Private Donors Fund a Range of Projects in Grand Teton

JACKSON, WY—Grand Teton National Park Foundation, the primary fundraising partner for Grand Teton National Park, gifted nearly $1 million to the park in the past twelve months to fund projects and programming in Grand Teton.  Through private support, the Foundation enabled an extensive list of visitor service, education, and improvement projects and assisted the park in offering high-quality interpretation, recreation, and education to visitors in an era when federal budgets are strained.  The Foundation funded the work entirely through generous gifts from the organization’s national network of donors.

The projects spanned a wide range of enhancements and education that connect visitors to Grand Teton and improve resources:

• Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center auditorium.
• Www.DiscoverGrandTeton.org, a user-friendly website that promotes Grand Teton’s history, geology, and wild communities.
• A teen trail crew made up of 16 to 19-year-olds, a Latino outreach program for middle and high-school students, and leadership and internship programs for diverse high-school and college students.
• Seventy-one bear-resistant food storage boxes for park campsites.
• Critical funding for wildlife research that focuses on a wide variety of park species.
• An air quality monitoring station on the Kelly campus of Teton Science Schools that was a collaboration with Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, NPS, the Foundation, and Teton Sciences Schools.
• Water bottle refilling stations in eight locations in the park.
• Whitebark pine restoration.

“It’s been a terrific year and we are thrilled to fund work across many areas that are important to the park and to visitors,” Foundation President Leslie Mattson said.  “It was a great achievement to put the finishing touch on the visitor center and to know that the park’s expanded programming will reach millions of people.  I continue to be thankful for local as well as part-time residents who want to be involved in strengthening Grand Teton.  We couldn’t be successful without each and every donor who cares about the park.”

“We would be hard pressed to accomplish some of our critical projects and programs without generous support from partners like the Grand Teton National Park Foundation,” said Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott. “We’re grateful for the Foundation’s remarkable work and commitment on key initiatives such as wildlife and air quality research, youth programs, trail maintenance, and construction of the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. Together we’ll further Grand Teton’s core mission and protect park resources while providing valuable experiences and enjoyment for park visitors well into the future.”

About the Foundation

Established in 1997, Grand Teton National Park Foundation provides private financial support for special projects that enhance and protect Grand Teton National Park’s treasured cultural, historic, and natural resources.  Since its inception, the Foundation has raised more than $20 million for special projects that benefit Grand Teton and visitors.

About Grand Teton National Park

Located in northwestern Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park preserves a spectacular landscape rich with majestic mountains, pristine lakes and extraordinary wildlife. The park's world-renowned scenery attracts nearly four million visitors per year and offers an array of recreational activities for all ages and all abilities.

Video Release: New Series Highlights the Wonders of Grand Teton

NEW VIDEO SERIES HIGHLIGHTS GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK

Local videographer captures the visual wonders of Grand Teton 

Jackson, Wyoming – March 6, 2012 – Grand Teton National Park Foundation is pleased to announce the release of a new video featuring some of the year’s most spectacular footage of natural phenomena in Grand Teton National Park.   Day and Night in Grand Teton is the first of four videos in a new series, From Valley to Peak.  The films were recently completed by Jackson-based videographers Jesse Ryan and Ryan Christopher of New Thought Media on behalf of Grand Teton National Park Foundation and Grand Teton Association.

The project was commissioned in an effort to highlight the natural wonders of Grand Teton through a medium that is both contemporary and accessible.  The four minute videos showcase a selection of striking natural occurrences through artfully captured landscapes, time-lapses and insightful narration.  To view Day and Night in Grand Teton, visit www.gtnpf.org.  The three additional videos will be released on a monthly basis in April, May and June and can be viewed on our website. 

“Our effort to connect people to the park and to educate them about this amazing resource remains one of the most important components of our mission at the Foundation,” says Foundation president Leslie Mattson.  “Projects like this are a great way to spread the wonders of Grand Teton to national park lovers far and wide.”

The video series is one of the most recent Foundation-funded projects and echoes the organization’s overall mission to fund initiatives that go beyond what the National Park Service could accomplish on its own.  Since 1997, the organization has raised more than $20 million for education-based capital projects, work-and-learn programs that reconnect youth to nature, and wildlife research and protection.

GTNPF Welcomes New Board and Resource Council Members

LOCAL LEADERS AMONG RECENT ADDITIONS TO LEADERSHIP TEAM

AT GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

Fundraising group for Grand Teton National Park welcomes new Board and

Resource Council Members

Jackson, Wyoming – February 10, 2012 -- Grand Teton National Park Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of new members to its Board of Directors and Resource Council.  Nancy Donovan, Lisa Fleischman, Chris Hartley, Mark Newcomb, and Tom Saylak have joined the Foundation Board, and Andrea Bent and Ron Harrison are the newest members of the Resource Council.  The group brings significant and varied experience to the Foundation as it executes its mission to provide financial support for projects that enhance and protect Grand Teton’s treasured resources.

