2011 Spring Newsletter

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Leading with new ideas
and approaches
to affect change
PO Box 399, Moose, Wyoming 83012 • 307.739.2246 • fax 307.739.0208 • [email protected] • www.muriecenter.org
Message from Mary Gibson Scott,
GTNP Superintendent
Teddy Roosevelt—one of
the great champions of our
American national park
system—once remarked,
“We have fallen heirs to
the most glorious heritage
a people ever received,
and each one must do his
part if we wish to show
that the nation is worthy
of its good fortune.”
As we step into the
second decade of this 21st century, it’s vital for us to
individually and collectively do our parts to demonstrate through our actions that we are indeed worthy
of the good fortune we enjoy as a country. We ought
to reflect upon the treasures that we hold within our
national parks and redouble our efforts to ensure
that these priceless places continue to touch visitors’
lives and inspire new generations of park advocates.
Through education, inspiration and imagination, we
can honor the conservation ideals forged in past centuries, preserve our remarkable heritage, and establish a framework to expand our American legacy.
We face some unprecedented challenges in
preserving our natural and cultural resources unimpaired as mandated by the 1916 National Park
Service Organic Act: changes in climate, budget constraints, and technological devices that interfere with
the genuine engagement and experience of the natural world. However, we possess incredible capacity
through our National Park Service workforce, our
partners, and our visitors to meet those challenges
and together assure a hopeful future: one that cultivates a new conservation ethic.
Without question, the Murie Ranch remains
one of our national treasures: a place that served as
the nexus between nature, the Muries, and a fledgling conservation movement. Their work on behalf
of wildlife and wild places revealed the importance
of collaboration between scientists and policy makers. As the Muries conveyed their passion for nature,
they inspired a cross-pollination of new ideas across
ideological, environmental, and political boundaries.
Along the way, they accomplished environmental
preservation and set a tone for further discourse and
action.
Through its 2011 schedule of events, The Murie
Center can further that conservation dialogue and advance the beneficial work begun by Olaus, Adolph,
Mardy, and Louise. The lives of the elder Muries and
their children serve as models for developing America’s new environmental movement: a movement energized through shared principles and aspirations.
In her often-quoted testimony before Congress
in 1977, voicing her support of the Alaska Lands Act,
Mardy famously said, “Beauty is a resource in and of
itself… I hope the United States of America is not so
rich that she can afford to let the wildernesses pass
by. Or so poor, she cannot afford to keep them.”
Message from the Co-Chairs
q
The Murie Center was founded in 1997 to interpret and act upon
the fundamental conservation message exemplified by the Muries’ life
work, which includes a legacy of remarkably successful campaigns to
preserve wildlife and wild places. As we embark upon our 14th year,
we continue to further the legacy of the Muries through activities and
programs designed to ensure that their work and thought remains vital
to 21st century conservation efforts.
Last summer, we initiated our first “Murie Kids Week,”a very successful program that brought 10 teenage girls from the south side of
Chicago to the Murie Ranch. Looking out the car window on her way
from the airport to the Ranch, one of the girls asked, “Are those trees
real?” This reminded us that we have a tremendous opportunity to
make the Murie legacy resonate with a Twitter generation that has yet
to find a connection to the natural world. How do we pull people out of
virtual reality and into the wilderness?
To answer this question, The Murie Center, in partnership with
Grand Teton National Park, continues the Muries’ campaign for wilderness and wildlife preservation by:
ZZ Educating: Offering residential and day programs designed
around the three Murie legacy themes of wilderness conservation,
scientific contributions, and inspirational/artistic endeavors. We
are also developing outreach programs for local children and disadvantaged youth.
ZZ Facilitating: Convening meetings of the brightest minds in conservation today. We will host several presentations made by worldclass scholars and professionals in the field. And we will maintain
the Murie Ranch to welcome Grand Teton National Park visitors and
to introduce those visitors to the Muries, their sustainable lifestyle
and their joyful co-habitation with all things wild.
Happily, we continue to be amazed at how widely and how fondly
the Muries are remembered by those who knew them and their work. Recently, we met historian Douglas Brinkley at the release of his new book,
The Quiet World: Saving Alaska’s Wilderness Kingdom. We invited him to the
Ranch to get acquainted with the Muries’ history. As he accepted the invitation, he opened his new book to chapter 12, entitled “Those Amazing
Muries.”
Mardy Murie once asked, “Will our society be wise enough to keep
some of ‘The Great Country’ empty of technology and full of life?” We,
at the Murie Center, are striving to respond with a resounding “YES!”
Pat Baker and David Churchill
M e s s a g e
f r o m
D i r e c t o r
S t e v e
D u e r r
Leaping Forward to Affect Change
q
We begin this third year of our five-year
partnership with Grand Teton National
Park with great momentum and a fresh
commitment to our mission: to engage
people to understand and commit to
the enduring value of conserving wildlife and wild places.
I was reminded of the importance
of this mission in January, when I heard
former President Jimmy Carter speak
about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as part of a three day
program celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Refuge at the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife’s National Conservation Training Center. The
President began his talk referencing his friendship with Mardy
Murie and closed by quoting Olaus Murie (view a video of that
speech on our web site).
