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The Wyldlife Fund is Hiring!

Operations Manager- The WYldlife Fund – Buffalo,WY/Remote Considered

The Operations Manager will help oversee daily operations and provide strategic and tactical leadership for The WYldlife Fund of Wyoming (Fund).

The Operations Manager will help assist the Fund, through donor relations, in reaching goals and objectives to connect citizens to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and habitat conservation in Wyoming. The Operations Manager will help manage ongoing programs and serve as the right hand to the President. The Operations Manager will consistently evaluate the landscape to find opportunities which will advance the mission and vision of the Fund and motivate audiences to support the Fund’s vision of conserving Wyoming’s fish and wildlife resources. Potential for professional growth to a higher level position as the Fund matures.

For more information please contact: chris@thewyldlifefund.org

Position Announcement – Wyldlife Fund Operations Manager (1)

Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow announces $20,000 grant

RIVERTON, Wyoming — The first grant from a new initiative created to support wildlife projects in the state was presented on November 16, 2021 during the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission meeting. Taylor Phillips handed a check for $20,000 to Alan Osterland, Chief of Fisheries for Wyoming Game and Fish, Cory Toye, the Wyoming Water and Habitat Program Director for Trout Unlimited, and Ken Roberts, Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioner District 3.

The money will be granted to Trout Unlimited to support a large-scale collaborative project to prevent future losses of native migratory cutthroat trout and other native fish by installing a fish screen on the Spread Creek irrigation system near Jackson, Wyoming. The work will also stabilize the diversion structure and river channel in the project area which had been damaged by flooding.

“We are thrilled to present the first grant from Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow to this important fish passage project which will help native population of Snake River cutthroat trout,” said Taylor Phillips, founder of Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow, owner of Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures and a board member for The WYldlife Fund. “We are incredibly grateful for the businesses and individuals who have supported Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow in these early days of the program. We see great opportunity to further engage the billion-dollar tourism industry and, in turn, get more done for Wyoming’s wildlife.”

Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow is an initiative underneath the umbrella of The WYldlife Fund, a partner nonprofit to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department focused on directing money to advance wildlife projects across the state.

“Bettering connectivity and quality aquatic habitat for Snake River cutthroat trout is important for Wyoming’s healthy native fish populations,” said Wyoming Game and Fish Department director Brian Nesvik. “In supporting businesses who are part of Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow, you are contributing to the conservation of wildlife, and making a difference.”

Trout Unlimited uses funds from many sources to complete projects. The $20,000 contribution raised by Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow helps make possible the current work on Phase 2 of the Spread Creek Fish Passage Project. Partners on the project include Grand Teton National Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and Trout Unlimited. Altogether, there are more than 20 partners involved in the multi-year project.

“We are honored that the Spread Creek Fish Passage Project will be the first project to be funded by Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow. Wildlife tourism and the fishing industry are vital components of the local tourism economy in the Jackson area, and while this project primarily benefits Snake River cutthroat trout and other native fish, healthy watersheds and riparian areas also benefit wildlife species,” said Leslie Steen, Northwest Wyoming Program Manager for Trout Unlimited. “Many times, when I have gone out to visit the Spread Creek project site, I’ve seen wildlife tour trips in the area, and it is really neat to think that those same businesses are now giving back to native fish. We are grateful to all the businesses and individuals that generously made contributions to support this collaborative, multi-agency project, and to Taylor Phillips and The WYldlife Fund for their leadership in this effort.”

courtesy of WGFD

Wildlife Friendly Fencing-Red Rim Grizzly WHMA

Inspire a Kid Grant!

Thanks to the Wyoming Sportsman’s Group a $10,000 grant is headed to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to support Inspire a Kid!

Raising up the next generation of conservationists is important to The WYldlife Fund and WSG!

The WYldlife Fund cares about inspiring the next generation of conservationists and so does the Wyoming Sportsman’s Group (WSG)! All thanks to WSG, we were able to present $10,000 to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission this week specifically for the Inspire a Kid program. Inspire a Kid, championed by Director Brian Nesvik, seeks to inspire Wyoming’s kids through the majesty of our wildlife and wild places. The great outdoors teach us incredibly valuable lessons, and Inspire a Kid seeks to pass those lessons down to Wyoming’s youth.

