Yellowstone News: Yellowstone Institute

Yellowstone Institute teaches young and old about the park
- from Park County (Montana) Visitor's guide 2000

You can see Yellowstone National Park from the road, or you can really get to know more about the park - its wildlife, geology, flora and history - by taking one of the many courses offered through the Yellowstone Institute.

Want to know more about Yellowstone National Park's mammals? "Mammals Great and Small" offered in June is a great class to get out and see a range of wildlife, including a very good chance at spotting grizzlies.

Interested in who and what came before you? Pre-history and history courses are offered, such as "Yellowstone's Northern Roadside History" for the names and features of the park.
Or perhaps you want to go llama trekking through the park to look at high country wild- flowers or take an autumn canoe trip along the Lewis River.

And if you're curious about what causes all that bubbling and gurgling in the park, sign up for "Geysers, Mudpots and Hot Springs," These and many other stimulating classes, are offered by the Yellowstone Institute during all seasons of the year.

Founded in 1976 as a part of the Yellowstone Association, the Institute offers classes each year that examine many facets of Yellowstone in more depth and detail than one can learn by simply driving through the park.

The Yellowstone Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1933 to support educational, historical and scientific programs for the benefit of Yellowstone Park and its visitors.
The classes offered by the Institute are designed to educate people about Yellowstone and to give them a chance to learn more about the country's first national park.

Classes start in the spring and are offered through March.

The Institute will offer seven winter courses, running from January through February. The literature and the park, winter wildlife observation, animal survival in winter and a park trek on skis are among the course offerings.

The courses last from one to five days, and the average cost is about $60 per day, although costs vary widely based on content, length and the amount of equipment that must be provided.
The tuition fee generally does not include lodging, meals, books, course materials and transportation.

Through the years the Institute has found that the family-and youth-oriented classes are the most popular, so many of these classes are offered.

One of these courses is "Family Days in the Thermal Basins," scheduled for early August. Several classes for shutterbugs are offered, including wildlife photography and one class called "Autumn Photography in Yellowstone."

There has also been a growing demand for courses that examine Yellowstone as a place to tap into artistic creativity. One of these special interest courses is "Responding to the Elements-Writing."

The Yellowstone Institute also offers a wide variety of books, posters, educational games, videos and maps about Yellowstone.

For more information or a catalog with a complete listing of all the courses, write the Yellowstone Institute, Box 117, Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. 82190, or call (307) 344-2294.