Letter from the Executive Director

Dear friends and supporters of NRCC,
 
I send my best wishes for good health to you and your family.  Here at NRCC, we are engaged and sincerely reflecting on the happenings in our nation. The events of the past four months have both exposed and shaped the vast and varied experiences of what it means to live in America. We feel this in the many stories coming to us from across the country—sickness, protests, political responses, and leadership decisions.  
 
At NRCC, we’ve long worked to be a source of leadership in making sense of such changes. As a society, we are simultaneously facing multiple and connected crises. A rapidly destabilizing climate. A global pandemic. The absence of democratic governance. The blatant disregard for human rights as evidenced by the killing of George Floyd and many other African American citizens—and the coupled racist policies that allow for such to continue. We are deeply troubled by these incidents—but we also see them as entangled trends in our society.  It is not enough to look at them on their own. As a cooperative of researchers, leaders, and citizens, NRCC prioritizes mutual support—because we believe that the interaction of people is the most important pathway to solving problems whether they are in the realms of healthcare, the economy, jurisprudence, or the environment
 
With this in mind, NRCC announces our upcoming webinar series, Lessons from the Field in a Time of Rapid Change & Crisis.  Beginning July 16^th, we will host a conversation series with six innovative leaders working at the juncture of science, culture, and storytelling.  The details are further in this newsletter.  Please register and join us for these exciting and insightful conversations.  
 
Huge change is afoot in our communities and social systems—health, economic, and educational.  We can’t discern the consequences of these changes. Still, we must move forward with resolve, skill, and respect.  NRCC remains committed to the well-being of humans and ecosystems.  Our three decades of accomplishments has set a proven path to meet unexpected challenges.  We hope you join us for our webinar series!
 
Best regards,
 
Ben Williamson
Executive Director

Lessons from the Field in a Time of Rapid Change & Crisis

Katie Christiansen begins new project at Astoria Hot Springs

NRCC’s Artist in Residence, Katie Shepherd Christiansen, was recently selected from a group of 20 artists to paint the interpretive signs at Astoria Hot Springs. In the following months, she will design and paint custom art installations to explain the natural and cultural history of the hot springs and surrounding area. She will use her expertise in watercolor wildlife portraits to capture the unique quality of Astoria.
 
Christiansen is an artist and naturalist with experience in creating public artwork to strengthen connections between people and landscapes. Christiansen is the editor of the Artists Field Guide to Yellowstone, scheduled to be released this year. She also penned a recent story in Mountain Journal here. 
 
Christiansen currently lives in Colorado with her husband and son. More of her work can be found on her website. 

Yale Students Visit the GYE

Pictured from left to right: Leif Castren, Kelsey Hartman, and Rocio Trujillo Sosa

In early March, three students from the Yale School of the Environment visited the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for a Large-Scale Conservation course taught by Yale professor and NRCC co-founder, Dr. Susan Clark.
 
The students spent the first week between Bozeman, MT and Gardiner, MT, meeting with biologists, managers, writers, and tribal leaders. A highlight included spotting a wolf pack investigating an elk carcass in the Lamar Valley. NRCC hosted the students for the second week in Jackson, WY. By this time, the pandemic ramped up and physical distancing policies were put in place. However, the students were able to learn via Zoom from folks engaged in planning, recreation management, and collaborative processes. 
 
Thanks to the students who made the trip out and for bringing curiosity for this region! We’d also like to thank all who met with them over the two weeks. 

Visit our website here to make a donation

Donations are essential to our projects in wildlife and human communities in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and beyond. 

Donations can also be made through the following links:

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Visit EcoCards.org, and find Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative. Enjoy the creative experience of sending EcoCards, supporting NRCC, and helping to reduce the impact of giving on the environment!