Within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of western Wyoming, the Wind River Range rises into the highest elevations of the region. The high alpine crest of the Winds has created a huge line of glaciers that forms wide swathes with cooler microclimates, offering refuge for temperature sensitive species such as the rabbit-like pika. This mountain range is arguably one of the wildest remaining places in the contiguous United States.

Yet even in these high and remote places an ecologically significant species, the whitebark pine, is quickly succumbing to a blister rust and an onslaught of the mountain pine beetle. According to our most recent aerial surveys, whitebark pine populations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have decreased by 80%; though the Winds harbor the most intact stands.

Much attention is being placed on the loss of whitebark pine, as its rich seeds serve as an important late-autumn food source for the grizzly bear. These fatty pine nuts allow grizzlies to survive through their winter hibernation.  Most Yellowstone grizzlies traditionally trek to higher elevations to feed on these nutritious tidbits, and as the whitebark pine population plunges, so may the grizzly. Additionally, bison, wolves, badgers, wolverines, and lynx – species once endemic to much of the greater United States – now exist almost exclusively in this isolated landscape that is becoming fragmented by energy development (namely wind farms), mineral exploration, timber harvesting, and urban sprawl.

Our conservation efforts focus on utilizing the most current Landscape Analysis Survey tools for the monitoring of pine beetle outbreaks on whitebark pines, along with over 30 years of annual climate change studies on the alpine dwelling pika. Ultimately, our work in the Wind River Mountain Range is about creating greater connectivity between the Winds and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to increase the long-term health and conservation of biodiversity therein. Round River’s efforts focus on working with community partners such as the Wind River Alliance, the Natural Resource Defense Council, and the Craighead Environmental Institute to further create an appropriate conservation effort in these local communities.