WILDLIFE & NATURAL RESOURCES INITIATIVE

Changing visitation, land use and development patterns, climate change, and invasive species all threaten to disrupt the sensitive ecological relationships that characterize Grand Teton today. Activities supported by this initiative will supplement the park’s finite operating resources and make significant strides toward ensuring the long-term ecological integrity of Grand Teton National Park, as well as its ability to adapt as needs evolve.

OUR PRIORITIES

RESEARCH

Research programs to address needs for new knowledge to better manage park resources with state-of-the-art technology.

CONSERVATION

Conservation anchored in the latest science and the park’s own research to implement boots-on-the-ground programs that restore and protect iconic wildlife and their habitats. 

EDUCATION

Education activities and volunteer programs to enhance park safety and resource-sensitive visitor discovery of all Grand Teton has to offer

Grand Teton National Park

WHY? A FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE OF WILDLIFE IN GRAND TETON

Grand Teton National Park anchors the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

One of the last remaining large and nearly intact northern temperate ecosystems on Earth. The park’s renowned wildlife persists because of a landscape that has changed relatively little in 10,000 years. Careful attention to stewardship has enabled Grand Teton to become a world-class destination to view iconic wildlife and a place of science and discovery.

Yet, a variety of pressures mean that the once self-sustaining landscape needs vigilance and active participation from those who value all that it represents. Changing visitor and land use, land development patterns, climate change, and invasive plants and animals all threaten to disrupt the sensitive ecological system that characterizes Grand Teton today.

A CALL TO ACTION AND STEWARDSHIP

Our Wildlife and Natural Resources Initiative supports the park’s highest priority research, conservation, and education program needs.

By investing in sustained action, we will advance impactful work, helping to ensure the vibrancy and relevance of Grand Teton’s wildlife as a central feature of the park experience for generations to come.

Protecting moments that matter—a first bear sighting, a chorus of wolves howling in the wind, or the spectacle of a hundred elk migrating along an ancient path in the morning mist—requires a solid program to conserve and protect park wildlife in the midst of modern pressures and challenges.

Grand Teton National Park

POSTS ON WILDLIFE & NATURAL RESOURCES

Adventure Journal: Safe Wildlife Viewing in Grand Teton

Spring in Grand Teton is a time when many species wake up from hibernating, migrate to their summer feeding grounds, and give birth to offspring. For us, it's also a great time to spot wildlife such as bears, moose, and ...

Bear Aware: Are You Prepared?

Grizzly bears began emerging from their dens in mid-March. Males are generally first, followed by females without cubs. Females with cubs of the year are usually last, typically not emerging until sometime in May. Now that bears are out and ...

Field Notes from Steve Cain: Wildlife Reproductive Strategies

Steve Cain is a retired wildlife biologist who spent his 25-year career researching and protecting the wild species of Grand Teton National Park. In his seasonal column, Field Notes, Steve shares his insight on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s incredible wildlife. ...
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