Great Outdoors LIVE
Our country is full of dazzling landscapes where you can play and learn. America's public lands are a treasured part of our national heritage, representing its grandeur, bountiful promise, and vast natural resources. All citizens share in the rights and the responsibilities of seeing that our public lands are cared for and managed in a way that meets the current and future needs of the American people. Public lands belong to all of us — including you!
Learn About:
- What public lands are and their importance
- The history of public lands
- Large and small ecosystems
- Careers in natural resources
- Connections to indigenous peoples
- Balancing wildlife and human needs
- What you can do to get involved and conserve public lands
Webcasts
-
Our country is full of dazzling landscapes where you can play and learn. America’s public lands are a treasured part of our national heritage, representing its grandeur, bountiful promise, and...Great Outdoors LIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure from Shoshone National Forest
Our country is full of dazzling landscapes where you can play and learn. America’s public lands are a treasured part of our national heritage, representing its grandeur, bountiful promise, and... -
In this 34-minute video, journey with us from the backyard to the back country as we explore public lands and how to use them!Great Outdoors LIVE: Yours to Explore
In this 34-minute video, journey with us from the backyard to the back country as we explore public lands and how to use them!
Yellowstone
-
Ever Wonder How Trees Grow?
From the USDA Forest Service
Have you ever wondered how trees grow? The answer might surprise you. In this video, you’ll learn how trees change on a daily basis while growing larger over time. You’ll also get to see how fast a real Douglas-fir tree grew over 2 weeks in the summer.
Stunning Footage: Epic Animal Migrations in Yellowstone
From National Geographic
Some of the world’s most incredible animal migrations take place in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Among them are a 120-mile pronghorn migration and nine elk herds with unique migration patterns. While on assignment in Yellowstone, Joe Riis was able to capture the awe-inspiring migrations that few tourists get to see.
Exploration & Early Artists
-
A “Grand Tour” of the Hudson River School at the New-York Historical Society
What can today’s artists learn from nineteenth century landscape painting? Grand Central Academy of Art founder Jacob Collins and his students can attest “plenty” after their visit to the New-York Historical Society. With eyes, ears, and sketch pads open, students took to our Hudson River School galleries with New-York Historical Society Vice President and Senior Art Historian Linda Ferber to uncover a better understanding of the Hudson River School and the artistic processes of icons including Thomas Cole and Asher B. Durand.
Native Homelands Along the Lewis and Clark Trail
From The Montana Experience: Stories from Big Sky Country
If your only view of the “discovery” of the American West is through the lens of the Lewis and Clark expedition, you’re missing out on many thousands of years of human history. Native Americans have a very different perspective on the Lewis and Clark expedition. In this film, Native Americans from several western tribes speak intimately about the history of North America, their own role in it, and how the Lewis and Clark expedition was not the “beginning” of the history of the American West.
Introduction
Our country is full of dazzling landscapes where you can play and learn. America’s public lands are a treasured part of our national heritage, representing its grandeur, bountiful promise, and vast natural resources. All citizens share in the rights and the responsibilities of seeing that our public lands are cared for and managed in a way that meets the current and future needs of the American people. Public lands belong to all of us — including you!
What Are Public Lands?
America’s Public Lands Explained
What’s the difference between a national park, national forest and national monument? What about national wildlife refuges, national historic sites or national conservation areas? Check out this link for an explanation.
Public Land
In the United States, governmental entities including cities, counties, states, and the federal government all manage land which are referred to as either public lands or the public domain. The majority of public lands in the U.S. are held in trust for the American people by the federal government and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, or Fish and Wildlife Service under the Department of the Interior, or by the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture. Other federal agencies that manage public lands include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Goal & Objectives
The goal of Great Outdoors LIVE: Yours to Explore is to raise awareness and understanding of the value of public lands to all Americans.
Learn about:
- what public lands are and their importance
- the history of public lands
- large and small ecosystems
- careers in natural resources
- connections to indigenous peoples
- balancing wildlife and human needs
- what you can do to get involved and conserve public lands
Glossary
View All Glossary-
Amtchat Edwards
Amtchat works in Conservation Education and has over 20 years of environmental education experience with grades K-12, their educators, and the public. He works to blend entertainment, education, and calls-to-action,...View Profile -
Kristie Salzmann
Kristie, who grew up in Wisconsin but now calls Wyoming home, loves being active and doing anything outdoors. She prepares press releases and responds to media and public inquiries associated...View Profile -
Melissa Hill
Melissa Hill is the Live Raptor Program Manager for the Draper Museum Raptor Experience at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Her passion is to help...View Profile -
Heather Basak
Originally from Texas, Heather Basak has moved around the country working for and enjoying America’s public lands. She has been working and living in Yellowstone National Park for the past...View Profile -
Cyndi Szymanski
Cyndi is passionate about connecting people with nature. She has done so for over 20 years in her personal and professional life. Currently Cyndi works with the US Forest Service’s...View Profile -
Shelly Witt
Hi – I’m Shelly Witt! I’ve worked for the U.S. Forest Service for more than 30 years and lived in Washington, D.C., Utah, and Washington (the state). I work with...View Profile -
Tyler Johnson
Howdy all, my name is Tyler Johnson and I am a botanist, which if you don’t know means that I am a scientist that works with plants. I have worked...View Profile -
Tammy Fletcher
Hello, I am Tammy Fletcher. I am a Wildlife Biologist and I have had a great 22-year career working for the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service. My...View Profile -
Kimberly Winter
