Join the Wilderness Classroom's expedition to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a UNESCO World Heritage site, known for its unique geology (two-thirds of the world's geysers are within the ecosystem) and abundant wildlife. Students will interact as the expeditions journeys to the world's first national park to study geology, history, biology and even the fine arts. Explore raging rivers, rugged mountains, glacier lakes and valleys filled with herds of elk and bison. The expedition will encounter the fastest and largest mammals in North America, rare birds and ancient mud volcanoes. The Wilderness Classroom will visit this fantastic area in two different seasons to experience the bugling of elk in the fall and the deep snows of winter.

The exact dates for the Yellowstone Online Expeditions are still being finalized, but we are excited to bring the sights and sounds of the Yellowstone ecosystem during the 2008/2009 school year.

Beginning in early March 2009, our team of educators will don skis to traverse America’s first national park. Along the way we will see some of America’s most iconic symbols of wildness: the trusty steam blasts of Old Faithful, the large furry faces of bison, herds of elk and the subject of the journey, the gray wolf.

This course will study the winter ecology of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest intact ecosystem in the lower 48 states. With the reintroduction of the wolf from Canada in 1994, all the species that roamed here when Yellowstone National Park was created in 1872 have returned. In the ensuing years, the gray wolf has made an epic journey back from the brink of extinction in the northern Rockies. This past February the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the gray wolf in the northern Rockies from the endangered species list, a decision that is currently under litigation.

The wolves’ reintroduction has offered scientists the unique opportunity to study how a keystone species affects the health of an entire ecosystem. The primary focus of this course will be the predator-prey dynamic between wolves and elk and the impact that relationship has on other species, like willows, beavers and song birds. In addition to the wolf, the course will address a number of other topics. These include the winter behavior and survival strategies of other species in the ecosystem, geothermal features, snow science, the human connection to the ecosystem and the effects of exotic species like Lake Trout on the overall health of the ecosystem.

In the fall our team will criss cross the Yellowstone area to study the geology, history, biology and even the fine arts of the area. We will visit sections of the park during the fall and winter so that students can experience how the animals location and behaviors change through out the year.

We are developing a wide range of lessons and activities for elementary and middle school students. TheYellowstone Curriculum Outline provides an overview of the topics we will cover and the lessons we are developing for the Yellowstone Expeditions.

Last Updated: March 28, 2008