WILD ROCKIES
January 2020 Newsletter
WHAT A YEAR

As we enter the new year, we're reflecting on our last field season, another group of amazing WRFI alumni, and a new wave of supporters in our ever-expanding WRFI family. We're also thinking ahead to another exciting round of field experiences on the horizon. Read on for highlights from our wrapped 2019 season, an outline of our available 2020 courses, upcoming events, and details for our first annual WRFI photo contest!
FIELD NOTES
Highlights from last year's courses

We kicked off the 2019 field season on the Colorado Plateau, with the subtle blooming of the desert in spring. We watched wolves in Yellowstone National Park, built new trails in the Canadian Rockies, chased after retreating ice fields in Glacier National Park, and experienced the onset of fall across the mountains and plains of Central Montana. We welcomed students from 21 colleges/universities to explore landscapes across the Rocky Mountain West. Along the way, we studied natural history, indigenous ecological knowledge, rural livelihoods, climate change, and more. Check out our students' reflections from the field on the WRFI Blog!
2020 COURSES
Spaces still available!

We are now accepting applications for all of our summer courses, including Cycle the Rockies , Conservation Across Boundaries , Restoration Ecology , and Environmental Ethics . We are also accepting applications for our fall semester courses, including Montana Afoot & Afloat and Colorado Plateau . Following are our field dates for the 2020 season:







EVENTS
Kettlehouse Pint Night!

If you happen to be in Western Montana on January 28, we hope you'll join us at the Kettlehouse Brewery Bonner Taproom (605 Cold Smoke Ave) sometime between 5:00 and 8:00 PM for a winter evening beverage. $1 from every pint sold will be donated to WRFI!
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Let us know what you're up to!

Since its inception in 1993, students have joined WRFI for educational adventures that ask them to think critically about the world they inhabit, and to become informed citizens capable of addressing complex social and environmental issues. Our students have gone on to do some impressive and inspiring work, and we look forward to highlighting alumni achievements in future newsletters. Alumni: if you haven't already, please take a moment to fill out our online alumni update form, and tell us where your trails have led you since your WRFI course!
FIRST ANNUAL WRFI
PHOTO CONTEST
Calling all WRFI instructors and alumni!

Landscapes, portraits, action shots--we want to see it all! Send us your favorite original photo from your time in the field, whether it's a recent digital shot or a vintage image from the early days of the Institute. The top 12 selections will be printed in large format and displayed in a Wild Rockies exhibit in Missoula during the spring of 2020. See our contest guidelines for details!
THANK YOU, and
HAPPY NEW YEAR
From Missoula, MT

We love what we do. We are immensely grateful to our WRFI network and community of supporters that continue to make this work possible. To all of you who donated to WRFI over the holiday season, and to all of you who support us in numerous other ways throughout the year, a heartfelt THANK YOU from all of us at WRFI Headquarters, located in the aboriginal homeland of the Seliš-Qlispé (Salish) people.

Love,
Maisie, Keri, Katie, and Mel