EGA S 2016 RETREAT FIELD TRIPS & EXCURSIONS

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1 OVERNIGHTS: PRE-RETREAT FIELD TRIPS Start: Saturday, September 24, 1:00 pm (estimated departure) / End: Sunday, September 25, 4:00 pm Both trips will depart from and return to Jackson Lake Lodge. A Window Into Our First National Park: An Overnight Visit to Yellowstone: This program will focus on wildlife observation, short hikes, natural history interpretation, and the best of Yellowstone National Parks. EcoTour Adventures takes clients off the beaten path to locations not normally found with individual exploration. Special Guest YNP Superintendent Dan Wenk will partner with EcoTour Adventures owner and lead guide Taylor Phillips to kick off the trip with a hike to an overlook of the Yellowstone Caldera and a conversation about crucial wildlife corridors. * Please note this trip has an 8:00 AM departure for Yellowstone National Park. Cost/Person: $400 includes park entry fee, meals, and lodging Capacity: 18 (*Minimum of 4 participants) Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food: Explore the sustainable farming movement in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem via visits to organic farms in Teton Valley, ID & Star Valley, WY, and a vertical greenhouse in downtown Jackson, WY. Focus will be on the slow food movement and what that means for the health of our bodies and the land. Slow Food in the Tetons Executive Director Scott Steen will guide you through the initiatives of the past decade. Cost/Person: $300 includes meals and lodging Capacity: 12 (*Minimum of 6 participants) SUNDAY PRE-RETREAT FIELD TRIPS: September 25, 10:00 AM 4:00 PM Departure from Jackson Lake Lodge; some trip times may vary National Public Lands Day "Day of Stewardship" Volunteer for Grand Teton National Park on National Public Lands Day, as part of their Centennial celebration. Possible tasks include trail maintenance and visitor outreach. Hosted by Blue Sky Funders Forum and Grand Teton National Park Cost/Person: Free and thank you for your service! Capacity: N/A 1

2 Wolf Watching and the Wildlife of the National Elk Refuge: An unforgettable opportunity to track and observe wolves and other wildlife in the breathtakingly beautiful National Elk Refuge. Spend one-half day viewing and learning about gray wolves in their natural habitat with Steve Kallin, National Elk Refuge Manager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A limited number of participants have been invited to join Steve and his staff during a seasonal tracking trip for these elusive animals, residents of the National Elk Refuge. In addition to tracking collared wolves with Refuge staff, participants are also likely to see (and hear!) herds of bugling elk with the possibility of sighting bison eagles, moose, and pronghorn antelope! Participants will learn about the ecology, history, and current issues of wildlife management from Refuge staff. Gray wolves were reintroduced into the Yellowstone area in 1995 and have since expanded across the region. While wolves were removed from the list of threatened and endangered species, allowing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to return management of wolves to the State of Wyoming under an approved management plan, the National Elk Refuge assumes responsibility for the management of wolves within its boundaries. Refuge staff have collared a number of resident wolves, the Pinnacle Peak pack. It is this pack that field trip participants will track and likely observe. From the data generated by the collars, biologists are able to monitor the size of the pack, document its distribution, record mortalities, measure the pack s reproductive success, and note breeding pair status. The information helps the Refuge's biologist study how the presence and movement of wolves may influence behavioral patterns in elk and other species. Join Steve Kallin, National Elk Refuge Manager, US Fish and Wildlife Service and David Houghton, President, National Wildlife Refuge Association on an unforgettable (early) morning trip. Sponsored by Wilburforce Foundation with National Wildlife Refuge Association. Cost/Person: $75 includes breakfast Capacity: 14 Note: Timing of trip TBD. Who's the Man with the Big Hat: Perspective from the Working Landscape The ten-gallon hat fits a surprising diversity of people. This field trip would feature two whose roots as ranchers and cowboys hail from generations of family on the land, but they defy easy stereotypes. They represent men and/or women from the east and west whose livelihoods depend on collaboratively and creatively investing in the conservation and biodiversity of their working landscapes. From a Florida rancher addressing agricultural sustainability and wildlife habitat, to a Wyoming ranch manager who 2