Hi! I’m Dr. Kimberly Winter and I’m the NatureWatch National Program Manager for the U.S. Forest Service in Washington, D.C. I earned a Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology and Management and...View Profile -
Dennis Krusac
Dennis Krusac has worked for the USDA Forest Service as a wildlife biologist for 39 years, having worked in Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. He is currently a Regional...View Profile -
Annie Hermansen-Baez
Hello friends! My name is Annie Hermansen-Baez and I’ve worked with the Forest Service for over 20 years. I started with the Forest Service in Athens, GA but I have...View Profile -
Apple Snider
Greetings from Albuquerque, New Mexico! I’m Apple Snider. Can you guess how I got my unique name? I’m the education coordinator for the Southwestern Region of the USDA Forest Service—that...View Profile -
Annette Heckart
Hello from Alaska! I’m the program manager for interpretation and conservation education for the Alaska Region of the Forest Service. I’ve worked in the Alaska Region for 27 years! I...View Profile -
Emily Weidner
I’m an Ecosystem Planner at the U.S. Forest Service and help implement policies to make sure we have a plan to protect at-risk species on every national forest. I have...View Profile -
Kelsey Bean
Hello from South Dakota! I’ve worked for public lands for many years doing a variety of jobs — such as catching endangered black-footed ferrets in South Dakota to teaching visitors...View Profile -
Thea Garrett
I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico and I work for the USDA Forest Service as the Youth Engagement Specialist. A big part of my job is connecting youth with the...View Profile -
Dave Schmid
Greetings from the Great Land! I’m Dave Schmid and I’m the Regional Forester for the Alaska Region of the U.S. Forest Service. We steward the nation’s two largest national forests...View Profile -
Johanna Kovarik
Hello Everyone! I’ve worked for the Forest Service for over 15 years, and I just recently became a District Ranger on the Paulina Ranger District of the Ochoco National Forest...View Profile
Standards addressed in this Virtual Learning Adventure:
Next Generation Science Standards
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are a set of K-12 science education standards emphasizing inquiry-based learning, real-world applications, and integrating engineering practices, aiming to deepen understanding of science while promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills.- 2-LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and DynamicsEcosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
- 3-ESS3 Earth and Human ActivityEarth and Human Activity
Social Studies Standards
Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.- Culture
- People, Places, and Environments
- Power, Authority, and Governance
- Production, Distribution, and Consumption
- Science, Technology, and Society
- Time, Continuity, and Change
-
Into the Outdoors
Find science education resources that empower today’s classrooms to think critically about Planet Earth.
-
iTree Teaching Resources
From the USDA Forest Service
For grades 3 – 12, i-Tree is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the US Forest Service that provides urban forestry analysis and benefits assessment tools. -
An Educational Resource Guide for the “Every Kid in a Park” Program
This guide provides a list of many extraordinary curricula, lesson plans, guides, and programs relating to our public lands and waters. With this guide, children, families and educators can: prepare for a richer experience when they use their free Every Kid in a Park pass to visit national parks and lands; learn about national parks, forests, refuges and other areas; and develop a lasting knowledge of natural lands and ecosystems that will enhance their public lands experiences as adults.
-
Understanding Ecosystems
From Idaho STEM
For a two-week lesson in which fourth grade students will be able to explain in writing what an ecosystem is and to create an ecosystem diorama. -
What is Wilderness? – Definition, Problems & Preservation
From Study.com
The wilderness is the last untamed land found on earth. It remains undeveloped by man and serves as a refuge for wildlife. Learn about the wilderness, the law enacted to preserve it and the problems that wilderness areas face. -
Natural Inquirer Wilderness Articles
From the USDA Forest Service and the Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association
This is a list of articles relating to wilderness that have been published in Natural Inquirer journals. The Natural Inquirer program produces a variety of science education materials for PreK through grade 12. -
BLM Classroom Investigation Series
From the Bureau of Land Management
These materials address topics related to the programs and include Citizen Voice in Land Use Decisions, Solar Generated Electricity, Habitats and Wildlife, Native Plants, and Wilderness. -
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea
From PBS
The lessons on this site were developed to help teachers in the classroom use The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. Activities are appropriate for grades 7-10 but are easily adapted to different age ranges. Many of the lessons incorporate video clips from the film as well as additional resources found on this site. All the lessons address national teaching standards listed within each plan. -
Classroom Investigation Series: Wilderness
From the Bureau of Land Management
In this activity, students examine excerpts from an article titled “The Need for Wilderness Areas,” which is about the value of preserving wilderness. Students then compare the article to some of the language in the 1964 Wilderness Act. The article is by Howard Zahniser, who is also the act’s main author. -
The Wilderness and Land Ethic Curriculum
From the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center
The Wilderness and Land Ethic Curriculum is the product of many educators, Forest Service wilderness managers and interested organizations. The curriculum was pilot tested in Colorado, Minnesota, and Montana through teacher workshops and in rural, suburban and urban schools. The goal of this project is to develop an awareness of the wilderness resource and its significance to our culture and society. It is designed for use in urban classrooms without dependence on any “field experience” (although many are adaptable to a field setting).
Lesson Plans
Grades K - 12
Grades 4 - 7
Grades 6 - 8
Grades 6 - 12
Grades 9 - 12
Introduction
Our country is full of dazzling landscapes where you can play and learn. America’s public lands are a treasured part of our national heritage, representing its grandeur, bountiful promise, and vast natural resources. All citizens share in the rights and the responsibilities of seeing that our public lands are cared for and managed in a way that meets the current and future needs of the American people. Public lands belong to all of us — including you!