The reverence for the Muries, which flowed through the
entire celebration, reinforces that telling their story and sharing
their message is an essential endeavor. With a refined program
focus in mind, this newsletter intends to answer the questions:
What does the Murie Center do? Why does the Murie Center
think it is important to do this work? What impact do we hope
to have through this work?
In 2011, we will inspire new ways of thinking about conservation. We will provide ecological education that encourages
systems thinking and related action. We will promote conservation ethics and values that will catalyze solutions to the 21st century challenges we face.
We intend to affect change in the conservation world by:
ZZ Engaging new conservationists
ZZ Advocating for large landscape
conservation and sustaining biodiversity
ZZ Inspiring conservation leadership in education and public policy
ZZ Facilitating deeper connections with wild places and encouraging exploration
ZZ Advancing scientific research
The photo of Dave was taken looking downstream on the C&O Canal in Washington,
DC. In 1954, Justice William O. Douglas challenged the editor of the Washington Post
to make a “thru-hike” of the 186 miles of the Canal to convince him it should be
preserved (it was proposed for conversion to a 4-lane parkway at the time). The nine
people who completed the hike with Douglas are known to history as “The Immortal
Nine.” One of them was Olaus Murie.
E x e c u t i v e
Furthering the Murie legacy is both an incredible opportunity and a significant responsibility. The Arctic Refuge 50th Anniversary celebration reminded us of their immense and lasting impact on the lives of people, the protection of wild places and the
survival of wildlife. The Murie Center strides forward with this
destination in mind. The following pages demonstrate how our
program initiatives will help us achieve these essential goals.
Our Mission
The Murie Center, in partnership with Grand Teton National Park,
engages people to understand and commit to the enduring value of conserving wildlife and wild places.
We affect change in the world of conservation through programming in three areas: conservation leadership, sciencebased conservation advocacy, and the inspirational qualities
of the Muries. We are stewards of the Murie Ranch, a National
Historic Landmark. We present the Murie story to the public
through docent programs and public outreach. We translate
the Murie legacy through programs and events, highlighting
relevance to 21st century challenges. We are grateful for your
help in making this work possible.
Photos: Top: Murie Center Executive Director Steve Duerr on Mount Rainier.
Bottom: A deer bounds across the grounds of the Murie Meadow. Wildlife are
frequent visitors to the Ranch.
E n g a g i n g
N e w
E n v i r o n m e n t a l
L e a d e r s
Activating Inactive Conservationists
In
q
order to ensure that wild places are preserved and humans and wildlife find a harmonious balance on the land they
share, we will need more conservationists from all walks of life.
One of our goals at The Murie Center is to reach out to these inactive conservationists who are waiting for the opportunity to contribute to an effort that has excluded them, or simply eluded them.
Murie Kids Weeks
One way of engaging new conservationists is to inspire
youth to embrace a sustainable way of life that values wildlife
and wild places.
Last summer, we hosted 10 girls from the Young Women’s
Leadership Charter School of Chicago for a week-long “expedition” in the wildness of the Murie Ranch and Grand Teton National Park. For many of the girls, it was the “wildest” experience of their lives. In 2011, we’re very pleased to welcome new
students from the same Chicago school to the Ranch. During the week,
we will mix outdoor adventure and exploration with ecology lessons
and share the fundamental lessons of the Murie legacy.
This year we also plan to host a group of boys from Intermediate
School 318, which is located in a low-income zone in Brooklyn, New
York. Most of these students have not been exposed to wilderness beyond the borough of Brooklyn.
There’s no doubt that our conservation future will depend on engagement from urban areas. We also know that young generations are
going to provide many of the solutions to our biggest challenges. One of
these girls could be the next Rachel Carson, or the next Wangari Maathai.
One of the boys might follow the path of the Murie brothers or design a
sustainable city. We’re proud to introduce these young people to a world
they may not have known existed, so that they may affect the world in a
way they didn’t know was possible.
Murie Conference on Land Conservation and the
Cycling Community
In March, The Murie Center will host meetings to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing both the conservation and cycling communities in their joint and separate efforts to protect wild lands. Sessions
focusing on conservation philosophy will be designed to build better
relationships among people who share many of the same goals while
striving toward a mutual understanding of the issues of concern.
The Wilderness Act is one of the most important conservation tools
used to protect public lands. However, it prohibits mechanized travel,
including bicycles, on federally designated Wilderness lands. Efforts
which focus on Wilderness designation have often alienated cycling advocates, even though those same advocates are deeply interested in protecting the land. Resolving this apparent conflict will be the focus of the
Murie Conference on Land Conservation and the Cycling Community.
The Murie Center sees this issue as an opportunity to encourage new ways of thinking about landscape conservation.
Women’s Fishing Day
Murie Center Staff and Jackson Hole Trout
Unlimited volunteers will teach local women
anglers all they need to know to explore trout
streams at the Women’s Fishing Day program again this summer. During classroom
discussion, staff and volunteers will discuss
gear, tackle, knots, ecology and entomology. In the afternoon, anglers will receive casting instruction before venturing to the Snake
River with volunteer guides.
