Sustaining your Soil and your Legacy: A Discussion on Farm Health and Succession

Teton Regional Land Trust is pleased to invite our community to an evening discussion about soil stewardship and farm succession planning at 6pm on Thursday, July 24 at Seniors West of the Tetons in downtown Driggs.  

Conservation easement landowners, Tim and Wendy Brockish, and their lessee, Daniel Wilcox, will tell the conservation story behind their partnership on the Brockish’s protected farmland along Texas Slough in Madison County, Idaho. With common interests in conservation and soil health, it was only a matter of time before these two families met, and when they did, big ideas started to brew. The Brockishes and Daniel entered into an agreement for the evolution of their farm ground, which enabled Daniel to expand his sustainable operation focused on improving soil health, while allowing Tim and Wendy to provide a case study of the potential of the soil in eastern Idaho when tenets of soil health are employed.   

Soil health has always been an important topic to the farming community, and with terms like “regenerative agriculture” and “holistic grazing”, the topic is becoming more widely discussed, as maintaining healthy soils is not just a best practice for great yields, but now an obligation to the land, future generations, and the communities and food systems that depend on it. Healthy soil is the foundation of resilient farms, clean water, and thriving ecosystems, sustaining productive agriculture while safeguarding our natural resources.  

Because soil is fundamental to life, it is imperative that, as stewards of the land, we care for our soils in a way that builds organic matter, improves water filtration, reduces erosion, and enhances biological diversity through innovative practices like cover cropping, reduced tillage, and nutrient management to ensure our farmland remains viable, productive, and ecologically sustainable well into the future. 

The event will also discuss farm succession planning – a critical topic for many families in eastern Idaho who are facing a transfer in farm leadership. This becomes even more important given the development pressure that we are facing in this area. Farmland is at its most vulnerable to development when it is transferring hands and management. A predetermined farm succession plan can help keep land in agriculture and in working hands.  

Tim and Wendy are in the process of transferring a majority of their farm ground to Daniel. It is a long-term plan that will be executed over a few years and will involve a benefit to both parties. The transfer is meant to provide sufficient resources for the Brockishes to comfortably live out their days and to allow Daniel to purchase the farm ground in a way that allows him to grow and sustain his agricultural operation. Daniel and the Brockish’s story provides an incredible example of a non-familial farm transfer that demonstrates the importance of collaboration. 

Both Tim and Daniel will be presenting their experience with soil and farm succession planning. This presentation will provide a tangible example of both how to create more fertile soil and how to transfer a farming operation.  

There will be other resources available at the event, and participants can engage with regional land use professionals to find out what can be done to enrich their own piece of land, whether that is less than an acre or thousands of acres! 

We hope you will join the Land Trust and our incredible partners and speakers on July 24th at 6pm at Seniors West of the Tetons. There will be complimentary drinks, snacks, and a raffle. Special thanks to the American Farmland Trust Soil Stewards Program for making this event possible. To learn more and to RSVP, please visit tetonlandtrust.org. 

Wrun for Wray Targhee Hill Climb Race

Teton Regional Land Trust is excited to announce the 13th Wrun for Wray race at 10am on Saturday, June 28 at Grand Targhee Resort in honor of Wray Landon IV, an avid adventurer and naturalist, who was a Land Steward at Teton Regional Land Trust before his death in 2010 in a skiing accident.  

Lani and Wray Landon III, Wray’s parents, have helped organize the race since 2011 after its inaugural year, when Jay and Lisa Batchen, owners of a local run shop who trained with Wray, started the race and named it after him. “Wray sure would have loved this Wrun,” beamed Lani. 

All funds raised at Wrun for Wray go towards the Wray Landon Legacy Fund (WLLF) at Teton Regional Land Trust, which supports projects that Wray himself would have enjoyed. To date, more than $265,000 has been raised for the WLLF, and funds have been used for summer intern positions, land protection projects, fence removals, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration, the Teton Basin Trumpeter Swan Project, and the Greater Yellowstone Sandhill Crane Initiative, among many other projects. 

Grand Targhee Resort and its Special Events Manager, Tony Ferlisi, have taken on a much larger role in this year’s race. Not only are they providing the stunning location for the race, but also many of the prizes, registration and timing, all the logistics of putting on a race, and the food. “The cause is important to us and it’s a great kickoff to the summer season. We have the skills and team to facilitate an event like this and take the burden off the Landons and the Land Trust so that they can focus on the cause,” explained Tony. “We love putting on events and want to continue to celebrate Wray’s legacy.” 

Wray and Lani appreciatively expressed, “We are pleased to be working closely with Grand Targhee Resort and Teton Regional Land Trust again this year on the Wrun for Wray Targhee Hill Climb. We look forward to seeing some familiar faces, maybe some old friends of Wray’s and ours and anyone else looking for a wrun or walk up to the top of Fred’s Mountain followed by a great time on the Plaza. Hope to see you there on Saturday!” 

