Beaver dams slow water, create wetlands that store rain and snowmelt, recharge groundwater, filter out sediment, and provide critical habitat for Greater Yellowstone’s wildlife. In short, beaver activity makes landscapes more resilient to a changing climate—benefits Montana needs now more than ever. 

In the depths of winter, we offer recommendations to try while the snow is flying and others that we hope will inspire your summer schemes! Plan your own geocaching adventure anywhere in the ecosystem or a backcountry expedition in Grand Teton National Park, read a hopeful story about climate change, and let us introduce you to a couple of four-legged adventure buddies in this GYC Staff Picks Blog.

Water is a defining, dynamic, and driving force in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The ecosystem’s wild rivers are so significant to its identity that Greater Yellowstone is often called “the headwaters of the West.” But what does it really mean to be “the headwaters of the West?”

GYC’s staff, dispersed across the region, know this firsthand and are excited to share some of their favorite things in this new blog series, GYC Staff Picks.

In a huge show of support, advocates sent thousands of letters to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality demanding a healthy Gallatin River.