These grant dollars from WSG will be used to help purchase pronghorn educational boxes and educational tracking collars.

The pronghorn educational boxes will be loaned out on a long-term basis to schools and museums across Wyoming, to teach children about this wonderful Wyoming critter. The boxes will hold multiple interactive pieces that will teach children about pronghorn. Before this grant, boxes like this were often requested by teachers but none were available for long term use. This grant will help solve this challenge and provide an additional resource for our incredible teachers across Wyoming.

The educational tracking collars will be used in classrooms across Wyoming by biologists to teach children about the importance of migration research. These tracking collars are designed specifically for in classroom use, and can even be hid in order to allow students the opportunity to use the same technology which is used by biologists in the field to track down the hidden collar! This mimics actions used in the field by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to track down collared wildlife for research purposes. This hands on learning experience won’t soon be forgotten by the children who experience it.

Thank you to the Wyoming Sportsman’s Group for making this grant possible!

First Annual Golf For Wildlife – A Success!

Thanks to the hard work of our good friends at Muley Fanatic Foundation, passionate golfers and outstanding sponsors the first annual Golf For Wildlife Outing on July 31,2021 was deemed a smashing success. Each and every year we plan on partnering with our good friends at Muley Fanatic Foundation to raise funds for a critical wildlife project in Wyoming. This year, we raised funds for the important I-25 Kaycee to Buffalo Wildlife Crossing Project.

This stretch of roadway is the second deadliest in the entire state for wildlife, mainly mule deer! This cost effective project will include building 17 miles of exclusionary fencing on each side of the interstate to funnel wildlife to existing agriculture underpasses. The project is now under design by the Wyoming Department of Transportation and we hope that this project is under construction by next spring. Keep an eye out for this development!

The wildlife of Wyoming help support thousands of jobs and small businesses. It is also a very important part of our heritage and traditions. Golf For Wildlife has clearly shown what can be done to help our wildlife when we come together with passion and purpose. We are happy to report that Golf For Wildlife raised $7,028.78 all of which will be headed to the I-25 project. We will also route this money through the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust for a 1:1 match which will mean over $14,000 will be headed to the project thanks to your generous gifts!

We value your partnership and belief in these efforts. Thank you for believing in Wyoming’s wildlife.

Stay tuned for info regarding the 2022 Golf For Wildlife Outing!

Best Regards,

Chris McBarnes
President
The WYldlife Fund

Outdoor Fund provides transformational grant

The WYldlife Fund Announces $125,000 Grant for Kaycee-Buffalo Wildlife Crossing Project. We thanks our friends at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s for believing in Wyoming’s wildlife!

Grant from Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund will help protect wildlife on the move and make safe crossings possible

Thanks to a generous grant from Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund another $125,000 is going to the I-25 Kaycee to Buffalo wildlife crossing project. Across Wyoming, thousands of animals die from roadway collisions annually, including deer, pronghorn, elk, moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goats. This cost-effective transportation project will protect wildlife and allow for safe crossings between summer and winter range habitat.

In announcing this grant, The WYldlife Fund Chairman Mark Wilson expressed the Fund’s commitment to supporting Wyoming’s wildlife and roadway safety.

“We thank Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s for their generous investment. We’re grateful for the support from these businesses that know that crossings are an effective way to make a positive and direct impact on wildlife across Wyoming as well as keeping drivers safe. The cost-effective approach of this project will help our state’s wildlife and serve as a model for other projects like it throughout the West,” Wilson said.

The stretch of road on I-25 Kaycee to Buffalo from mileposts 253-271 has the second-highest collisions rate with deer on a Wyoming interstate and limits the safe movement of mule deer seeking additional habitat. This shovel-ready project will utilize exclusionary fencing to funnel wildlife to six existing crossing structures, such as underpasses, bridges and culverts. This project will also add deer ramps, gates, and cattle guards, as needed.