Fly fishing, a quiet, human-powered activity requiring naturalist’s skills, is an avenue to establishing deep connections with
the natural world. How better to experience this wild country
than to wade knee-deep into a mountain stream, read the water,
identify the hatch, present a fly to a fish, and hold it for just a
moment before returning it to the water? And after such an experience, can you look at a stream bank, a mayfly, or a watershed
the same way again? We have learned that native trout are wildly
successful recruiters of new conservationists. In the words of one
2010 Women’s Fishing Day participant, “I had the time of my life!
What a day; what a spot; what a fine, noble pursuit; what incredible talent and teaching; how could you ask for more!!”
Photos Left, top: Dir. of Programs and Comm. Jon Mobeck helped host Chicago students last summer. Bottom left: Tatyana Harris and Habibe Mamuti
were awed by Cascade Canyon in GTNP. Bottom: A Snake River float trip was
part of the itinerary. Above: Women’s Fishing Day will be offered again in 2011.
Top right: The Muries were bold conservation leaders. Here, Mardy shakes
hands with President Carter at the signing of the Alaska Lands Act, July, 1980.
Translating the Murie Message
We will Lead!
We
q
speak reverently about
the grand scale and effectiveness of the 20th century
conservation movement, and
rightfully so given its wideranging impact. The Muries and
their contemporaries—especially
Aldo Leopold and Bob Marshall—successfully orchestrated
prodigious campaigns to protect
wildlife and wild places. But
how well have we implemented
the ecological principles that
informed their ground-breaking
advocacy? How well have we utilized those principles to develop
new approaches and solutions
to the conservation issues of the
21st century?
In his essay, “Round River,”
Leopold stated that “conservation is a state of harmony between men and land. By land is
meant all things on, over, or in
the earth.” Have we achieved
that harmony? What would the
world look like if we had?
The realization of Leopold’s
“harmony” is the idealistic vision that guides our work. To
take meaningful steps in that
direction, we’ll need to promote and develop revolutionary
ideas. We have plenty of inspiration. Just one example is Adolph
Murie—a radical thinker with
conviction. Adolph’s pioneering
work as a National Park Service
biologist changed our nation’s
perspective on wolves and grizzly bears. He challenged our
government to think differently
about ecology. His science was
sound and his voice was heard.
He initiated change.
Conservation innovation
in the 21st century is needed as
challenges intensify. The battle
to protect landscapes is still
waged—as it must be—while
the material demands of a rapidly growing population place
an enormous strain on the resources of our planet. We need
to modernize our conservation
efforts if we hope to find an ecological balance on a large scale,
without which we can’t approach social or economic sustainability.
We need improved relationships between humans and the
landscapes they inhabit, for the
good of the land and wildlife,
but also for our own survival.
This “harmony between men
and land” must include what
we build, grow, produce and
consume. To sustain this harmony, our systems and processes
should mimic those evolving in
nature, where nothing is wasted and our natural resources
are not taken for granted. With
hundreds of millions of people
being added to the planet every
decade, we can’t afford to waste
a thing.
At an informal strategy
dinner recently, Murie Center
board member Gene Tremblay
suggested that we didn’t need
to have all the answers, but we
needed to be asking the right
questions. In 2011, The Murie
Center will keep exploring this
concept of harmony with nature—the ultimate realization of
conservation. We will be a part
of the 21st century solution. We
will be leaders.
—The Murie Center
F a c i l i t a t i n g
E n a g e m e n t ,
E x p l o r a t i o n
o f
Wi l d
P l a c e s
It’s
human nature to love the
places and the wildlife we know. The
oceans and rivers we’ve watched glisten in the sunlight are those that beguile us. The forests, mountains and
valleys we’ve hiked are our friends
forever. The grizzly bear that gazed
into our eyes is the grizzly bear we
will recall when we fight to protect
their habitat. The more of this we see,
the more we will love.
Henry H. Holdsworth
Photography Workshops
The Muries understood a deeper
connection to wildness and wildlife by
viewing themselves as contributors to
a larger system. Henry H. Holdsworth
encourages this same holistic appreciation of a given landscape through
respectful observation and reflection.
The Murie Center is pleased to
welcome back Holdsworth for two
photography workshops this June
and October. Participants will enjoy
a long weekend stay at the Murie
Ranch while learning to photograph
the wildness and wildlife of the surrounding valley under the direction
of an accomplished photographer.
Holdsworth’s 20+ years of experience
photographing Jackson Hole’s wildlife
and scenery make him an ideal guide
and instructor.
June 15-18, 2011:
Teton Spring Awakening Nature Photography Workshop with
Henry H. Holdsworth
October 5-8, 2011:
Autumn in the Tetons
Photography Workshop with
Henry H. Holdsworth
Price: $1,395
Includes lodging in a Murie Ranch cabin for
3 nights, all meals and tuition.
Courses Engage, Explore Wild Places
Joan Hoffmann and Dwayne Harty Plein-Air Painting Workshop
Joan Hoffmann is a backcountry oil painter, conservation advocate and adventurer in the
American West. She is integrally connected to the land by teaching, painting and preserving
the wild places that she explores. During her 40 years of landscape painting, she has led many
retreats in wild landscapes such as the Murie Ranch.