“We are delighted to welcome such a dynamic group to a leadership team that is arguably one of our strongest yet,” said Foundation President Leslie Mattson.  “Our board and resource council members maintain valuable communication channels between Grand Teton National Park and its local and national constituents, and we look forward to further growth under their guidance and support."

Many of the new members have strong ties to the Jackson community, including involvement with local organizations and businesses ranging from mountain climbing to the hospitality industry. 

Nancy Donovan is chairman of Oakmont Partners, LLC., a private investment firm.  She is on the board of Lee Enterprises and the Jackson Hole Community School. Nancy and her husband David have owned property in Jackson for over 18 years.

Lisa Fleischman has worked for nearly 30 years in philanthropy and in nonprofit management at the National Gallery of Art and as a fund-raising consultant to nonprofits across the globe.  With her husband, Chuck, and their children, Lisa divides her time between Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Teton Village, Wyoming.

Chris Hartley, originally from southeast Kansas, retired in 1999 and with her husband, Ross, made Teton Village, Wyoming, her full time home.  Before moving to the Valley, she was active as a critical nurse instructor and nurse consultant in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.  Here in Jackson, she also serves on Grand Teton Music Festival’s board of directors.

Mark Newcomb is a Jackson native and a part owner of Exum Mountain Guides. He worked extensively in Grand Teton National Park throughout his guiding and mountaineering career, ski guiding in Alaska and France and leading expeditions all over the world.  He has also worked in marketing at Marmot and recently completed a dual Masters in Economics and Finance at the University of Wyoming.

Tom Saylak is president and CEO of Teewinot Holdings, a private family investment office.  Tom spent 25 years in the commercial real estate business before retiring in 2006.  He and his wife, Laurie, have been visiting Jackson with their families since the 1960s and purchased their own home near Moose in 1998.  Tom is an avid golfer, sailor and fly fisherman.

Andrea Bent’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility began in the early 1990s while she was pursuing her undergraduate education in Political Science and her JD in Chicago.  Her career has encompassed law, finance and significant pro bono work.  Andrea moved to Jackson with her husband and daughter in 2004.  She teaches yoga part time at studios in Jackson and Wilson. 

Ron Harrison first visited Grand Teton as a child with his parents in the 1940s. In 1980 he acquired a small farm near Victor, Idaho, and built a second home for his family and moved to Jackson full time in 1990 to build and operate the Rusty Parrot Lodge.  He and his wife, Sandy, spend part of the year in the Hill Country of Texas just outside of Austin.

About Grand Teton National Park Foundation

Grand Teton National Park Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to fund projects that protect and enhance Grand Teton National Park’s treasured resources.  By funding initiatives that go beyond what the NPS could accomplish on its own, the Foundation initiates improvements, critical research, and projects that enhance visitors’ experiences, creating a solid future for Grand Teton.  Since 1997, the organization has raised more than $20 million for education-based capital projects, work-and-learn programs that connect youth to nature, and wildlife research and protection.

To learn more about Grand Teton National Park Foundation, visit www.gtnpf.org or follow the organization’s daily updates at www.twitter.com/GrandTetonFdn and www.facebook/gtnpf. 

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Message from Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott

As spring arrives with promise and rebirth, it’s the perfect time to contemplate this year’s fresh, new initiatives at Grand Teton.

Through a partnership with the Student Conservation Association and Teton Science Schools, plus matching private funds from the Foundation, we hosted our first NPS Academy to introduce college students to careers with the National Park Service. Twenty-nine students with diverse backgrounds spent spring break learning about the NPS and exploring the park; and from all indications, that single week changed their lives and those of our employees. The students connected to the incomparable landscape as they considered their future and their legacy: they formed meaningful relationships with each other and reinvigorated park staff. This pilot program turned into something greater than we’d imagined, and we intend to spread its vitality and success. The next step places students into summer internships at national parks across the country. Through the help of our partners, Grand Teton will influence present and future generations as it develops new land stewards and conservation advocates.

Another significant project involves the David T. Vernon Indian Art Collection. With help from the Foundation, we will better protect these artifacts that were gifted by Laurance Rockefeller and are unique within the NPS. Planning is underway for displaying and interpreting representative pieces while also preserving the collection through proper museum procedures. In 2005, half of the collection was sent to Tucson’s Western Archeological and Conservation Center for curatorial treatment; the other half will receive treatment this fall. Colter Bay Visitor Center will be rehabilitated and several pieces returned in 2012 to special exhibit cases in Colter Bay and Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. This project will conserve the collection and improve understanding of its inherent value as a part of America’s heritage.

The Discovery Center’s auditorium opened in mid-April and already it’s become an integral part of the visitor center experience: a cozy and inspiring spot. Foundation donors provided 100% of the funding for construction, completing the facility as it was originally intended and creating an impressive space to showcase educational presentations.

Through our dedicated workforce and dynamic partners, we are advancing truly innovative and beneficial initiatives. It’s an exciting time to join hands, hearts and minds to care for a precious landscape we all dearly love.