What Are Public Lands?
America’s Public Lands Explained
What’s the difference between a national park, national forest and national monument? What about national wildlife refuges, national historic sites or national conservation areas? Check out this link for an explanation.
Public Land
In the United States, governmental entities including cities, counties, states, and the federal government all manage land which are referred to as either public lands or the public domain. The majority of public lands in the U.S. are held in trust for the American people by the federal government and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, or Fish and Wildlife Service under the Department of the Interior, or by the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture. Other federal agencies that manage public lands include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Goal & Objectives
The goal of Great Outdoors LIVE: Yours to Explore is to raise awareness and understanding of the value of public lands to all Americans.
Learn about:
- what public lands are and their importance
- the history of public lands
- large and small ecosystems
- careers in natural resources
- connections to indigenous peoples
- balancing wildlife and human needs
- what you can do to get involved and conserve public lands
Related Resources from the Natural Inquirer
-
This monograph is one of two Wilderness 50 monographs. These two monographs were created to honor the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964. This act established the U.S....Wilderness 2.0 (Wilderness 50 Monograph Series) – Vol. 1 No. 10
This monograph is one of two Wilderness 50 monographs. These two monographs were created to honor the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964. This act established the U.S....
Get Involved
-
A Citizens’ Guide to National Forest Planning
From the USDA Forest Service.
In 2012, the USDA Forest Service adopted an innovative new rule to guide land management planning in the National Forest System. The 2012 Planning Rule was a significant advance in citizen-based land management planning intended to benefit communities and to protect national important landscapes and resources. This citizens’ guide helps the public effectively navigate and get involved in the planning process.
View PDF
-
Citizen Science
From the USDA Forest Service
Citizen science is sound science provided by you! Citizen science is when the public takes part in the scientific process, including forming research questions, collecting, analyzing, and making conclusions about data, or developing new technologies and applications. Anyone can be a citizen scientist; the best part about citizen science is that it can take place anywhere, whether it’s in our national forests and grasslands or your own backyard!
View Website
-
Discover the Forest: More to Explore
From the USDA Forest Service and Ad Council
Check out this web page for some great opportunities to get involved and help conserve our forests and grasslands!
View Website
-
Get to Know Program
The annual Get to Know Contest is an annual contest in which those under age 19 can submit their art, photos, writing, video, and music that has been inspired by nature. The motto of the Get to Know Program is “Connect. Create. Celebrate.” These words articulate their mission to foster connections to nature through the creative arts and to celebrate the fantastic work being done by youth in response to the environment and the need to understand and value nature.
View Website
-
iTree Teaching Resources
From the USDA Forest Service
For grades 3 – 12, i-Tree is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the US Forest Service that provides urban forestry analysis and benefits assessment tools.
View Website
-
National Public Lands Day
From the National Environmental Education Foundation
On National Public Lands Day (the last Saturday in September), outdoor enthusiasts turn out in droves to give back to and enjoy their favorite outdoor places. Every day, natural disasters and extreme weather, human activities, and a host of other factors take their toll on our public lands, threatening the health and wellbeing of the people and wildlife who depend on them. Public land managers, volunteers, and others who steward these special places work tirelessly to restore these areas, make them more resilient to future threats, and ensure that people and wildlife continue to enjoy them for years to come.
View Website
-
Master Naturalist Programs by State
From Ecosystem Gardener
Master Naturalists are trained to be stewards of our natural environment and to teach these skills to others. Almost every state in the United States has a Master Naturalist Program, often developed in conjunction with Universities and County Extension offices. These programs are similar to the Master Gardeners Programs around the country. Enrollees receive many hours of classroom and field instruction. Upon graduating from training, Master Naturalists are expected to complete a number of hours of volunteer service in their first year and 20 hours annually thereafter along with annual continuing education requirements.
View Website
-
USDA Forest Service: Volunteers
Volunteer activities with the USDA Forest Service can be tailored to your specific talents and interests or you can take advantage of opportunities to learn new skills.
- Help manage campgrounds
- Interact with the public at visitor centers
- Help run events and lead projects, like National Public Lands Day
- Participate in Citizen Science projects
- Build trails
- Inventory wildlife and plants
- Serve as fire lookouts
- And much more
View Website
-
Volunteer.gov – America’s Natural and Cultural Resources Volunteer Portal
Search this portal for volunteer positions and events benefitting our Nation’s resources.
View Website
-
Volunteer with Us
From the US National Park Service
The National Park Service offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups as part of the Volunteers-In-Parks program. Work behind the scenes or on the front line in positions ranging from a one-time service project/ volunteer event to a longer-term position, serving alongside park employees or with one of our many partner organizations. Opportunities are available at park locations throughout the United States.
View Website
-
Volunteers: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Imagine banding birds at a national wildlife refuge, raising fish at a national fish hatchery, conducting wildlife surveys, leading a tour, or restoring fragile habitat. With close to 42,000 volunteers contributing in excess of 1.5 million hours, our volunteers perform a wide variety of tasks. Some work full-time, some just a few hours a week or month, or during a particular season or special event.
View Website
Links About Public Lands
-
America’s Public Lands Explained
From the U.S. Department of the Interior
What’s the difference between a national park, national forest and national monument? What about national wildlife refuges, national historic sites or national conservation areas? We’re breaking down America’s public lands for you.