3 rides the range grappling with carnivores, coexistence and a changing landscape--both have a story about collaborative conservation at a large scale. They can sport a Stetson as well as Cliven Bundy, but their personal experience working with federal agencies and conservation-minded NGOs appropriately positions the militia insurgents at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge as extremist minorities in the ranching world. Through a conversation and tour at a local ranch (potentially Lockhart &/or Snake River Ranches), they will share their experience and lessons learned about how we can advance conservation partnerships, counter assumptions and stereotypes about the value of public lands and public land managers, and put people at the center of a working and biodiverse landscape. Sponsored by the Turner Foundation. Cost/Person: $75, includes lunch Capacity: 25 Raft the Snake River A 10-mile meandering float through Grand Teton National Park provides an experience of the best of the what the park has to offer. Cost/Person: $70 Capacity: 16 per raft, space is limited Hike the Rockefeller Preserve Join a Grand Teton National Park naturalist for a hike through the Rockefeller Preserver to Phelps Lake. Discuss the natural history of the park and how the Preserve finally became a part of the park, and visit the LEED certified Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center. Cost/Person: $25 Capacity: 20 recommended 3

4 TUESDAY EXCURSIONS: September 27, 2:30 6:00 PM Canoe or Kayak Exploration Explore Oxbow Bend and the upper Snake River by kayak or canoe, joined by a naturalist to explore the bird activity around the flatwater of the famous river. Cost/Person: $85 Capacity: 15 The Healing Power of Public Lands: Conversation and Fly Fishing Discover how fly fishing and other outdoor activities on public lands can be the link to healing for many veterans. Enjoy a lunch conversation then fish the pristine spring creeks of Jackson Hole. Roughly 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have post-traumatic stress disorder, which can lead to alcohol or drug abuse, domestic violence, or even suicide. This session would be a conversation with one or two veterans who have found personal healing and a conservationist calling on public lands and rivers, from the Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Out of their healing experiences with fly fishing, they have supported and created non-profits to work in tandem with their retail business, with a percentage of profits from sales going to the outdoor, water-based organization that brings youth and veterans together to the river and home to themselves and their communities as inspired ambassadors of nature. Sponsored by the Wilburforce Foundation. Cost/Person: $100, includes gear if necessary + $14 single day fishing license Capacity: 10 Horseback Riding in Grand Teton National Park 1-2 hour horseback rides leave directly from Jackson Lake Lodge, & provide a unique way to explore the trails of Grand Teton National Park. Cost/Person: $50 Capacity: 6 per ride, multiple rides can be booked based on interest 4

5 The Muries and Teton Science: The Foundation of Conservation is Applied Today Visit the historic buildings of the Murie Ranch and view the Murie Family Collection of original artwork, writings, photographs, books and other items documenting their remarkable history, followed by a short docent-guided hike on the Murie Ranch. Then travel to the Kelly Campus of the Teton Science Schools to learn how the Murie legacy is applied today to conservation education. More details will be forthcoming. Cost/Person: $60 Capacity: 25 See Jackson Hole: Focused Hikes Easy: Explore the Bear Paw Lake Burn - Take a naturalist stroll with an experienced biologist to discover the wonders of fire ecology in a recent burn in Grand Teton National Park. Expect to walk less than a mile over easy terrain. Cost/Person: $25 Capacity: 25 Moderate: Grand View Point Enjoy this beautiful hike with a local naturalist to explore a mixed coniferous forest and wetland habitat as you make your way to Grand View Point. Expect 6 miles round trip with an elevation gain of about 800 feet. The views are stunning! Leaves directly from Jackson Lake Lodge. Cost/Person: Free Capacity: 25 recommended Easy-Moderate: Grand View Point Enjoy this beautiful hike with Dr. Dorceta Taylor from University of Michigan and the 2016 Environmental Fellows to stretch your legs, connect and hear more about this program and other Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives within the environmental movement. Cost/Person: Free Capacity: Open 5

6 Strenuous: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort - Sweat it out on this strenuous hike to the top of the Bridger Gondola. On this one way 5 mile hike you will climb approximate 2,700 feet on a single track, starting at 6,300 feet above sea level and access roads as your Resort Naturalist educates you on the resort s revegetation practices and commitment to conservation. Take the short way down either via the Bridger Gondola or tandem paraglider (weather permitting)! *Please note that this is strenuous even for those in great shape Cost/Person: $25; or with tandem paraglide $375 Capacity: 20; paraglide 2-4 Spread Creek Mountain Bike Tour Follow the Spread Creek drainage through incredible mountain meadows and aspen groves, with prize winning Teton views. Terrain is moderate on a combination of dirt service roads and single track routes. Cost/Person: $65 Capacity: 10 Please note that space is limited and execution of trips is based on interest and registration. Should a trip be under-enrolled, we will contact you in advance with other options. Questions, please contact EGA Site Coordinator Virginia Symons at virginia@vibranteventsjh.com. 6