Home • Montana • Yellowstone Wildlife

You will examine predator-prey interactions and discuss the realities of living with wildlife as we explore forests, ranches, and wilderness in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This program is an amazing opportunity to assist with authentic research and be an active collaborator in international conservation efforts in the the expansive wilderness of Montana.

The 9-day course includes instruction and activities on biology, terrestrial ecology, predator-prey interactions, journal writing, scientific method, camping, and art.

How to Apply

Send in an EPI application and $250 deposit. Applications can be downloaded by clicking on the Application icon to the right.

· Day 1: Arrive in Bozeman, Montana. You will be welcomed by your instructors. Enjoy the Big Sky views from town, then head south to Gardiner, the headquarters for our research work with the U.S. Forest Service. Tonight your instructors and Forest Service staff will introduce the research projects that we'll work on during the course.

· Days 2-5: Wildlife Monitoring with the USFS. You will join scientists on their research efforts in and around the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Each day we'll monitor transects and search for animal sign. At night, we'll be camping in tents under the stars of the Montana sky.

· Days 5-6: Explore Yellowstone. We spend the next day and a half in the world's first National Park. Wolf watching in the Lamar Valley is amazing! Herds of bison and elk graze in the wide-open valleys as raptors soar overhead. We'll visit some of the highlights of the park, and meet with National Park Service researchers.

· Days 7-8: Conservation-Based Ranching in the Madison Valley. For the next two days, we'll explore our new home, the 25,000-acre Sun Ranch in Montana's Madison Valley. The Sun Ranch needs our help to remove old barb-wire fencing that obstructs migrating elk, deer and pronghorn.  We will also apply the field techniques we learned with the Forest Service to this private land, and camp out near livestock to reinforce the wolves' natural avoidance of humans.

· Day 9: Morning Departure. We will have a course graduation party, then head out of the Madison Valley, back to Bozeman and home.

Course dates

June - August; contact us for the specific course date that best fits your schedule.

Age

This program is specifically designed for high school students who are seeking a learning experience outside of the classroom that is scientifically authentic, academically rigorous, and culturally appropriate.

Group Size

Our minimum group size is 10, maximum 16. Please contact us to discuss options if you have a smaller or larger group.

Accommodations

Each night of your course, you will be camping with 2-3 other students in each tent. EPI supplies all group camping gear (tents and kitchen). Typically, EPI participants and staff will be the only visitors at the camp during your stay. There is no running water or electricity at any of the camps, with the exception of the first and last nights of the course.

Tuition

Contact us for pricing.