The Greater Yellowstone Coalition works to protect the “wild heart of America.”
The majestic landscapes and unique creatures that call the Greater Yellowstone home face threats from habitat fragmentation, climate change, and conflicts inherent with coexistence. Protecting this place requires the collaboration of various stakeholders, from outdoor recreationists to ranchers, politicians to land owners. From influencing government policies to helping facilitate conservation easements, GYC plays an instrumental role in ensuring the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem stays great.
Below is a Q&A with GYC’s communication associate, London Bernier. She details what GYC does, why, and how. Thank you, London, for your heart-forward work, optimism, and dedication. We appreciate all you do!
Q: What issue(s) are you seeking to solve, and in what ways are you working to solve them?
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is an extraordinary natural and cultural landscape – encompassing over 22 million acres, it is one of the last nearly intact temperate ecosystems on earth. At the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, we’re working to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of this ecosystem.
In the last year, we launched dedicated Tribal and climate programs, so we are growing as well. We tackle a range of complex issues, including climate change, human-wildlife conflict, destructive mining, habitat loss and fragmentation, water quality and quantity, wildlife policies, and Tribal rights and interests. With such a broad ecosystem and scope of work, we stay busy!
Our communications team – of which I am a member – works alongside our conservation staff to support campaigns and projects with strategic communications and engaging storytelling. We seek out, craft, and tell stories that we hope will help people feel connected to and inspired by the remarkable landscapes, creatures, and waterways we’re trying to protect.
Some of our work requires the support of specific audiences – decision makers, legislators, communities – that have the power to make change. So part of what we do is figure out how to reach that audience and connect with them in a meaningful way.
Sometimes that looks like writing comments to federal agencies like the National Park Service or Forest Service, and it can also be writing op-eds or guest columns in local newspapers. We also have a podcast where we share stories from people around the ecosystem because we believe in elevating the diverse voices of folks who love and care about Greater Yellowstone.
Q: What do you find most challenging in your work?
One thing that can be a challenge is just the immensity of what this ecosystem is up against. From growing recreation and development encroaching into wild spaces, to politicians getting involved in wildlife management decisions, to all the impacts of a changing climate, and so much more, sometimes it can feel overwhelming and frankly, disheartening.
On top of that, even when you are as busy as you could possibly be, there’s always someone out there who doesn’t think you’re doing enough, or are doing the wrong things, or shouldn’t be engaging that particular stakeholder – you name it.
But then I go spend time in the ecosystem itself – backpacking or fishing or cross-country skiing – and I have heartfelt conversations with other people who care deeply about this place, and everything feels possible again. There is so much beauty here and so much love here that we just have to keep fighting for this remarkable place.
Q: What do you find most rewarding?
I find it deeply rewarding to work for an organization that, despite the immense and at times overwhelming feeling in the conservation world of “what can we actually do about this?!”, continues to forge ahead and put projects on the ground, contribute to good policies, and build genuine relationships with people across the ecosystem – just to name a few.
We take the overwhelming and make it actionable, bite-sized, and attainable. And we really listen. Compromise can feel like a dirty word sometimes, but when you work on a project that has actually earned the support of a wide variety of people with very different worldviews, you know it’s going to be long-lasting and the best chance of making a real difference. That feels pretty special.
Q: What do you wish people knew more about the issue(s) you seek to solve?
Collaboration is key to much of the work that we do across the ecosystem. That means we are often partnering with folks that we might not always see eye to eye with, but that doesn’t mean we don’t share similar goals.
For example, at the end of the day, and despite often very different approaches, many ranchers and conservationists ultimately want the same thing – healthy, wide-open landscapes that can support people and wildlife alike. GYC works hard to find common ground with partners across the board so we can create better solutions in areas like human-wildlife conflict prevention, habitat restoration, open space preservation, and more.
Q: How can people support your work?
One of the more concrete ways to support our work is to sign up for our emails so you can hear when issues we’re working on need support from the public. Support for our campaigns takes many forms, including taking action by writing comments for or against projects or policies. If one of the issues we work on is something you’re especially passionate about, we are always looking for folks to be spokespeople and speak up for what they believe in.
I also highly encourage everyone to get out and explore the wild corners of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and to do it in a way that is respectful and reverential. Developing connections to this landscape – appreciation for its rivers, respect for the wildlife, and relationships with the people that call this ecosystem home – builds love and care that lead us all to want to protect this place.
Q: How do you create joy and hope in your life during the ecological crisis?
I spend time immersed in the outdoors on solo adventures or with people that I care about. Some of my favorite and most rejuvenating days are solo days fishing the ecosystem’s blue ribbon trout streams. There’s something about losing track of time on the river that undoubtedly leaves me sunburnt, but with a sense of peace. Finding time to recharge your soul and remind yourself of all the wonderful things we are working to protect is so important in this line of work.