WILD ROCKIES

August 2024 Newsletter

30th Anniversary Celebration Reflections

A Message From WRFI's Executive Director

WRFI's 30th celebration in Missoula was a huge success! And what an honor to reconnect with dozens of alumni, parents, former instructors, board members, and WRFI folks. This 30 year anniversary was WRFI's largest event in our history, with over 150 individuals in attendance at various moments throughout the weekend--including alumni who traveled from Japan, Colombia, New Orleans, Wisconsin, and many other locales! While each event this weekend was amazing in its own right, the highlight was easily hearing our 2024 Conservation Across Boundaries students speak about their incredible experience at our party on Sunday night. I have huge gratitudes to WRFI's staff team and volunteer board and committee members who put together this event, as well as for all who came to attend the festivities. WRFI's tradition of offering life-changing field courses focused on conservation with an integrated rigorous liberal-arts academic program is alive and well throughout the American Rockies today!

-Matt Baker-White

To see all the photos from our celebration, follow the link below.

WRFI Impact Stories

Fresh From the Field: Gracelynn O'Connell

Bridging Boundaries: Reflections on the Rocky Mountain Front

Conservation Across Boundaries student Gracelynn felt like she was living between two worlds while on course - one world was within the Blackfeet Nation, where many tribal members live in poverty, lack access to affordable nutritious food, and face injustices in the legal system. Meanwhile, nearby Glacier National Park was a world full of wealth, crowds of tourists, and flashy vacation homes. This contrast was hard for Gracelynn and her classmates to reconcile, which is why they so appreciated speaking directly with members of the Blackfeet Nation to hear about their experiences firsthand.

"I am grateful to have met many noble, intelligent, and kind Blackfeet individuals who work hard to preserve their culture, build community, and challenge systems of injustice."

Read her blog post, “Bridging Boundaries: Reflections on the Rocky Mountain Front” for the full story of the time our Conservation Across Boundaries students spent living between two worlds. Follow the link below!

Join One of our Newest Courses!

Sign-Ups Close Soon, Don't Delay

Have you always wanted to take a WRFI course? Do you wish you had heard about WRFI when you were in college? Did your kid take a course and you found yourself feeling totally jealous when seeing the photos and hearing the stories?

Then our new adult courses are for you!

We are excited to announce the addition of week-long adult courses to our offerings. These non-credit courses are designed for individuals seeking professional and personal growth, community-building, and adventure. Engage in immersive learning experiences in stunning natural settings, guided by expert instructors. Whether you’re looking to deepen your understanding of environmental issues, develop new skills, or connect with like-minded individuals, WRFI’s adult courses provide a unique opportunity for enriching and transformative experiences.

This year, choose from our courses Women on the Water and Fire Writing. Full course information can be found at the link below, including itineraries, course topics, what's included, and more!

Join us in this exciting new chapter for WRFI. We're here to answer any questions you have - just reach out to wrfi@wrfi.net.

The deadline sign up is September 2nd and we encourage you to apply as soon as possible!

Special Opportunity: The Confluence Program

Grant Applications Open from The Conservation Alliance

The goal of the Confluence Program is to intentionally connect to historically marginalized people for the protection of natural places. Each year, The Conservation Alliance awards four grants to groups led by Asian, Black, Brown, Hispanic, Indigenous, Latin American, or additional communities who identify as People of Color working to protect a natural place. Each grantee receives $100,000 over a two-year period ($50,000 per year) for their effort to protect, conserve, or restore land and/or water to foster a planet where natural places, wildlife, and people thrive together. Apply for this grant by 9/13!