front porch to a spotting scope that's pointed at a wolf.” Participants
stay in a rustic log cabin that has kitchen facilities and a nearby bathhouse. Rates
average $80 per day, plus $25 per person for a cabin.
•
Lodging and Learning Programs.
This is the option for folks whose idea of
roughing it is more along the lines of not being able to plug in a hotel blow-dryer.
You'll get the same expert teachers during the day, but at night you'll return to one
of the park's historic hotels for a meal and a comfy bed complete with room service.
One phone call sets it all up. Programs run from May through September, and prices
start at $783 for single occupancy, $579 per person for double occupancy.
•
Backcountry courses.
In these courses, you'll learn about wilderness travel, low-
impact camping, and bear safety. And that's just the orientation. You'll pick a topic
that ranges from tracking grizzlies to field journaling to glacier ecology. You'll be
provided tents, stoves, and other group equipment, but you need to bring your own
sleeping bag, backpack, and food. Courses are offered from the end of May through
mid-September and average $100 a day.
•
Yellowstone Ed-ventures.
This option is for a family or small group that wants its
own private naturalist guide. You'll meet early in the morning at a designated loc-
ation (usually at Mammoth Hot Springs or in Gardiner, Montana) and spend eight
hours watching wildlife or hiking. Four programs are available for all ages; figure
$495 for up to 5 people, $625 for 6 to 14 people, and $1,250 for 15 to 28 people.