View Website
-
Discover the Forest
From the USDA Forest Service and Ad Council
Reconnect your family with nature. Go to this web site to find a forest or park near you. You can also try the Nature Next Door Challenge today.
View Website
-
Every Kid in the Park
From the U.S. Government
Fourth graders can get a pass for free access to hundreds of parks, lands, and waters for an entire year. Fourth grade teachers can print out passes for each of their students.
View Website
-
Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center
The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is an AZA accredited Not-for-Profit, wildlife park and educational facility. The Center offers every visitor to Yellowstone a chance to uniquely experience the world of grizzly bears and gray wolves.
View Website
-
Learning to Make Choices for the Future: Connecting Public Lands, Schools, and Communities through Place-based Learning and Civic Engagement
From the National Park Service
Place-based learning is an educational approach that uses all aspects of the local environment, including local cultural, historical, and sociopolitical situations and the natural and built environment, as the integrating context for learning.
View PDF
-
National Public Lands Day
On National Public Lands Day (the last Saturday in September), outdoor enthusiasts turn out in droves to give back to and enjoy their favorite outdoor places. Every day, natural disasters and extreme weather, human activities, and a host of other factors take their toll on our public lands, threatening the health and wellbeing of the people and wildlife who depend on them. Public land managers, volunteers, and others who steward these special places work tirelessly to restore these areas, make them more resilient to future threats, and ensure that people and wildlife continue to enjoy them for years to come.
View Website
-
North American Envirothon
The mission of the North American Envirothon is to develop knowledgeable skilled and dedicated citizens who have an understanding of natural resources and are willing and prepared to work towards achieving and maintaining a balance between the quality of life and the quality of the environment.
View Website
-
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
From USDA Forest Service
https://www.fs.usda.gov/midewin
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is located north of Wilmington, IL and is just one hour from Chicago. Midewin is undergoing a transformation as the U.S. Forest Service and several partners work to restore a native tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Read more about Midewin’s history, mission, and shared vision.
View Website
-
Naturewatch
From the USDA Forest Service
Find events, places, and resources to watch and share nature.
View Website
-
Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center
The Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center is dedicated to preserving the future of the wild horses of the Pryor Mountains in Lovell, Wyoming.
Website
-
Recreation.gov
Recreation.gov is your source for discovering and experiencing America’s federal recreation activities and outdoor adventures.
View Website
-
Shoshone National Forest
From the USDA Forest Service
The Shoshone National Forest offers superb scenery and endless recreational opportunities! The Shoshone National Forest was set aside in 1891 as part of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve, making the Shoshone the first national forest in the United States. It consists of some 2.4 million acres of varied terrain ranging from sagebrush flats to rugged mountains. The higher mountains are snow-clad most of the year. Immense areas of exposed rock are interspersed with meadows and forests. With Yellowstone National Park on its western border, the Shoshone encompasses the area from the Montana state line south to Lander, Wyoming, and includes portions of the Absaroka, Wind River, and Beartooth Mountains.
View Website
-
The Value of Public Lands
From Headwaters Economics
The web page includes dozens of reports about the value of public lands.
View Website
-
Wapiti Ranger Station
From Wikipedia
Wapiti Ranger Station is the oldest United States Forest Service ranger station in the United States. The station is located in Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming, and has been used continuously since it was built in 1903.
View Website
Links for Yellowstone National Park and great Yellowstone Ecosystem
-
Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Across more than 20 million acres, three states, and two national parks, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition works to defend the Wild Heart of North America.
View Website
-
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: National Park Service
From the National Park Service
Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872 primarily to protect geothermal areas that contain about half the world’s active geysers. At that time, the natural state of the park was largely taken for granted. As development throughout the West increased, the park’s 2.2 million acres of habitat became an important sanctuary for the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The abundance and distribution of these animal species depend on their interactions with each other and on the quality of their habitat, which in turn is the result of thousands of years of volcanic activity, forest fires, changes in climate, and more recent natural and human influences. Most of the park is above 7,500 feet (2,286 m) in elevation and underlain by volcanic bedrock. The terrain is covered with snow for much of the year and supports forests dominated by lodgepole pine and interspersed with alpine meadows. Sagebrush steppe and grasslands on the park’s lower-elevation northern range provide essential winter forage for elk, bison, and bighorn sheep.
View Website
-
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: The Trust for Public Land
From the Trust for Public Land
One of only two remaining intact ecosystems in the lower 48 states, The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is a vestige of wild America. Embracing approximately 18 million acres in and around Yellowstone National Park, the GYE includes some of our nation’s most cherished landscapes and diverse wildlife, including rare trumpeter swans, wolves, one of the last viable grizzly bear populations outside of Alaska, and the largest elk and free-roaming bison herds in North America.
View Website
-
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Wikipedia
From Wikipedia
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is one of the last remaining large, nearly intact ecosystems in the northern temperate zone of the Earth. It is located within the northern Rocky Mountains, in areas of northwestern Wyoming, southwestern Montana, and eastern Idaho, and is about 18 million acres. Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Caldera ‘hotspot’ are within it.
View Website
-
Insects of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
From Montana State University
This site is a photographic celebration of the diversity of insects and a few other arthropods of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE).
View Website
-
Otherworldly on Earth: Yellowstone National Park
From the National Park Foundation
When the first visitors to Yellowstone tried to report what they saw, news magazines responded, “Thank you, but we do not print fiction.” Peppered with colorful hot springs, mudpots, and breathtaking waterfalls, it is easy to understand how one might think it otherworldly. Nothing else on Earth is quite like Yellowstone – and there is something for everyone, from children to grandparents.