Dwayne Harty, The Murie Center’s Artist-in-Residence and 2011 Fall Arts Festival Featured Artist, just completed a three-year project during which he followed in the footsteps
of North American wildlife master Carl Rungius. Harty traveled from Wyoming to northern
Canada doing field studies of wildlife and landscapes to bring attention to the importance of
preserving the Yellowstone to Yukon wildlife habitat corridor.
With Hoffmann and Harty instructing, participants will see and experience connections to
the natural world and learn to paint these connections. Our attitudes about landscapes develop
our broader cultural and environmental awareness. All of our public lands, from our National
Parks to our Wilderness Study Areas, need our attention. Art is not just about an end product.
People, art and nature cultivate healthy communities.
July 20-23: Hoffman/Harty Plein-Air Painting Workshop
Price: $895 Includes lodging for 3 nights in a Murie Ranch cabin, all meals and tuition.
R e g i s t e r a t w w w. m u r i e c e n t e r. o r g o r c a l l 3 0 7 - 7 3 9 - 2 2 4 6
Photos, opposite page
Top: Twin moose calves delighted
participants in Henry H. Holdsworth’s
2010 moose photography workshop. ©
Copyright photo Henry H. Holdsworth.
Center: Henry H. Holdsworth offers
instruction to a workshop participant.
Photos, this page
Top and center: Participants in Henry
H. Holdsworth’s 2010 fall photography
workshops were treated to appearances
of both moose and bear. © Copyright
photo Henry H. Holdsworth. Bottom:
Painters practice their plein-air skills
in a Murie Center workshop with Joan
Hoffmann.
A d v o c a t i n g
f o r
L a n d
C o n s e r v a t i o n
a n d
S u s t a i n a b l e
B i o d i v e r s i t y
Promoting Conservation Corridors
q
The Muries achieved much in their lifetimes, but foremost among their accomplishments were the establishment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the passage of
the Wilderness Act. The Muries knew how valuable intact ecosystems were to sustaining healthy and diverse populations of wildlife. Their holistic ecological philosophy
guides our work.
Yellowstone to Yukon Sustainable Communities Alliance
The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) applies Muriestyle ecological philosophy to an incredibly vast landscape of interconnected habitats—roughly following the spine of the Rocky Mountains
from the southern tip of the Wind River Range near Pinedale,
Wyoming, to the far northwestern corner of Canada.
Understanding the relationships between these biotic
zones—and discouraging the isolation of critical
habitats—is a fundamental component of educational efforts aimed at preserving and reconnecting this unique wildlife and wilderness corridor.
Grizzly bears, wolverines, bighorn sheep, moose and elk are just
a few of the large animals that depend on this connection. History
has shown that large breaks in
these corridors create island
habitats which inevitably
dissolve as the resources
fail to support the dependent species.
F ro m o u r base
in Jackson Hole,
The Murie Center
sits at the southern gateway to
the Yellowstone
to Yukon corridor. Our community shares
values and common interests with many other
communities along the corridor in the United
States and Canada. Consistent with the holistic
philosophy that underpins the greater ecological
conservation effort, The Murie Center intends to
engage a network of sustainable communities
which ensure long-term viability for the larger
Y2Y conservation strategy. The network might
begin with a sister partnership between Jackson,
Wyoming and Banff, Alberta with the shared goal
of establishing a baseline of measurable sustainability goals.
The Murie Center is well positioned to
orchestrate this effort; inspired by the Muries’
tremendous achievements in conservation public
policy and their unique ability to bring disparate
groups together for inclusive dialogue.
This critical wildlife corridor provides a
unique opportunity to devise a shared development strategy that becomes a model for the rest
of our continent, and perhaps the world. In
the realization of this vision—Aldo Leopold has
called it “harmony” and Olaus Murie an “interconnected web of life”—community leaders have
joined together to design environmental, economic and social public policy measures which
enable success in all areas on a larger scale.
We look forward to proposing the questions
that might facilitate systems-level conservation
public policy. We must work together to develop
the solutions. The viability of every living system
is jeopardized if we don’t take the first step and
start in our own community. A better understanding of the daily processes of a community—what
it gives and takes from the land—and how individuals contribute to the larger system, will enable us to design new ways of living respectfully
on this planet. The Murie Center will invite lead-
Photos Top: Lower Falls drops into The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Yellowstone National Park is a key component of the Y2Y corridor. Top inset:
Harvey Locke, one of the founders of Y2Y, discusses the initiative at a gathering
in Jackson Hole. Left: The Y2Y corridor stretches from Pinedale, Wyomng, to
Yukon Territory. Map generated by Big Sky Conservation Institute GIS.
ers from communities along the entire corridor
to Jackson Hole this fall for a conference that will
lay the groundwork for the shared conservation
journey. This is not intended to be a symbolic alliance; we aim to implement objectives that will
move our connected communities toward economic, social and environmental sustainability.
We have an incredible opportunity in front of us.
Yellowstone to Yukon:
the Journey of Wildlife and Art
Murie Center Artistin-Residence Dwayne
Har ty completed a
unique three-year conservation project this
spring, during which
he followed in the footsteps of North American wildlife master
painter Carl Rungius
to capture the essence
and importance of the
Yellowstone to Yukon
wildlife corridor. While exploring incredibly remote wild areas from Wyoming to northern Canada, Harty painted small plein-airs in the field
that would be expanded while working from his
Jackson Hole Art Association studio at the Jackson Center for The Arts.
