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September eNewsletter Features
(Click hyperlinks below to be taken to a specific article)
Events this Fall -- We've planned some adventures...join us in the park!
News of the Century! -- Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell offers enthusiasm and thanks as we embark on our Inspiring Journey's campaign for Jenny Lake
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   Dear Friends,
As summer fades and the first signs of fall are appearing in the Tetons, we at the Foundation are busy preparing for the end of our fiscal year on September 30th. This year, thousands of friends have helped GTNPF carry out programs and projects in the park that touch millions of visitors.
If you have not yet supported our work with a gift to our annual fund this year, I encourage you to do so and help GTNPF achieve its goal of $875,000 by September 30th. Your support is vital to the Foundation's successful work in Grand Teton and ensures that high-quality projects will continue to be implemented in the park for years to come. Please make a gift today by visiting With gratitude and dedication,
Leslie Mattson
President Grand Teton National Park Foundation
 Photo by Lisa Erdberg |
WILDLIFE WHEREABOUTS
- Grizzly bear 399 is still believed to have the three cubs she emerged with this spring at her side. She appears to no longer be sporting any ear tags, so observations of her cannot be 100% confirmed.
- Grizzly bear 610, #399's seven-year-old daughter, has not been as visible this year but was seen recently in the park looking very healthy.
- Inter-agency Grizzly Bear Study Team scientists reported in August that 2013 was a poor year for production of whitebark pine cones--a food source for bears--in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Fortunately, this year's abundant supply of berries in Grand Teton is helping the area's bears fatten up for the fall.
- Establishment of non-native mountain goats in the park remains an important concern. In late August, a group of 11 goats was observed in the south fork of Cascade Canyon that included 4 nannies, 4 kids, and 3 yearling goats. Park managers are following this issue closely and hope to develop a mountain goat management plan in the near future
- In late August a park visitor observed a wolverine near Static Peak. Sightings of these elusive carnivores are extremely rare. The Teton Range is home to the southern-most breeding population of wolverines in North America.
- By September, the bison breeding period, or rut, has mostly ended, with rutting periods for elk, moose, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep to follow.
- This time of year the forests, meadows, and shrublands are quiet in the mornings as breeding birds abandon territories and begin migrations to distant wintering areas.
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Join us and other Foundation friends in the park this month and witness firsthand the value of your support. We can't wait to enjoy Grand Teton with you!
Ranger-led Fall Color Walk at Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve
Tuesday, September 17th, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Be sure to bring a camera on this afternoon adventure among the golden hues of Grand Teton's fall foliage. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore the LSR Preserve's picturesque Aspen Ridge trail at a leisurely pace with an interpretive ranger by your side. Participants will need to pack a lunch for this hike (5.8 miles; easy hike; 700 foot elevation gain). Space for this event is limited! Please register by Thursday, September 12th to laura@gtnpf.org or 307-732-8869. William Henry Jackson's Yellowstone: Through the Lens of Time Wednesday, September 25: 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM Join Jackson Hole photojournalist Brad Boner on his journey to find and re-photograph William Henry Jackson's images from the 1871 Hayden Survey, the first government-funded expedition to the region that is today Yellowstone National Park. Boner's contemporary images provide a remarkable platform for comparison and reveal how the landscape and iconic landmarks have remained relatively unchanged over the past 142 years. The presentation, which will take place at the Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center auditorium, will also include contemporary images of Jackson's first photographs of the Teton Range taken in 1872. Auditorium seating is limited to 150 and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For planning purposes, please let us know if you'll be joining us: laura@gtnpf.org or 307-732-8869. |
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GRANT FUNDING ADVANCES PARK INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
The Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grant program has awarded $50,000 to Grand Teton National Park Foundation in support of NPS Academy, a youth program based in Grand Teton that provides mentoring and national park internships to diverse college students.
Funded by Wells Fargo Foundation and administered by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the grant is part of a new Wells Fargo program aimed at awarding $15 million over the next five years to nonprofits focused on sustainable agriculture and forestry, land conservation and water resources, habitat and urban ecosystem restoration, green infrastructure, and environmental education.
NPS Academy is one of several Foundation-funded programs established as part of an effort to promote youth engagement in Grand Teton National Park and build the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts and wilderness stewards. The program, which was conceived in Grand Teton, introduces diverse college students to a range of career paths within the National Park Service through intensive mentorship, seminars, workshops, field trips, and recreational activities. After successful completion of the spring break program, qualified students are placed into 12-week summer internships in national parks across the country. The program entered its third season in summer 2013 and has also expanded to include spring break programming in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park.
GTNPF resource council member Jim Ryan, who is the former market president and head of business banking at Wells Fargo in Jackson, Wyoming, notes how strongly the program resonates with Wells Fargo's own vision and values. "The work NPS Academy is doing to promote diversity among park service employees and national park visitors is profound and effective. Wells Fargo is proud to support this quality youth engagement effort in Grand Teton."
Ten NPS Academy students worked in internships in Grand Teton National Park this summer, learning new skills and gaining a better understanding of the NPS through a wide vary of positions: visitor center interpretation; assistant to the volunteer coordinator; safety, risk management, and structural fire; public affairs; trails; and bioscience.
Thank you, Wells Fargo!
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On August 8, 2013, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell unveiled Inspiring Journeys, a $16 million public-private project that will transform Grand Teton's most famous destination, at a press conference in the park. The project is a collaboration between Grand Teton National Park and Grand Teton National Park Foundation that will celebrate the National Park Service's 100th anniversary in 2016 by creating a welcoming interpretive plaza and greatly improving trails, bridges, and key hiking destinations at Jenny Lake.
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Grand Teton Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott and GTNPF President Leslie Mattson look on as Secretary Jewell comments on the campaign
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Jenny Lake lies at the heart of Grand Teton National Park, and today this popular location serves as a must-see attraction for nearly 1.9 million people each year, a number that was inconceivable in the 1930s when the Civilian Conservation Corps built early trails. As a result, this area has become worn by many feet and the cumulative damage threatens fragile habitat and hinders people with limited abilities or outdoor experience from exploring all the area has to offer.
With the help of Foundation supporters, Inspiring Journeys will restore the area for the next century of visitors, enabling unforgettable experiences and expanding understanding of this singular place. As always with our projects, we hope to ultimately inspire people to protect and preserve our national parks for the enjoyment of future generations.
Want to know more about this exciting project?
Contact Leslie Mattson at 307-732-0629.
Photo by Bob Woodall, Focus Productions
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Fall Arts Festival to Benefit
Grand Teton National Park Foundation
The Jackson Hole Showcase of Homes is a two-day, self-guided fundraising tour to experience the craftsmanship and meet the artists behind some of Jackson's
most spectacular homes.
More than the ordinary walk-through, the Jackson Hole Showcase of Homes has a superb addition: face-to-face conversations with the finest professionals in architecture, construction, interior design, landscaping and electronic systems. They will reveal the art--and perhaps the magic--behind their achievements in some of the most exciting living spaces in the West.
All ticket proceeds benefit local charities chosen by the homeowners. GTNPF is delighted to have been selected as a beneficiary this year!
Friday, September 13th, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and
Saturday, September 14th, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Hosted by Homestead Magazine.
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location:
25 S. Willow, Suite 10, Jackson, WY 83001
mailing address: P.O. Box 249, Moose, WY 83012
tel: 307-732-0629 fax: 307-732-0639
e-mail: director@gtnpf.org
    
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