View Website
-
Wyoming Migration Initiative
The Wyoming Migration Initiative advanced the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of Wyoming’s migratory ungulates by conducting innovative research and sharing scientific information through public outreach.
View Website
-
Yellowstone National Park
From the National Park Service
Visit Yellowstone and experience the world’s first national park. Marvel at a volcano’s hidden power rising up in colorful hot springs, mudpots, and geysers. Explore mountains, forests, and lakes to watch wildlife and witness the drama of the natural world unfold. Discover the history that led to the conservation of our national treasures “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”
View Website
-
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is a joint Canada-U.S. not-for-profit organization that connects and protects habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon so people and nature can thrive. We are the only organization dedicated to securing the long-term ecological health of this entire region. Stretching some 2,000 miles in length (3,218 km), the Yellowstone to Yukon region is one of the last intact mountain ecosystems left on Earth. It is home to the full suite of wildlife species that existed when European explorers first arrived, and it is the source of clean, safe drinking water to 15 million North Americans.
View Website
Links About Early Artists
-
George Catlin
From Wikipedia
George Catlin (July 26, 1796 – December 23, 1872) was an American painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West. Travelling to the American West five times during the 1830s, Catlin was the first white man to depict Plains Indians in their native territory.
View Website
-
Thomas Moran
Thomas Moran’s vision of the Western landscape was critical to the creation of Yellowstone National Park. In 1871 Dr. Ferdinand Hayden, director of the United States Geological Survey, invited Moran, at the request of American financier Jay Cooke, to join Hayden and his expedition team into the unknown Yellowstone region. His sketches, along with photographs produced by survey member William Henry Jackson, captured the nation’s attention and helped inspire Congress to establish the Yellowstone region as the first national park in 1872. Moran’s paintings along with Jackson’s photographs revealed the scale and splendor of the beautiful Yellowstone region more than written or oral descriptions, persuading President Grant and the US Congress that Yellowstone was to be preserved.
View Website
A Citizens’ Guide to National Forest Planning
From the USDA Forest Service.
In 2012, the USDA Forest Service adopted an innovative new rule to guide land management planning in the National Forest System. The 2012 Planning Rule was a significant advance in citizen-based land management planning intended to benefit communities and to protect national important landscapes and resources. This citizens’ guide helps the public effectively navigate and get involved in the planning process.
Citizen Science
From the USDA Forest Service
Citizen science is sound science provided by you! Citizen science is when the public takes part in the scientific process, including forming research questions, collecting, analyzing, and making conclusions about data, or developing new technologies and applications. Anyone can be a citizen scientist; the best part about citizen science is that it can take place anywhere, whether it’s in our national forests and grasslands or your own backyard!
Discover the Forest: More to Explore
From the USDA Forest Service and Ad Council
Check out this web page for some great opportunities to get involved and help conserve our forests and grasslands!
Get to Know Program
The annual Get to Know Contest is an annual contest in which those under age 19 can submit their art, photos, writing, video, and music that has been inspired by nature. The motto of the Get to Know Program is “Connect. Create. Celebrate.” These words articulate their mission to foster connections to nature through the creative arts and to celebrate the fantastic work being done by youth in response to the environment and the need to understand and value nature.
iTree Teaching Resources
From the USDA Forest Service
For grades 3 – 12, i-Tree is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the US Forest Service that provides urban forestry analysis and benefits assessment tools.
National Public Lands Day
From the National Environmental Education Foundation
On National Public Lands Day (the last Saturday in September), outdoor enthusiasts turn out in droves to give back to and enjoy their favorite outdoor places. Every day, natural disasters and extreme weather, human activities, and a host of other factors take their toll on our public lands, threatening the health and wellbeing of the people and wildlife who depend on them. Public land managers, volunteers, and others who steward these special places work tirelessly to restore these areas, make them more resilient to future threats, and ensure that people and wildlife continue to enjoy them for years to come.
Master Naturalist Programs by State
From Ecosystem Gardener
Master Naturalists are trained to be stewards of our natural environment and to teach these skills to others. Almost every state in the United States has a Master Naturalist Program, often developed in conjunction with Universities and County Extension offices. These programs are similar to the Master Gardeners Programs around the country. Enrollees receive many hours of classroom and field instruction. Upon graduating from training, Master Naturalists are expected to complete a number of hours of volunteer service in their first year and 20 hours annually thereafter along with annual continuing education requirements.
USDA Forest Service: Volunteers
Volunteer activities with the USDA Forest Service can be tailored to your specific talents and interests or you can take advantage of opportunities to learn new skills.
- Help manage campgrounds
- Interact with the public at visitor centers
- Help run events and lead projects, like National Public Lands Day
- Participate in Citizen Science projects
- Build trails
- Inventory wildlife and plants
- Serve as fire lookouts
- And much more
Volunteer.gov – America’s Natural and Cultural Resources Volunteer Portal
Search this portal for volunteer positions and events benefitting our Nation’s resources.
Volunteer with Us
From the US National Park Service
The National Park Service offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups as part of the Volunteers-In-Parks program. Work behind the scenes or on the front line in positions ranging from a one-time service project/ volunteer event to a longer-term position, serving alongside park employees or with one of our many partner organizations. Opportunities are available at park locations throughout the United States.