“In Wyoming and across the West, it’s never been more critical to protect and support wildlife movements,” said Bob Ziehmer, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s senior director of conservation. “The I-25 Kaycee to Buffalo wildlife crossing project shows the power of partnership in addressing key wildlife needs. We thank our customers for rounding up spare change at the register to the Outdoor Fund and making this work possible.”

The WYldlife Fund will route the Outdoor Fund’s investment through the Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resource Trust Fund to be matched dollar-for-dollar. This will result in a total project gift of $250,000.

“We welcome the involvement of Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund in conservation of Wyoming wildlife. Partnerships are crucial to getting these projects on the ground,” said Bob Budd, Executive Director of the Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resource Trust. We truly value the relationships we’ve created to mobilize state and private resources. This is a model that can be used in Wyoming and elsewhere to achieve higher conservation objectives.”

The WYldlife Fund is a 501c3 who unites people to advance Wyoming wildlife habitat, research and education. The newly established Fund is a home for all lovers of wildlife and exists to inject funds on the ground to advance critical wildlife projects.

The WYldlife Fund presents a check for $225,000 to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission for the I-25 Kaycee to Buffalo Wildlife Crossing Project ($125,000 from the Outdoor Fund and $100,000 from the Knobloch Family Foundation)

Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow in Wyoming Wildlife Magazine

Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow is featured in a July 2021 Wyoming Wildlife Magazine article titled “Giving Back: A new initiative gives businesses benefiting from wildlife tourism a way to donate for conservation efforts” Read the article below.

The WYldlife Fund Announces $100,000 gift towards the I-25 Kaycee to Buffalo Wildlife Crossing Project

The I-25 Kaycee to Buffalo Wildlife Crossing Project gains huge momentum thanks to an incredibly generous gift from the Knobloch Family Foundation!t

Gift from Knobloch Family Foundation makes safe crossings possible

Buffalo, WY – July 12, 2021 – A generous gift from the Knobloch Family Foundation means another $100,000 is going to theI-25 Kaycee to Buffalo wildlife crossing project. This lower cost transportation project will protect wildlife and keep our drivers on the go.

In announcing this gift, The WYldlife Fund Chairman Mark Wilson expressed the Fund’s commitment to supporting Wyoming’s wildlife and promoting safety on roadways for all drivers.

“We thank the Knobloch Family Foundation for their generous gift and know that crossings are an effective way to make a positive and direct impact on our wildlife as 15 % of all Wyoming crashes are with wildlife,” Wilson said.

The I-25 Kaycee to Buffalo Project, mileposts 253-270, has the second highest rate of collisions with deer on a Wyoming interstate. The interstate currently limits the safe movement of mule deer seeking additional habitat. This shovel-ready project will utilize exclusionary fencing to funnel wildlife to six existing crossing structures, such as underpasses, bridges and culverts. This project will also add deer ramps, gates, and cattle guards, as needed.

Statewide, over 6,000 animals like deer, pronghorn, elk, moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goats die each year from collisions with vehicles. This number may even be larger due to underreported crashes.

“The I-25 crossing project is poised to be a model for transportation projects throughout Wyoming and beyond,” said Nicole Korfanta, Executive Director of the Knobloch Family Foundation. “By taking advantage of existing infrastructure, we can reduce wildlife mortality and risks to people on our busy roads, and we can do it for much less money than a traditional crossing project.”

“We know 15% of all Wyoming crashes are with wildlife and that there is an average cost of $11,600 in injury and property damage per collision. The cost-effective approach of this project will save our wildlife and serve as a model for other projects like it throughout the west,” Wilson said.

The WYldlife Fund will route this generous gift by the Knobloch Family Foundation through the Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resource Trust Fund to be matched dollar for dollar. This will result in a total project gift of $200,000. This is in addition to a previous gift from the Knobloch Family Foundation to support the project.