The project, a collaboration between the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies and the Yellowstone
to Yukon Conservation Initiative, will culminate
in the exhibition “Yellowstone to Yukon: the
Journey of Wildlife and Art,” which opens in
May at the National Museum of Wildlife Art.
Harty’s work brings more attention to the
Y2Y corridor and encourages appreciators of his
world-class art to consider the value of preserving large landscapes, perhaps engaging them in
conservation efforts.
Educational Presentations
As part of our commitment to protecting critical large landscapes, we are
always in search of informed and entertaining speakers to connect people to
places they don’t know.
Taldi Walter, Assistant Director of Government Relations for the National Audubon Society, presented “From the Gulf to the Arctic: Energy Challenges and Opportunities” in January at a Murie Center-sponsored event that was
free to the public. Walter highlighted how our long- and short-term energy
choices will affect wildlife and sensitive habitats in places such as Alaska’s
North Slope.
As energy demand rises with a growing global population, we can be
sure that development pressure will continue to threaten wild lands across
the continent. Walter’s presentation helped us gain a better understanding of
these pressures in northern Alaska. As a result of her talk, dozens of people
know more about the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and all of the wildlife
supported by these areas. Future protection of Arctic Alaska will depend on a
growing legion of informed advocates.
Andrew Skurka, distinguished adventure athlete, speaker, guide and
writer will present “4,700 Miles Around Alaska and Yukon” on March 16 at
the National Museum of Wildlife Art. For six straight months Skurka skied,
trekked and packrafted 4,700 miles in a giant loop around Alaska and Canada’s Yukon. During the most remote stretch across the Yukon Arctic and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, he went 650 miles without crossing a road and
24 days without seeing another human.
In his presentation, Skurka shares this journey’s most important and
powerful stories, supplemented with stunning photos and entertaining video. He intends to describe and share the profoundly moving experience of
being alone in a vast wilderness.
The Muries’ desire to conserve wild places grew immensely when they
traveled over some of the same terrain during their 1956 Sheenjek Expedition.
We hope that Skurka’s presentation encourages people to value preserving
critical landscapes that provide introspective experiences that are so vital to the human condition. Those untrammeled lands
are also treasured refuges of biodiversity.
Photos Above: Taldi Walter, bird-watching in the Arctic. Immediate left: On March 16, Andrew Skurka will discuss his
travels in Alaska and the Arctic. Center left: TMC Artist-inResidence Dwayne Harty will exhibit his work this May.
A d v a n c i n g
S c i e n t i f i c
R e s e a r c h
Rocky Mountain Science and
Sustainability Network Academy
“Those who contemplate the beauty of
the earth find reserves of strength that
will endure as long as life lasts.”
—Rachel Carson
The Rocky Mountain Sustainability and
Science Network (RMSSN) is a National
Science Foundation (NSF) funded program
designed to help train the next generation of
diverse leaders who are prepared to address
issues related to sustainability and climate
change on a global scale.
The 2011 RMSSN Summer Academy
will be held from May 17-24 at the Murie
Ranch. The Academy is designed to provide
a one-week intensive training prior to entering internships or jobs on public lands
or summer research experiences related to
environmental science, climate change or
sustainability. Academy instructors include
university professors as well as leaders from
government agencies and non-profit organizations.
The Murie Center is proud to host this
gathering of future conservation leaders
focused on science-based solutions to 21 st
century challenges.
Murie Center Biologists and Thinkers-in-Residence: Filmmakers
Isaac and Bjornen Babcock spend honeymoon in Wilderness
River of No Return Subject of Ground-breaking Film
q
Isaac and Bjornen Babcock are editing a film which
takes an inspiring look at one of the wildest places in
the lower forty-eight states, The Frank Church—River
of No Return Wilderness Area in Central Idaho. The
River of No Return Wilderness contains a rare haven of
biodiversity. It is part of a contiguous wilderness complex encompassing nearly 5 million acres and defined
by inaccessible mountains. Chinook salmon still make
their spawning migration, nearly 900 miles from the Pacific Ocean, to this incredibly remote area. Thirty-five
wolves were reintroduced to this region in 1995. Today,
they are biologically recovered. Their recovery is one
of the final components in returning the biodiversity of
this wilderness to its historic balance.
Their film is a portrait and a journey; an exploration,
discovery and realization of American Wilderness. As
the principle that defines American culture—one of
unadulterated freedom—wilderness is the spirit that
drove Henry David Thoreau to Walden Pond, John
Muir into the High Sierras, and the Muries to Alaska.
Like Olaus and Mardy Murie, Isaac and Bjornen Babcock spent their honeymoon in wilderness, growing
closer to each other while following the rhythms of the
land and the movements of wildlife. Their story is rich
and relevant. As they edit the film this spring at The
Murie Ranch, we are sure they will find the inspiration
to create a transcendent work. Learn more about Issac
and Bjornen at www.muriecenter.org.