We would also like to thank the other sponsors of the race, Broulim’s, Peaked Sports, Teton Valley Health, Cottonwood Dental, Athletic Brewing, AlphaGraphics, Yostmark, and Roadhouse Brewing for their support.  

We hope you will join the Land Trust, Grand Targhee Resort, and the Landons on June 28 for a 10am start time at the Wrun for Wray. Runners and walkers are welcome to join in the fun. The first 100 entries receive a one of a kind Wrun for Wray hat. Stay after the race for complimentary snacks and drinks from race sponsors, door prize raffle, race winner announcements, or to peruse sponsor booths. To learn more and register for the Wrun, please visit the event page. 

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Dedicate Sculptures along Teton Creek Corridor Trail

The public is welcome to join the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the Teton Creek Corridor Collaborative for a dedication ceremony of Derek No-Sun Brown’s sculptures along the Teton Creek Corridor.   

The dedication and celebration of the sculptures will be held on Thursday, May 29 at 11am at the Teton Creek Corridor trailhead near the Driggs Cemetery.  Members and elders of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes will lead the dedication and blessing of the art installation. 

Created by Derek No-Sun Brown, the permanent art installation includes Pisha Pakwi [Bannock] and Tsaa Painkwi [Shoshone] (Trout), Weda’a (Bear), and Patehecha [Bannock] and Pateheya [Shoshone] (elk).  No-Sun was commissioned by the Teton Creek Collaborative for the installation.  

Derek No-Sun Brown is from the Shoshone-Bannock, Klamath, and Anishinabe people. He was raised on the Boise Fort Reservation in northern Minnesota and the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho. 

“As an artist I want my art to represent that single moment in time that forever changes the outcome; the second where one moment becomes eternity.  Ultimately, if my art can affect someone’s life positively for even one second or even inspire a single thought the art has served its purpose,” said sculpture artist No-Sun Brown.  

No-Sun attended Idaho State University and is a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  After college he created the brand WAR MEDICINE combining his love for art, business, and fashion.  No-Sun’s art was also featured on the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s 2022 poster in honor of American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. 

The Teton Creek Corridor Collaborative is a partnership effort of four local nonprofits and key community members bringing together their diverse skills to carry out a high-impact, community conservation project along Teton Creek, just outside of Driggs, Idaho. Collaborative partners include Friends of the Teton River, Teton Regional Land Trust, Teton Valley Trails and Pathways, and Valley Advocates for Responsible Development. The Teton Creek Corridor includes permanent land protection, a recreational trail, stream restoration, education and art installations for the community to enjoy.  

Everyone is welcome to bring a lunch and picnic along the Teton Creek corridor after the ceremony. To RSVP, please visit www.tetonlandtrust.org/teton-creek-sculpture-ceremony/ 

Teton Regional Land Trust Announces 2025 Michael B Whitfield Scholarship Recipient, Brandon Little

Brandon Little, a student at Sugar-Salem High School, is the recipient of this year’s Michael B. Whitfield Scholarship. The $2,000 award is given annually by Teton Regional Land Trust to a senior who lives in the Land Trust’s service area with a passion for environmental studies, biology, or agriculture. 

Brandon plans to enroll in Brigham Young University-Idaho in the fall of 2026 and study Agribusiness Management after taking a year off to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Raised on a small farm in Newdale, Idaho, he spent his childhood outdoors hunting, fishing, and working with livestock. “Throughout high school I’ve enjoyed participating in the Future Farmers of America organization and growing my beef, lamb, and crop production projects. These projects have taught me important skills I will continue to use throughout my life,” explained Little.  

The Little family farm has adopted several sustainable practices that have significantly improved the health of their land. They use rotational grazing for their cattle, which prevents overgrazing and keeps the animals out of sensitive areas at key times throughout the year. They have seen a resurgence of native plants and grasses on their rangeland. The family also uses cover crops to reduce the need for fertilizers and prevent soil erosion and is exploring using specific cover crops to choke out weeds and reduce the need for applying pesticides. Brandon hopes to be a leader in these methods and inspire other young producers to try similar practices. 

With this scholarship and an Agribusiness Management degree, Brandon’s goal “is to move our family-run operation towards a sustainable and vertically integrated meat production and packing business. I want to prioritize providing quality, locally sourced, and ethically raised beef products to local consumers and restaurants who care about the environment and where their food comes from.” 

Teton Regional Land Trust created this scholarship in honor of Michael B. Whitfield who helped found the organization in 1990 and served as its Executive Director for 18 years. Michael’s passion for and commitment to land conservation in eastern Idaho has been instrumental in the preservation of key landscapes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors who show an intention to pursue a major course of study in college or vocational school in the environmental sciences, biology, ecology, environmental planning or policy, agriculture, or a related field. 

