Grand Teton National Park Foundation

WILDLIFE AND NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION: Climate change, invasive species, land use and development patterns, and changing visitation all threaten to disrupt the sensitive ecological relationships that characterize Grand Teton today. Projects supported by the Foundation's wildlife and natural resources initiative make significant strides toward ensuring the long-term ecological integrity of Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In 2023, the Foundation funded efforts focused on gray wolf ecology, ungulate monitoring, climate change impacts, sagebrush/grassland habitat restoration, bear-resistant food storage lockers, and more.

MORMON ROW PRESERVATION: In partnership with Grand Teton, the Foundation has undertaken a multi-year project to renew the Mormon Row Historic Districtthe parks most popular cultural destinationwith the goals of preserving remaining structures and providing visitors with meaningful opportunities to connect with park history. This effort is, for the first time, holistically addressing preservation needs in the district and improving the ways visitors learn about and experience the remarkable legacy of these buildingsbringing the history of this place to life. Work continued in 2023 and focused on the Roy Chambers Homestead, which will be adaptively reused for employee housing. The main house and bunkhouse were moved off of their original (and failing) foundations, new foundations were built, and the structures were moved back onto the new foundations to ensure they remain standing for years to come. In 2024, the park will continue work at this site and focus on the interior of the structures.

YOUTH ENGAGEMENTA priority for Grand Teton National Park is to engage future park stewards by providing an introduction to the outdoors, conservation, and careers through in-depth programs. Five impactful efforts funded through the Foundation's youth initiative introduce Grand Teton to a younger, more diverse audience and offer educational and employment opportunities that keep participants actively involved in the outdoors as they begin to make career decisions:Youth Conservation Program employs 16 to 19 year-olds on Grand Tetons trail crew, accomplishing much-needed work while participants learn about park resources and develop conservation ethics. Tribal Youth Engagement provides hands-on opportunities for regional Native American youth to connect with nature and cultural history through week and month-long programs in Grand Teton.Pura Vida introduces local Latinx youth and their family members to recreational opportunities available in their backyard national park through spring break and summer sessions. NPS Academy engages diverse college students from across the country in summer internships within the national park system to gain job skills and exposure to careers. Mountains to Main Street Urban Ambassador Program offers ongoing career development and mentoring to young professionals who launch park-focused programming in their home cities.