As part of a series of programs commemorating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and the 25th anniversary of wolves being reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park, the park’s senior wildlife biologist and others will host a series of talks online and in Lovell.

Every Tuesday morning this month, Yellowstone officials will host a live, wolf-focused broadcast through the park’s Facebook page; each broadcast begins at 11 a.m. They’re aimed at sharing a quarter-century of knowledge that researchers have gained “about the restoration of the ecological role of wolves in Yellowstone.”

“In November 1994 when I first arrived in Yellowstone, I remember looking around and wondering what this place would be like when wolves returned,” said Doug Smith, the park’s senior wildlife biologist. “Now, 25 years later, having chronicled much of the reintroduction, our team has learned that wolves make the park a different, better, and more natural ecosystem. We also know that much is still to be understood.”

Today (Tuesday), Smith will take to Facebook Live to recap the significant events that led to the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone. On March 10, Yellowstone Wildlife Biologist Dan Stahler and Wildlife Research Associate Kira Cassidy will highlight scientific discoveries learned over the last 25 years.

Then on March 17, Smith and retired wolf interpreter Rick McIntyre will tell stories from the field about how wolves have impacted the visitor experience. On March 24, Cassidy and Stahler will talk about the global impact of reintroduction and Smith will cap the series on March 31 by looking to the future and discussing the relationship between wolves and people.

Smith will also speak in Lovell on Thursday, March 19. His 6:30 p.m. program at the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area’s visitor center will have a blended approach, covering his research on wolves, elk and birds in Yellowstone; the importance of public lands; and working across transboundary habitats.

The wildlife that live in Yellowstone do not recognize park or agency habitat management boundaries, but only where their major food sources are located at different times of year. Smith has spent much of his career monitoring those movements and working with agencies and private landowners to conserve these transboundary habitats, program organizers say.

In partnership with Powell Valley Community Education (PVCE) — and through a grant from the Wyoming Humanities Council — a bus will be available to bring participants from Powell to Lovell for the March 19 program. The bus will leave from the Northwest College Yellowstone Building parking lot at 5:45 p.m. If interested in riding the bus, contact Leslie Bigham at 307-754-6469 to reserve a seat. 

Smith’s talk is part of a series organized by Bighorn Canyon officials to celebrate Earth Day; the series will conclude with an April 9 panel discussion on the importance of public lands. For additional information, contact Christy Fleming, chief of interpretation at Bighorn Canyon, at 307-548-5402.