All photos © copyright Isaac and Bjornen Babcock. Above: A pack of curious wolves watch the filmmakers from a sage covered
hillside. Center, top to bottom: Bjornen Babcock catches up on field notes inside the couple’s tent, warmed by a small stove; An otter and
her pup are spied near the banks of the River of No Return in the Frank Church Wilderness; A salmon leaps upstream to clear a small
waterfalls en route to its spawning ground; Isaac leads their packstring, the Babcock’s mode of transport through the wilderness. Right: A
mounted telescopic lens, set into a netted blind, allows Isaac to film wildlife without disturbing them.
Scientific Research:
A Murie Tradition
Olaus and Adolph Murie were highly respected biologists – part of a prescient
group of naturalists who articulated the inextricable links between wildlife and
habitat as forefathers of modern ecology. Our knowledge of ecosystems and the
greater biosphere has grown considerably since the Muries’ shared their findings. The Murie Center will promote and coordinate scientific studies to spawn
new discoveries.
I n s p r i n g
C o n s e r v a t i o n
L e a d e r s h i p
Speakers, Workshops Inspire Leaders
q
The Murie Center has an opportunity—indeed
an obligation—to use its voice and its resources effectively as the
Muries did in countless forums, bringing bright minds together
with the biggest of ideas to make the world a better place.
Murie Global Speaker Series
The Murie Center and The Center of
Wonder are proud to partner on a new
speaker series that is designed to draw
in world-class scientific and philosophical pioneers as well as visionary architects, explorers, artists and storytellers
to provoke new ways of thinking about
our world. Speakers will be invited
because of their ability to awaken and
inspire our shared imaginations and
because of the far-reaching impacts of
their life’s work. The series is intended
to open doors to opportunities that will
improve society by sparking curiosity
and catalyzing action.
Speakers will explore the nexus
of scientific systems and philosophical
values which will, among other applications, help us design solutions to current
conservation challenges.
“I am still curious. And at this last
stage in my life I have been trying, for my
own satisfaction, to analyze what is happening on this beautiful water planet…What are
we doing right—what can we do about what we are doing wrong?”
—Mardy Murie, 1979
The mission of The Murie Center and the legacy of the
Muries support new ways of thinking about conservation. The
Center of Wonder supports the discovery of wonder through experiential programs in nature and the arts. Together in this collaboration, we are seeking innovative and imaginative ways of
looking at the world and merging the highest ideals in diverse
fields. In Jackson Hole, in the shadow of the iconic beauty of the
Tetons, we believe this dialogue appropriately respects the grandeur of our environment.
Place-Based Education Workshops
with Teton Science Schools
Public school teachers spend about 1,500 hours a year with
each student and are a very good bet at affecting the future. The
Teton Science Schools, The Murie Center and The George B. Storer Foundation are partnering to provide Place Based Education
workshops for Wyoming teachers.
Equipped with the tools to implement place-based education, participating teachers incorporate wildness into classrooms
through meaningful lessons with measurable results. Wyoming
students are heirs to a wild, resource-rich state but are often
separated from it by classroom walls,
electronics, or after-school activities.
Place-based education transforms wild
country from a venue for extra-curricular
activities to a living classroom. As a participating teacher said, “You can’t ask a
child to save something until they love it,
and they can’t love it until they know it.”
Wyoming students—future leaders
in resource management—will forever
regard their backyards as places to learn.
If there is a formula for a sustainable future, we bet that place-based education
multiplied by well-trained teachers is in
the equation.
Murie Front Porch
Speaker Series
Throughout 2011, The Murie Center
will invite conservation leaders to be a
part of the Murie Front Porch Speaker
Series, where they will be given the opportunity to present on shared conservation initiatives.
“This was the beginning of the American conservation movement,
and the Murie ranch became one of the focal points of the effort. People
like Bob Marshall, Aldo Leopold and Howard Zahniser were regular
guests, and brainstorming sessions on the Muries’ front porch often
would go on until late at night.”
—Charlie Craighead, 1998
This Front Porch series builds upon the 2010 gathering at
the Murie Ranch of conservation organizations operating in
the Greater Yellowstone Region. The Ranch became a place for
meaningful and collaborative conversations at the beginning
of the American conservation movement. We continue to promote these significant meetings today. Ongoing communication
is necessary for public education about current conservation issues, and The Murie Center will be an invigorating venue for
these discussions to take place.
Visit www.muriecenter.org for upcoming speaker series
announcements.
Photos: Inset top and opposite page: Oxbow Bend and a curious black bear that roamed the Murie Ranch the summer of 2010 are illustrative of the power of
place, a key concept taught in collaborative workshops with Murie Center partners. Both photos by Jon Mobeck. Inset bottom: An attentive crowd listens to a
Murie Front Porch speaker last summer.
C h a l l e n g e
G r a n t
M e t !
Sincere Thanks to Our Donors
q
The Murie Center is grateful to all those who invested in our work in 2010,
enabling us to exceed the $100,000 challenge issued by our board of directors.
Mardy’s Circle
Pat & Dan Baker
Barbara & David
Churchill
Community Fnd. of
Jackson Hole
Dragicevich Fnd.
Holmes Fnd.
Kendeda Fund
Beedee & Ted Ladd
Marge & Gil Ordway
George B. Storer Fnd.
