Yellowstone Country Guardians Field Journal

2010 YWLP Community Potluck

Proud group of YWLP graduates. Livingston, MT.

While there is no way to describe with words the visceral and powerful emotions shared, bonds forged, and commitment inspired throughout the course of our recent Youth Wilderness Leadership Program, our community potluck and graduation ceremony is our effort to help parents and supporters get a little taste of the magic.  Perhaps those in other parts of the country might have cancelled last night’s event with the winter storm warning in effect, but not us Yellowstone Country folks, we braved the cold temperatures and abundance of snow to celebrate the hard work, dedication, courage and love of an inspired team of young guardians. 

After filling our bellies with a nice mixture of fine Montana cooking, we launched into our 30 minutes slide-show which chronicled the three days and subsequent follow-up of our 2010 Youth Wilderness Leadership Program.  For the students and mentors this was a time to reflect upon a great chapter in our lives, and for the parents and community members it was a time to visually get a better understanding of what the participants have been raving about. 

Following the slide-show, students were given the opportunity to share what their experience with our program means to them three weeks later.  The testimony was powerful and moving to say the least.  To quote Mizz Eli, “This was one of the best experiences of my life.  It rests in my memory bank and is something I can take out and gain strength from during the challenging times and struggles.” 

It was clear that those who didn’t have the opportunity to experience the educational wilderness program firsthand, where moved and inspired by the heartfelt testimony of this year’s participants. Lastly, we re-visited our eight core values which were referenced so often in each testimony.   And then it was time to award each participant with their hard-earned graduation certificates.

Another successful YCG program is wrapping up with students getting out into the communities engaging fellow residents of this unique region in a discussion about our role as guardians of Yellowstone Country.  We are honored to have the opportunity to work with these tremendous young people who are truly the embodiment of Yellowstone Country Guardians…

~Michael Leach, Director 

Room full of YCGers on cold November Night.

YWLP particpants, family and community members enjoying slide-show.

Hallelujah Ricky!

Mo Betta! 2010 YWLP graduates Representin'

First YWLP 2010 Follow-Up

On a cold and blustery November Wednesday afternoon we picked up our students from Gardiner and journeyed north to Livingston for our first follow-up session to our recent Youth Wilderness Leadership Program.  While we have received deeply moving and inspiring testimony from students, teachers, city workers and parents regarding how our 2^nd annual Youth Wilderness Leadership Program impacted and inspired the participants, the follow-up work always says a lot about how much things are sticking.

I couldn’t have been more enthused by the turnout and enthusiasm that our participants shared.  These young people truly represent YCG, our hopes and our dreams for the future.  These are the young people who will help us transform community based stewardship work across our region.  These reunions are always special because some of the participants haven’t seen each other since our epic weekend in October and so it was with heightened anticipation for the students that we reconvened. 

We started off the meeting with an exercise in gratitude where students took 20 minutes to share their thoughts in the written form with our mentors and counselors.  Next we discussed how the People of Yellowstone Country Project (our youth driven listening project) was going, what where the highlights and the obstacles.  This led us into a discussion about New Orleans and the importance of place.  Our work is place based learning and we discussed the necessity and need for our communities to develop a deep sense of place in order to nurture and strengthen the health of our communities and our connection to the land that sustains us. 

This lively discussion led students and mentors to discuss how together we can inspire and add vitality to our communities.  That is really the purpose of our listening project, for these young people to get out and share their experience and to evoke a positive dialogue that will inspire a commitment to our region’s future from those who have the fate of Yellowstone Country in their hands.

Lastly, we reviewed our Core Values which were such an essential component to our recent program and something that we feel is critical as we move forward if we are to create the positive change that these young people wish to inspire…

~Michael Leach, Director and Founder

 
Ryan always get a little chuckle lisening to coach!

These young adults are eager to share their thoughts on how to add vitality to our communities.

Coach is preaching about our beloved Yellowstone Country.

The YWLP Crew!