Volunteers: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Imagine banding birds at a national wildlife refuge, raising fish at a national fish hatchery, conducting wildlife surveys, leading a tour, or restoring fragile habitat. With close to 42,000 volunteers contributing in excess of 1.5 million hours, our volunteers perform a wide variety of tasks. Some work full-time, some just a few hours a week or month, or during a particular season or special event.
-
America’s Public Lands Explained
View WebsiteFrom the U.S. Department of the Interior
What’s the difference between a national park, national forest and national monument? What about national wildlife refuges, national historic sites or national conservation areas? We’re breaking down America’s public lands for you. -
Discover the Forest
View WebsiteFrom the USDA Forest Service and Ad Council
Reconnect your family with nature. Go to this web site to find a forest or park near you. You can also try the Nature Next Door Challenge today. -
Every Kid in the Park
View WebsiteFrom the U.S. Government
Fourth graders can get a pass for free access to hundreds of parks, lands, and waters for an entire year. Fourth grade teachers can print out passes for each of their students. -
Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center
View WebsiteThe Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is an AZA accredited Not-for-Profit, wildlife park and educational facility. The Center offers every visitor to Yellowstone a chance to uniquely experience the world of grizzly bears and gray wolves.
-
Learning to Make Choices for the Future: Connecting Public Lands, Schools, and Communities through Place-based Learning and Civic Engagement
View PDFFrom the National Park Service
Place-based learning is an educational approach that uses all aspects of the local environment, including local cultural, historical, and sociopolitical situations and the natural and built environment, as the integrating context for learning. -
National Public Lands Day
View WebsiteOn National Public Lands Day (the last Saturday in September), outdoor enthusiasts turn out in droves to give back to and enjoy their favorite outdoor places. Every day, natural disasters and extreme weather, human activities, and a host of other factors take their toll on our public lands, threatening the health and wellbeing of the people and wildlife who depend on them. Public land managers, volunteers, and others who steward these special places work tirelessly to restore these areas, make them more resilient to future threats, and ensure that people and wildlife continue to enjoy them for years to come.
-
North American Envirothon
View WebsiteThe mission of the North American Envirothon is to develop knowledgeable skilled and dedicated citizens who have an understanding of natural resources and are willing and prepared to work towards achieving and maintaining a balance between the quality of life and the quality of the environment.
-
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
View WebsiteFrom USDA Forest Service
https://www.fs.usda.gov/midewin
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is located north of Wilmington, IL and is just one hour from Chicago. Midewin is undergoing a transformation as the U.S. Forest Service and several partners work to restore a native tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Read more about Midewin’s history, mission, and shared vision. -
Naturewatch
View WebsiteFrom the USDA Forest Service
Find events, places, and resources to watch and share nature. -
Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center
WebsiteThe Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center is dedicated to preserving the future of the wild horses of the Pryor Mountains in Lovell, Wyoming.
-
Recreation.gov
View WebsiteRecreation.gov is your source for discovering and experiencing America’s federal recreation activities and outdoor adventures.
-
Shoshone National Forest
View WebsiteFrom the USDA Forest Service
The Shoshone National Forest offers superb scenery and endless recreational opportunities! The Shoshone National Forest was set aside in 1891 as part of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve, making the Shoshone the first national forest in the United States. It consists of some 2.4 million acres of varied terrain ranging from sagebrush flats to rugged mountains. The higher mountains are snow-clad most of the year. Immense areas of exposed rock are interspersed with meadows and forests. With Yellowstone National Park on its western border, the Shoshone encompasses the area from the Montana state line south to Lander, Wyoming, and includes portions of the Absaroka, Wind River, and Beartooth Mountains. -
The Value of Public Lands
View WebsiteFrom Headwaters Economics
The web page includes dozens of reports about the value of public lands. -
Wapiti Ranger Station
View WebsiteFrom Wikipedia
Wapiti Ranger Station is the oldest United States Forest Service ranger station in the United States. The station is located in Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming, and has been used continuously since it was built in 1903.
Links for Yellowstone National Park and great Yellowstone Ecosystem
-
Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Across more than 20 million acres, three states, and two national parks, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition works to defend the Wild Heart of North America.
View Website
-
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: National Park Service
From the National Park Service
Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872 primarily to protect geothermal areas that contain about half the world’s active geysers. At that time, the natural state of the park was largely taken for granted. As development throughout the West increased, the park’s 2.2 million acres of habitat became an important sanctuary for the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The abundance and distribution of these animal species depend on their interactions with each other and on the quality of their habitat, which in turn is the result of thousands of years of volcanic activity, forest fires, changes in climate, and more recent natural and human influences. Most of the park is above 7,500 feet (2,286 m) in elevation and underlain by volcanic bedrock. The terrain is covered with snow for much of the year and supports forests dominated by lodgepole pine and interspersed with alpine meadows. Sagebrush steppe and grasslands on the park’s lower-elevation northern range provide essential winter forage for elk, bison, and bighorn sheep.
View Website
-
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: The Trust for Public Land
From the Trust for Public Land
One of only two remaining intact ecosystems in the lower 48 states, The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is a vestige of wild America. Embracing approximately 18 million acres in and around Yellowstone National Park, the GYE includes some of our nation’s most cherished landscapes and diverse wildlife, including rare trumpeter swans, wolves, one of the last viable grizzly bear populations outside of Alaska, and the largest elk and free-roaming bison herds in North America.
View Website
-
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Wikipedia
From Wikipedia
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is one of the last remaining large, nearly intact ecosystems in the northern temperate zone of the Earth. It is located within the northern Rocky Mountains, in areas of northwestern Wyoming, southwestern Montana, and eastern Idaho, and is about 18 million acres. Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Caldera ‘hotspot’ are within it.