Susan & Gene Tremblay
Murie Leaders
Marcia & Joe Albright
Emily & Jim Ambler
Anonymous
Ann & Jim Belk
Faye & Bill Campbell
Malinda & Yvon
Chouinard
Addie & Ted Donnan
The Donnelley Fnd.
Jenner & Block LLP
Karl M. Johnson Fnd., Inc.
Linda Dalch Jones &
Dan Jones
Gretchen Long
Manchester Capital
Management
Adrienne & John Mars
Terry & Bert Romberg
Veronica & Gary
Silberberg
Barbara & John Vogelstein
Celia & Rob Wallace
Sharon & Dan Zelenko
Murie Friends
Fraida & Bob Aland
Ann & Don Alsted
Carol & Clyde Aspevig
AT&T United Way
Employee Giving
Campaign
Jean & Ralph Baierlein
Joan & Huntley Baldwin
Barbara & Dick Barker
Cathy & Eric Barr
Bedford Revocable Trust
Kathleen Belk
Gainor & Joe Bennett
Carol & Charles Berney
Norma Bernstock
Christi Biolchini
Annie Bloom
Agnes Bourne
Mark Bradley
Gertrude Brennan
Donna & Johnnie Brewer
The Brooks Fnd.
Nancy Brown
Cheryl Brown
Laurie & Hugh Brown
Karel Buckley
Bonnie & Frank Burgess
Indy Burke
Erica Burns
HP Calhoun Family Fnd.
Robin & Phil Cameron
Ann & Vance Carruth
Nancy & Andrew Carson
Emily & Hugh Clements
Clifford Family Fnd.
Charitable Trust
Michael Code
Dieter Cohrs
Susan & Eric Cole
Harold Collins
Susanna ColloredoMansfield
Prior & Gerry Cooper
Genie Copp
Eugenie & Belton Copp
Jamie Cornelius
Laurie Cornelius
Judy & Bill Cox
Margaret Creel
Joan Crittenden
William Daily
Claudio D’Angelo
Alan & Ellen Daus Family
Memorial Endowment
Gale & Shelby Davis
Kit & Rob DesLauriers
Margaret & David
Dobkoski
Wilda Dockery
Phyllis & Ivar Dolph
Sarah & Raymond
Dominguez
Emy & Steve Duerr
Ellen Eberhardt
Sophie Echeverria
Syd & Gary Elliott
Barbara & George Erb
Lori & Christopher
Erickson
Roxanne & Tom Factor
Barbara Fairfield
Lynn & Dan Fazendin
Jean & Dick Ferguson
John Flicker
Deanne & Kenneth
Fortney
Scott Fossel
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Gerhard
Heide Gibson
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Stephen Griffith
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Louise & Donald Heyneman
Laura Hill
Sharon & Ben Hill
Karen & Richard Hobbins
Heather & Michael Hodes
Ann & Charles Horstman
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Brit Hoyt
Judith Hutchins
Brenda & Robert James
Lois Jensen
Alison & Dick Jones
Suzanne Jones
Chelcie Jonke
Jean & Pete Jorgensen
Teresa & Arne Jorgensen
Kim Kapalka
Mary Kaufmann
Sharon & Robert Kechely
Linda & Bob Keiter
Denise & Peter Kellogg
Joy & Duane Keown
John Kerr
Chelsea & Donn Kesselheim
Richard Kettler
Susan & Fred Kingwill
Carrie & Scott Kirkpatrick
Echo Klaproth
Mary Lou & Richard Klene
Lesley & William Knowles
Inger Koedt
Bob Krear
Susan Lancelotta
Elizabeth Land
Beverly Lane
Karen Langenberg
Gail & Gordon Larcom
Louise Lasley
Rene Laventure
Clarene & Creed Law
Mary Ellen Lee
Florence & Ron Lemle
Judy Lenoir
Nancy Leon
Tim Libassi
Pauline Lipari
Harvey Locke
Jane Love
Cara Lowe
Deborah & David
MacKenzie
Amanda & George
Mahoney
Donna Mahony
Beth & Bill Mankin
Linda Mars
Lee & Colleen Martin
Vance Martin
Eliza Mathieu
Faith & Mike May
Karen McBee
Thomas McClung
Karen McClure
Mike McCollister
Doyen McIntosh
Margaret McKeown
Nancy & Jim McLaughlin
King McNay
Sally & Bill Meadows
Leticia Mederos
Linda & Mike Merigliano
Don Meyer
John Miller
Pheobe Montagne
Judy & Matt Montagne
Devra & Richard
Morgenstern
Warren Murphy
Martha & Kurt Neumann
Fred Newton
Nancy & Tom Ninnemann
Eve & Luther Nolan
Carol Nordeen
Janet & David Offensend
Karen Olch
Elaina Oliver
Nora & Robert Olson
Susan & Peter Ordway
Patricia Owens
Ginger Pantano
Erika & Ned Pearsall
Angela & Kip Peterson
Leslie Petersen &
Hank Phibbs
Patricia & Mark Poletti
Liz Storer & Luther Propst
Bert Raynes
Anne & Ben Read
Abby & Gene Record
Margie & Fred Reimers
Debbie Reis
Kitty & John Resor
Story & Bill Resor
Sherry & Robert Righter
The Riverbend Fund
Lisa & Steve Robertson
Rita Robinson
Larrie & Rocky Rockwell
Maia Rose
Lisa Rullman
John Rutter
Ann & Steven Ryan
Kay & George Schaller
Becky & Tom Schell
Ann Seibert
Marcia & James Shannon
Dottie & Dick Sheahan
Flo Shepard
John Sherman
David Shipek
Lisa & Catlow Shipek
Sandy & Dick Shuptrine
Ellen Simmons
Rebecca Simon-Peter
Janet & Benj Sinclair
Linda & Mike Smith
Gibbs Smith
Suzanne Smith
Snake River Grill
Jean & Scott Spangler
Melissa Spencer
Carol & John Stansfield
Charlotta Eaton &
D. Curtis Starr
Allen Stokes
Becky & Roger Strout
Marie & David Suhre
Phyllis & Jon Sundstrom
Helen Swem
Katie & Backy Taylor
Carolann Terceira
Bobbi & Ken Thomasma
Joyce Tice
Michael Tongour
Mary Evelyn Tucker
Mary Kay & John Turner
Elaine & Curtis Tutterrow
Bill Uhlik
The Unfried Fnd.
