The new catalog of summer courses through the Yellowstone Association Institute is out, and deciding which one(s) to take part in could prove difficult.
There are 75 programs in all -- 21 new this year -- that the non-profit organizaton will offer from April through mid-October in Yellowstone National Park.
Among the highlights:
* New this year is the three-week Naturalist Guide Certificate Program offered April 3-22. This program is longer and more intense than the typical YAI program and is geared for those people who wish to be professional or volunteer guides.
* Multi-day field seminars focusing on topics such as wildlife, geology, history and more. Most courses last from one to four days and are limited to 13 participants.
* Spring Wildlife Watching April 29-May 1, Putting Some Punch in Your Prose June 16-19 and Protecting Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal System Sept. 2-4.
“We have many visitors who are fascinated by specific Yellowstone topics, and we developed many of these new programs to address those interests,” said Jeff Brown, director of education for YAI. “Our summer courses cover a wide range of topics and help to achieve our goal of generating a stronger appreciation of Yellowstone. They are also some the best values in the region.”
Many courses are held at the Institute’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch Field Campus, where simple and comfortable log cabins are available for $30 per person per night. And just last year the Yellowstone Overlook Field Campus in Gardiner, Montana, opened and offers to program participants two three-bedroom, two-bathroom modern log cabins for up to 12 people and a two-bedroom, one-bathroom cabin for up to five people.
Field Seminar topics are regularly updated to reflect participants’ changing interests. Several, for example, cover Yellowstone’s fascinating wolf population and the species’ reintroduction to the park some 15 years ago. Multiple courses cover various angles, including the new Wolf Research Updates July 28-30.
Scheduled throughout the summer are courses covering topics such as wildlife behavior, photography, history, geology, hiking, writing, plant life and Native Americans. Seminar titles include Forces of Nature: Wolves and Fire, Beginning Fly Fishing for Women, and The Art of Wildflower Identification. The season concludes October 12-14 with The Wolves of Yellowstone.
You can download the catalog to your computer from this page. And for information about becoming a member (members get discounts on courses) visit www.yellowstoneassociation.org/membership/.
YAI is the non-profit education partner with the National Park Service in Yellowstone. In addition to its Field Seminars, YAI offers Private Tours and Lodging & Learning programs. Private Tours are tailored for families and small groups and tours typically focus on wildlife watching, natural history and geology, thermal features and hiking. Lodging & Learning programs combine daily field trips with comfortable lodging in park hotels at night.
Reservations for Field Seminars, Private Tours and other YAI programs and cabins at the Yellowstone Overlook Field Campus and Lamar Buffalo Ranch can be made by calling 1-406-848-2400. For Lodging & Learning program reservations call 1-866-439-7375. For more information about any Institute program visit www.YellowstoneAssociation.org or FaceBook.com/YellowstoneAssociation.
To receive a course catalog or for more information, go to www.YellowstoneAssociation.org, write to the Yellowstone Association at PO Box 117, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 or call 406-848-2400.
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