View Website
-
Insects of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
From Montana State University
This site is a photographic celebration of the diversity of insects and a few other arthropods of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE).
View Website
-
Otherworldly on Earth: Yellowstone National Park
From the National Park Foundation
When the first visitors to Yellowstone tried to report what they saw, news magazines responded, “Thank you, but we do not print fiction.” Peppered with colorful hot springs, mudpots, and breathtaking waterfalls, it is easy to understand how one might think it otherworldly. Nothing else on Earth is quite like Yellowstone – and there is something for everyone, from children to grandparents.
View Website
-
Wyoming Migration Initiative
The Wyoming Migration Initiative advanced the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of Wyoming’s migratory ungulates by conducting innovative research and sharing scientific information through public outreach.
View Website
-
Yellowstone National Park
From the National Park Service
Visit Yellowstone and experience the world’s first national park. Marvel at a volcano’s hidden power rising up in colorful hot springs, mudpots, and geysers. Explore mountains, forests, and lakes to watch wildlife and witness the drama of the natural world unfold. Discover the history that led to the conservation of our national treasures “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”
View Website
-
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is a joint Canada-U.S. not-for-profit organization that connects and protects habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon so people and nature can thrive. We are the only organization dedicated to securing the long-term ecological health of this entire region. Stretching some 2,000 miles in length (3,218 km), the Yellowstone to Yukon region is one of the last intact mountain ecosystems left on Earth. It is home to the full suite of wildlife species that existed when European explorers first arrived, and it is the source of clean, safe drinking water to 15 million North Americans.
View Website
Links About Early Artists
-
George Catlin
From Wikipedia
George Catlin (July 26, 1796 – December 23, 1872) was an American painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West. Travelling to the American West five times during the 1830s, Catlin was the first white man to depict Plains Indians in their native territory.
View Website
-
Thomas Moran
Thomas Moran’s vision of the Western landscape was critical to the creation of Yellowstone National Park. In 1871 Dr. Ferdinand Hayden, director of the United States Geological Survey, invited Moran, at the request of American financier Jay Cooke, to join Hayden and his expedition team into the unknown Yellowstone region. His sketches, along with photographs produced by survey member William Henry Jackson, captured the nation’s attention and helped inspire Congress to establish the Yellowstone region as the first national park in 1872. Moran’s paintings along with Jackson’s photographs revealed the scale and splendor of the beautiful Yellowstone region more than written or oral descriptions, persuading President Grant and the US Congress that Yellowstone was to be preserved.
View Website
Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Across more than 20 million acres, three states, and two national parks, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition works to defend the Wild Heart of North America.
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: National Park Service
From the National Park Service
Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872 primarily to protect geothermal areas that contain about half the world’s active geysers. At that time, the natural state of the park was largely taken for granted. As development throughout the West increased, the park’s 2.2 million acres of habitat became an important sanctuary for the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The abundance and distribution of these animal species depend on their interactions with each other and on the quality of their habitat, which in turn is the result of thousands of years of volcanic activity, forest fires, changes in climate, and more recent natural and human influences. Most of the park is above 7,500 feet (2,286 m) in elevation and underlain by volcanic bedrock. The terrain is covered with snow for much of the year and supports forests dominated by lodgepole pine and interspersed with alpine meadows. Sagebrush steppe and grasslands on the park’s lower-elevation northern range provide essential winter forage for elk, bison, and bighorn sheep.
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: The Trust for Public Land
From the Trust for Public Land
One of only two remaining intact ecosystems in the lower 48 states, The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is a vestige of wild America. Embracing approximately 18 million acres in and around Yellowstone National Park, the GYE includes some of our nation’s most cherished landscapes and diverse wildlife, including rare trumpeter swans, wolves, one of the last viable grizzly bear populations outside of Alaska, and the largest elk and free-roaming bison herds in North America.
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Wikipedia
From Wikipedia
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is one of the last remaining large, nearly intact ecosystems in the northern temperate zone of the Earth. It is located within the northern Rocky Mountains, in areas of northwestern Wyoming, southwestern Montana, and eastern Idaho, and is about 18 million acres. Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Caldera ‘hotspot’ are within it.
Insects of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
From Montana State University
This site is a photographic celebration of the diversity of insects and a few other arthropods of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE).
Otherworldly on Earth: Yellowstone National Park
From the National Park Foundation
When the first visitors to Yellowstone tried to report what they saw, news magazines responded, “Thank you, but we do not print fiction.” Peppered with colorful hot springs, mudpots, and breathtaking waterfalls, it is easy to understand how one might think it otherworldly. Nothing else on Earth is quite like Yellowstone – and there is something for everyone, from children to grandparents.
Wyoming Migration Initiative
The Wyoming Migration Initiative advanced the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of Wyoming’s migratory ungulates by conducting innovative research and sharing scientific information through public outreach.
Yellowstone National Park
From the National Park Service
Visit Yellowstone and experience the world’s first national park. Marvel at a volcano’s hidden power rising up in colorful hot springs, mudpots, and geysers. Explore mountains, forests, and lakes to watch wildlife and witness the drama of the natural world unfold. Discover the history that led to the conservation of our national treasures “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is a joint Canada-U.S. not-for-profit organization that connects and protects habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon so people and nature can thrive. We are the only organization dedicated to securing the long-term ecological health of this entire region. Stretching some 2,000 miles in length (3,218 km), the Yellowstone to Yukon region is one of the last intact mountain ecosystems left on Earth. It is home to the full suite of wildlife species that existed when European explorers first arrived, and it is the source of clean, safe drinking water to 15 million North Americans.