Deborah Valori
Art Van Rensselaer
Jill Veber
Erika Vogel
Dorothy Wallace-Senft
Jim & Betty Walton
Sandy Warner
Mona Wasow
The Ernest Oberholtzer
Fnd.
Jonathan Waterman
Debra Waters
Harold Watson
Susan & Norm West
Katherine & Tony White
Nancy & John Wilbrecht
Sarah Wiley
Jenny Wilson
Chris & Kurt Wimberg
Mary Lu & Joe Winters
Charlotte Winton
Marcia Wolter Britton
Becky Woods
Sally Yocum
Joan & Phil Zaluska
Perspective
On a dark night in November the mechanized world
collided with the wilderness, literally. Fellow board
member Gene Tremblay and I were returning from
the Murie Ranch when several elk materialized in
the road. Although no elk were harmed thanks to
some wild swerving, the ensuing accident destroyed
the car and badly injured my hand. As terrifying as
the situation was, it could have been much worse
and there were positive aspects for which I will be
always grateful. I am so thankful for:
Z Gene Tremblay, who walked away from the
accident, banged up, but not broken.
Z The good Samaritans Gene was able to flag
down who lifted the car off my hand.
Z Grand Teton National Park emergency services
for whisking me off to the hospital.
Z St. Johns Hospital staff and doctors, Dr. Rafael
Williams and P.A. Rosie, for their wonderful
care.
Z The Murie Center family and friends for their
good wishes, visits and prayers. I cannot begin
to describe how much that support has meant
for my attitude and determination to heal.
Z My family, Dan, Alec, and Caroline and their
immediate response. And Dan’s infinite depths
of patience neither of us knew existed.
And finally, I am thankful that the greater
power—whatever you may call it—decided that
Gene and I are not finished with our journey; that
we have more to contribute to life in this realm.
For, after all, is that not our universal mission? To
leave this earth a slightly better place than it was
when we entered it?
—Pat Baker
Support Our Work
Over the past few years, The Murie Center has
come a long way thanks to the support of friends
like you. With your help in 2011, we will foster exploration of the connection to nature, involve new
voices for wilderness and land conservation, and
build passionate and informed advocates for wildlife and wild places. On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff and all of those influenced by The Murie
Center’s mission, we ask you to join us in carrying
forth the Muries’ legacy. Please consider becoming a
friend of the Murie Center today by completing the
form on the back page of this newsletter and returning it with your check or credit card information in
the enclosed envelope.
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Invest in Conservation
The Murie Center is pleased to recognize Addie (Murie Center Founding Chair)
and Ted Donnan for their essential contributions to conservation and for exemplifying the collaborative spirit and cordiality of the Muries. If you’d like your contribution to be made in their honor, please check the box below. Send them a special
message on the space on the enclosed remittance envelope in this newsletter.
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My gift is inspired by Addie and Ted Donnan
Invest online by visiting:
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D i r ec t ors
Board of Directors
Pat Baker, Co-Chair
David Churchill, Co-Chair
Rob Wallace, Vice Chair
Leeann Prichard, Treasurer
Phil Cameron, Secretary
Jim Ambler
Carter Crites
JuliAnne Forrest
Edward R. Gray
Dan Jones
Linda Dalch Jones
Denise Kellogg
Beedee Ladd
Gary Silberberg
Roger Strout
Gene Tremblay
Honorary
Louise Murie-MacLeod
Emeritus
Faye Campbell
Eugenie Copp
Addie Donnan, Founding Chair
Dick Jones
Gretchen Long
Fred Reimers
Staff
Steve Duerr, Executive Director
Kathleen Belk
Director of Development
Jon Mobeck, Director of Programs & Communications
Crista Valentino, Marketing
and Events Coordinator
Advisory
Charlie Craighead
Roger Kaye
Bernie Krause
Bob Krear
Tom Mangelsen
Luther Propst
George Schaller
Jonathan Waterman
Grand Teton National Park
Partner
Mary Gibson Scott,
Superintendent
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