The Next Chapter: The Gunks: Last Teaching Program at Teton Science Schools

You would think I would be done teaching with the Teton Science Schools after graduation...wrong. The last week of August was my last week of teaching for TSS - I ended with an age group I was definitely not familiar with and actually, incredibly nervous to work with and teach - undergraduate college level! I was supporting the University of Wyoming's ENR1100 course where similar to TSS' Ecological Inquiry class where the entire class chose their own specific Wyoming Environmental Issue to research and interview stakeholders, this class focused on one issue and as a huge group. ENR 1100 dug deeper into the issues ecologically, politically, systematically, and within the community of the expansion/renovation/construction of the Moose-Wilson Corridor.

For those of you who do not know about this, the Moose-Wilson Corridor is a road that runs through the park on the southeast side of the Teton Range. Even though it is incredibly scenic and is a great place to spot moose, black and grizzly bear, and beaver, it also attract many people to use the road. You would think a scenic road in a national park would just have its occasional wildlife jams and idiotic tourists stopping in the middle of the road for various reasons, but the issue goes beyond that - this road also connects the Teton Village (a major tourist hot spot and recreational area for all people of Jackson Hole) to Moose (a town that is an entrance area into the park and a junction to get onto the major highway, US-89.

The concern over Moose-Wilson Road is that it is constantly used by many people and the road is in need of some repair in certain areas and grows concern about safety of not just the people that use it but the wildlife that live within and around it. There has been great concern that redo-ing the road would affect wildlife populations and migratory patterns, as well as influence the road to attract more people with a question of surpassing a 'carrying capacity' of the pureness and scenic qualities of the area around the road.

It was the job of ENR 1100 to dive into this issue, find the origin and background of this road, and go into the community and speak with stakeholders from every position and see the perspectives and passions that this road has within the people that use it. The students spoke with wildlife and conservationists, staff from the National Park Service, local economic businesses - like Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, residents of the Jackson Hole Community, Friends of Pathways, the Forest Service, and the list goes on...

Here are some photos of random moments from their experience here in the Tetons!

TheChristyBel