The Wolverine: Addressing Conservation Challenges for a Rare, Long-Distance Traveler

In the Rocky Mountain states, wolverines once ranged widely throughout Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Now, largely due to persecution by western settlers in the 19th and early 20th centuries, their range is constricted. The known breeding range of this second largest member of the weasel family (only sea otters are larger) no longer includes Colorado, and its southern boundary is in Grand Teton National Park.

Wolverines are short, compact, and powerful animals weighing 20-40 pounds, with males generally about a third larger than females. Like Canada lynx, their feet are large relative to body size, making them especially suited for snow travel. Like bears, their reproductive rate is low. Breeding commences at 4 years of age or older, occurs only every 2-3 years, and produces litter sizes of just over 1 cub on average. Like wolves, wolverines are highly territorial. Overlap of same-sex individual home ranges averages less than 1%. And like cougars, wolverines are independent and nonsocial for most of the year. But unlike other carnivores, wolverines naturally occur at super low densities. In the Yellowstone ecosystem, estimates suggest over 100 square miles of wildlands are needed to support one wolverine.

Long-term research in the Yellowstone region by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and others has revealed that just two breeding female and two breeding male wolverines occupy the entire Teton Range, where they prefer high elevation, rugged, and snowy terrain. They scavenge ungulate carcasses in winter, prey on marmots and other small mammals during summer, and den under the mid-winter snowpack in huge tree debris piles created by avalanches. Offspring accompany their mother for about a year before they disperse from the area.

Researchers also discovered that, owing to their low numbers on the landscape, dispersing wolverines must make large movements, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles in search of a mate and breeding territory and crossing low-elevation valleys between mountain ranges in the process. Recently, one radio-marked wolverine moved from just east of Grand Teton National Park to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. These traits point toward a daunting challenge for long-term wolverine conservation, one that will involve coordinating large-scale land management decisions among many competing entities. Indeed, the wolverine may be the perfect poster child for promoting future wildland connectivity in the Rocky Mountains.

Planning for wolverine protection will require knowledge of their distribution and population trends. In an exciting new project, park biologists are collaborating with WCS on testing a noninvasive approach for conducting wolverine inventories. The technique, originally developed in Alaska, involves attracting animals to hanging bait where remote cameras are positioned to photograph individually unique markings and reproductive attributes. This enables researchers to determine sex and reproductive status of individuals. Hairs for DNA sampling are also collected at the site. By locating these stations in a systematic grid across the landscape and creating libraries of individual markings, DNA profiles, and numbers of lactating females, we hope to accurately estimate wolverine numbers and whether or not breeding is occurring in a given region. We believe that developing this technique is a critical step for effective wolverine conservation.

Steve Cain
Senior Wildlife Biologist
Grand Teton National Park

Bob Inman
Director, Greater Yellowstone Wolverine Program
Wildlife Conservation Society

Message from President Leslie Mattson

Lately, I’ve been intrigued by good ideas that spread in a multitude of directions. The Foundation is an example of this—we were formed to build the visitor center but that one monumental undertaking branched into a wealth of projects and thousands of supporters.

When visitor center donors wanted to do more, funding was directed to wildlife research, allowing park biologists to significantly contribute to the knowledge building within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The information not only benefits this region, but it informs national decisions and helps other biologists who are facing similar challenges around the world.

Our donors also believed that pairing teens with the outdoors would be a worthy concept to support. Their gifts brought the first youth crew into the park to work on trails and learn about conservation in 2006. This project led to a flourishing multicultural program that is helping Grand Teton attract a young, diverse audience. Addressing diversity challenges sparked this spring’s NPS Academy, a career prep initiative that introduces college students to jobs at national parks. Mary Gibson Scott talks about this incredible effort in her column, but the exciting takeaway is that the academy is already poised to expand well beyond Grand Teton’s borders.

And, finally, one of the best developments this year is that we have been able to leverage your private sector dollars to help the park receive federal grants, which doubled funding for important youth and wildlife programs during a time of significant budget cuts.

Your gifts to the Foundation often reach farther than we ever expect. They bring your favorite programs to life, but they also lead to opportunities we never imagined and touch many people along the way. Thank you for supporting our work in the park; we can’t wait to see how it grows!

Tax Changes May Increase Charitable Gifts

After 2010’s estate tax uncertainties, 2011 and 2012 will provide people a two-year window in which they know what to expect. As a result, many people are thinking about estate planning and how they can maximize inheritance to loved ones and gifts to the nonprofits they wish to support:

•  People 70 ½ and older can give nonprofits up to $100, 000 tax-free from their individual retirement accounts 
• Low interest rates create a great environment for setting up certain charitable trusts 

Thinking about the future begins today. Talk with your financial advisor about creating a strategy that’s right for you and how the Foundation can play a role in your charitable estate plan. Visit www.gtnpf.org/horace.php for more information about the Horace Albright Society or contact Kim Mills at 307-732-4192.