Yellowstone Ecological Research Center

Yellowstone Ecological Research Center The Yellowstone Ecological Research Center (YERC) specializes in long-term, large-scale, collaborative ecological study, research, and education.

The Yellowstone Ecological Research Center is an independent, private, non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the role of science at the decision-making table. Our mission to empower communities and individuals with data-driven science and technology to activate land, water, and wildlife stewardship in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and beyond.

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In 1993, YERC designed and execut

ed the gold-standard foundational research that measured the impact of the wolf reintroduction on Yellowstone. In pursuit of these studies at the dawn of the internet, YERC adapted new uses of data and technology - in both the lab and the field - to model what was learned. To this day, YERC canid research is referenced far and wide and YERC experts join in on national conversations. YERC has continuously modernized these techniques to broaden our research to include watershed, landscape and wildlife modeling with visualization, and so pioneered the data fusion approaches that resulted in internet applications such as EAGLES, COASTER and ClimateScape. These novel web-based peer-reviewed prediction and visualization tools were useful to thousands of researchers, landowners and policy managers alike. YERC’s storied success is rooted in land steward collaborations. We work with private landowners and conservation professionals towards a collaborative common interest - atoms and animals don’t recognize borders, and stakeholders in their ecosystems have different needs. We have learned from our neighbors and educated thousands of students, MS and PhDs across 100 projects in the application of these principles. Many YERC graduates are now themselves research leaders. Following our Envision Yellowstone Summit in 2017, YERC deepened our investment to measure and predict local ecosystems through local data fusion, data-driven collaborative decision making, and community education. We call this Precision Ecology, and we build it on our principles of Science, Technology and Place. We pursue it through our three field programs, our fusion platform EPIIC, and now our proposed Field Center at the northern gateway of Yellowstone National Park. The value of our vision can be seen in our latest development - the SWAT+ total water budget model for the Yellowstone Headwaters Watershed - built on YERC’s approach to science. COP26 turned attention from global models to local ones, visualizing the impact of change in our neighborhoods and in our wild backyards. Join us in the mission to arm the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for the future, and enhance and demonstrate our Precision Ecology standards for the benefit of all.

Address

4135 Valley Commons Drive Suite D
Bozeman, MT
59718

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+1 406-556-1414

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Our Story

The Yellowstone Ecological Research Center is an independent, private, non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the role of science at the decision-making table. The idea of YERC was conceived in 1993, based on a bold vision of conducting research and education in the Greater Yellowstone region with a goal of increasing the role of science at the decision-making table. To accomplish this goal, YERC's founders recognized that we can best understand the nature of ecosystems through: examining whole landscapes, not just small portions of them; studying ecosystems in extended time frames, not in two- or three-year snapshots; and collaborating with other researchers in multi-disciplinary teams, rather than as disconnected units. We developed goals to act as an independent, private, non-profit organization that attracted researchers from the worlds of academia, government, and business to bridge fragmented disciplines, bureaucratic boundaries, and disparate approaches to science. We hoped to empower all ecosystem stakeholders with the facts and knowledge to make informed decisions about the sound stewardship of Yellowstone, one of the world's crown jewel ecosystems. Today, following those goals set out over ten years ago, we are conducting 27 long-term, ecosystem-wide, interdisciplinary research and education projects. These projects provide a sound basis for wise decision-making and the effective protection of our natural heritage for future generations. We are happy to state that our accomplishments are many and our commitment to our original ideals and goals remains unshakeable. During the last 11 years, with your support, we have raised a total of over $8 million to support our programs. We have had wide-ranging impacts on individuals, organizations, and agencies. We have also ventured out with a variety of educational ideas and programs; for example, nearly 600 individuals completed our Ecological Adventures Research Expeditions program. We have produced a plethora of publications, popular articles, and lectures and presentations. We have collaborated with 22 colleges and universities, 13 corporations, and 11 federal and state agencies.