Bob Budd, Executive Director of the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust stated, “We are really appreciative of this contribution to the Kaycee-Buffalo crossing project. Protecting deer and human life is a priority in areas where we have chronic issues with animal movement, and this project will allow safe passage for deer and people on Interstate 25. The Knobloch Family Foundation, through the WYldlife Fund, has been a stalwart advocate and catalyst here and elsewhere in Wyoming to get this work done.”

The WYldlife Fund is a 501c3 who unites peoples to advance Wyoming wildlife habitat, research, and education. The newly established Fund is a home for all lovers of wildlife and exists to inject funds on the ground to advance critical wildlife projects. You can learn more about The WYldlife Fund at https://www.thewyldlifefund.org.

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For questions or interview requests, contact WYldlife Fund President Chris McBarnes at (307) 316-3863.

Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow – LAUNCHES

A groundbreaking funding model is born

Taylor Phillips, owner of Eco Tour Adventures vision comes to life and will leave a great legacy for Wyoming’s wildlife

Impact! How often do we think of it in terms that are mind boggling in their extremes? Take tourism, for example, in and around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, sometimes known as the Serengeti of North America for its easily visible charismatic wildlife. The annual pilgrimage of millions of visitors has perhaps become synonymous with frustrations and infrastructure challenges but not for Taylor Phillips, owner and operator of EcoTour Adventures. ‘Impact’ for Taylor means opportunity. As someone whose livelihood depends on wildlife, he knows that the future of wildlife is made brighter by conservation.

Taylor has long explored the idea that while most of his vans follow prescribed routes, the animals that so lure and delight his clients are completely unaware of jurisdictional boundaries and nuanced policy. Without going into too much of a history lesson, Taylor’s inner compass for opportunity set him on a course to see how revenue might be integrated into the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, traditionally supported-up to 90%-by hunters and anglers.

Impact! President of the WYldlife Fund, Chris McBarnes, knows a little about it. If you read his bio here, you will see he came into his present position with the idea of positive impact as his NorthStar.

Chris’ mission from the Board was to ‘make a home for everyone who loves wildlife’…

This portal to contribute to projects that directly benefit wildlife, was exactly what Taylor was looking for when Chris accepted his position in March of 2020, but of course, the events that stalled a nation, kept them waiting too.

The wait was worth it. Over the year, ideas surged, and the delay gave them time to pitch and refine, adapt, discard, and start again! Taylor and Chris formed a strong bond through their commitment to the goal of opening doors for businesses that depend on Wyoming’s wildlife for their livelihood. Promoting the idea, to tourism-based establishments, that they would now be able to support projects that enhance wildlife, became the rallying cry and Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow was born.

On April 20^th, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioners, together with the Grand Teton National Park Superintendent and the Manager of the National Elk Refuge, and their key senior staff, graciously accepted an invitation to take a tour with Taylor to enjoy what watchers come from all over the world to experience.

Wyoming is the least populated state in the lower 48, so ‘day-tripping’ is a small portion of the 4-4.5 MILLION people that come every year, specifically to see landscapes and wildlife. Those far-flung visitors depend on Wyoming hospitality. They eat, rent rooms, houses, campsites, buy souvenirs, clothes, entertainment, and then return home with precious memories, which they cherish, and share, and maybe even renew as they are able. In fact, Taylor’s Ecotour Adventures is one of 50 road-based wildlife watching businesses in Jackson alone that collect toward an estimated $377M that wildlife watchers spend and the total $511M added annually to Wyoming’s economy, providing 5,184 jobs. (UW 2017)

Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow has already become the ‘Ah-ha’ moment for at least 28 businesses in and around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in just the last few weeks.

Although the wildlife itself remains blissfully unaware of the effort and collaboration that Chris, Taylor, and Wyoming’s business leaders are spearheading, the projects that the businesses select and make a tax-deductible contribution to-and you will know them by the beautiful plaque they display-will positively support and sustain the wildlife for generations to come.

Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow Initiative Launches to Support Conservation

Along with our partners The WYldlife Fund, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and the Cougar Fund, Ecotour Adventures is proud to announce the launch of Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow, an initiative that inspires the businesses and individuals who depend upon Wyoming’s Wildlife to give back.