-
George Catlin
View WebsiteFrom Wikipedia
George Catlin (July 26, 1796 – December 23, 1872) was an American painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West. Travelling to the American West five times during the 1830s, Catlin was the first white man to depict Plains Indians in their native territory. -
Thomas Moran
View WebsiteThomas Moran’s vision of the Western landscape was critical to the creation of Yellowstone National Park. In 1871 Dr. Ferdinand Hayden, director of the United States Geological Survey, invited Moran, at the request of American financier Jay Cooke, to join Hayden and his expedition team into the unknown Yellowstone region. His sketches, along with photographs produced by survey member William Henry Jackson, captured the nation’s attention and helped inspire Congress to establish the Yellowstone region as the first national park in 1872. Moran’s paintings along with Jackson’s photographs revealed the scale and splendor of the beautiful Yellowstone region more than written or oral descriptions, persuading President Grant and the US Congress that Yellowstone was to be preserved.
Sponsors
-
USDA Forest Service
Established in 1905, the Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Forest Service manages public lands in national forests and grasslands. Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the Forest Service, summed up the mission of the Forest Service "to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run." National forests and grasslands encompass 193 million acres of land, which is an area equivalent to the size of Texas.
Visit Partner -
National Park Service – Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the United States, is located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. The park is known for its wildlife and many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful geyser, one of its most popular features.
Visit Partner -
Wyoming PBS (KCWC-TV)
KCWC-TV/Wyoming PBS is a full-service, public television station licensed to Central Wyoming College, with studio and office facilities located at 2660 Peck Avenue, Riverton, Wyoming.
Visit Partner -
National Park Trust
National Park Trust (NPT), a land trust and environmental education nonprofit, is dedicated to preserving parks today and creating park stewards for tomorrow.
Visit Partner -
Buffalo Bill Center of the West
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is a complex of five museums and a research library featuring art and artifacts of the American West located in Cody, Wyoming.
Visit Partner -
Draper Natural History Museum
The Draper Natural History Museum, part of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, has garnered international acclaim for its immersive, informative, and inspiring exhibit experiences educating the public about the natural world of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. The Draper Natural History Museum is your premier scientific resource for Greater Yellowstone ecology and natural history.
Visit Partner
Partners
-
Prince William Network
Prince William Network (PWNet) is a part of Prince William County (Virginia) Public Schools and provides quality, distance-learning opportunities to students, educators, and communities across Virginia and the nation. PWNet is a leading provider of live, electronic field trips for students and has won numerous national awards. Electronic field trips bring the excitement of learning to remote places with the ability to converse with experts.
Visit Partner -
National Environmental Education Foundation
The National Environmental Education Act of 1990 established the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) as an independent non-profit organization complementary to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), extending its ability to foster environmental education for all ages and in all segments of the American public.
Visit Partner -
National Forest Foundation
The mission of the National Forest Foundation is to engage Americans in promoting the health and public enjoyment of our National Forests. Our National Forests and Grasslands are at the core of America’s natural riches, and yet, today these treasures are threatened by unprecedented challenges.
Visit Partner -
Yellowstone Forever
Yellowstone Forever is the park’s official education and fundraising nonprofit partner. Our combined operations include 11 educational Park Stores; the Yellowstone Forever Institute, offering in-depth educational programs for visitors of all ages; and a worldwide community of Yellowstone enthusiasts who have made a financial commitment to fund visitor education and park preservation.
Visit Partner -
Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is an AZA accredited Not-for-Profit, wildlife park and educational facility. The Center offers every visitor to Yellowstone a chance to uniquely experience the world of grizzly bears and gray wolves. All the animals at the Grizzly & Wolf Discover Center are unable to survive in the wild and serve as ambassadors for their wild counterparts.
Visit Partner -
Natural Inquirer
The Natural Inquirer program produces a variety of science education materials for PreK through grade 12. Natural Inquirer products are produced by the USDA Forest Service, the Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association (CFAIA), and other cooperators and partners.
Visit Partner -
Nature Watch
Check out the Nature Watch web site to: find places to watch nature; learn how to be safe in the wilderness; check out citizen science activities; link to web cams; and more. Nature watching can include gazing at animals from a viewing site, searching for spring wildflowers, observing the changing seasons, or immersing oneself in the clear waters of a national forest stream, among other activities. Engaging in nature watching activities leads to greater personal connection to the environment and the natural resources we all share.
Visit Partner -
FSNatureLIVE: Distance Learning Adventures
The USDA Forest Service, Prince William Network and partners bring nature learning to you through our series of webcasts, webinars, and online education resources. No matter where you are in the world, visit our LIVE programs for exciting, on-site learning about caves, grasslands, climate change, fresh water, bats, butterflies, wetlands, and more!
Visit Partner -
Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee
The Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) is a unique and special place. The 15 million acres of federal lands of the GYA are geographically contiguous, ecologically interdependent, and unalterably linked. They are managed by four federal agencies, the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management, each with differing missions and organizational structures. The Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee (GYCC) allows the federal land managers of the GYA to pursue opportunities for voluntary cooperation and coordination at the landscape scale.
Visit Partner -
KCTR Cat Country 102.9 FM
KCTR is a country music station serving the Billings, Montana area.
Visit Partner -