Teton Regional Land Trust Partners with Landowners to Conserve 320 Acres in Prime Wildlife Habitat

Teton Regional Land Trust and a local eastern Idaho family recently completed a 320-acre conservation easement in Island Park, within prime grizzly bear habitat and comprised of open grazed land, upland forest, and wetland vegetation along springs and creeks. The Tom’s Creek property is an inholding within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and is completely surrounded by state and federal protected lands that support many wildlife species including migrating herds of pronghorn. 

The Tom’s Creek property, owned for about 50 years by the same family, has been used primarily to graze cattle. This local family has been working with the Land Trust for close to 10 years on the protection of this parcel, but they are no strangers to our work, having conserved two other properties already. “Our family chose Teton Regional Land Trust because of their continued commitment to agriculture and agricultural families. We want to ensure the protection of our ground for future generations of farming and ranching,” the landowner explained. “Humans cannot live without food. It is that simple. And this allows us to continue to do what we love and fulfill our family’s commitment to protect agriculture for future generations.” 

Land Protection Director, Renee Hiebert, remarked “We appreciate working with and learning from families that have such a deep connection and knowledge of the land. For 25 years we have worked together with this family to protect almost 1000 acres in Fremont County in three separate conservation easements.”  

This property’s proximity to other protected lands means that wildlife can continue to move freely between Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding area. It contains Tom’s Creek, a tributary of the Buffalo River which flows into the Henry’s Fork, natural springs, and abundant wetlands which support camas and various sedges. The property also benefits multiple wildlife species identified as Species of Greatest Conservation Need according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s State Wildlife Action Plan including grizzly bear, gray wolf, Great Gray Owl, Clark’s Nutcracker, Yellow Warbler, Calliope Hummingbird, and White-breasted Nuthatch. 

Funding for this project came from various sources including grants from the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetlands Conservation Act, as well as the Cross Charitable Foundation and Vital Ground Foundation. Other funding came from private donations to the Land Trust’s Conservation Action Fund, which supports our efforts to act on conservation opportunities as they arise and leverage private funds to secure federal and other grants.  

Conservation of the Tom’s Creek property builds on the protection of already conserved habitat and working lands that benefit people and wildlife. For 35 years, the Land Trust has worked with partner organizations and voluntary landowners to protect more than 42,000 acres in eastern Idaho through conservation easements and other voluntary conservation options.

Teton Regional Land Trust partners with landowners to conserve 140-acre property on the Teton River

Teton Regional Land Trust and an anonymous family recently completed a 140-acre conservation easement on the east side of the Teton River near the Nickerson river access site in the central part of Teton Basin. The Dick Creek property lies within a vast complex of private lands protected with conservation easements held by the Land Trust, adding to a mosaic of conserved lands near the Teton River, benefiting wildlife and recreationists.  

“We love Teton Valley and thought that a conservation easement would be a great way to preserve the land in perpetuity,” explained the landowner. “Habitat loss due to development is a real thing; our wildlife needs undisturbed space in order to thrive. Because this property is between other conservation easements, it made sense to protect it.” 

This property’s proximity to other protected lands means that wildlife will remain able to move freely between the fields and the Teton River. The open space also provides scenic value for the public, especially recreationists on the river. It contains Teton River frontage, spring creeks, and abundant wetlands. The west side of the property is bordered by the Teton River, while Dick Creek flows through the land from the east, then empties into the Teton River at the western boundary. The landowners have engaged in extensive wetland restoration activities on the land. According to the landowner, “Since purchasing the property, we have planted more than 1,968 willows and aspens along the creek and river. We hope to continue working on the habitat in the future.” 

The conservation and restoration of this property will benefit numerous species, including Sandhill Cranes and Trumpeter Swans, two species of particular interest to Teton Regional Land Trust and species that are designated as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) according to the State Wildlife Action Plan adopted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in 2024. Other SGCN that can be found on the property include Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse, Long-billed Curlew, and Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, among many others. Various waterfowl, raptors, and moose also use the property. 

“I am grateful to the landowners that have recently protected their land. As a Teton Valley resident, I enjoy spending time on the Teton River. It is almost entirely bordered by private land yet remains largely undeveloped due to the work and vision of many private landowners who have conserved land along the river. I appreciate their efforts to conserve this unique landscape,” said Land Protection Director Renee Hiebert. 

Conservation of the Dick Creek property builds on the protection of already conserved habitat and working lands that benefit both people and wildlife. For 35 years, the Land Trust has worked with partner organizations and willing landowners to protect over 42,000 acres in eastern Idaho through conservation easements and other voluntary conservation options.    

Teton Regional Land Trust Launches New Farm Succession Program

Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT) is located in Driggs, Idaho and works across eastern Idaho to help protect natural spaces, agricultural lands, and wildlife habitat through voluntary conservation easements on private land. As part of this mission, TRLT is launching a new program to assist landowners of working agricultural lands with succession planning. The goal is to keep working lands in working hands.  

In the next 20 years, close to 1/3 of agricultural lands in the United States will be transferred from the current owner and producer. This transfer of land is directly related to the rising average age of farmers and ranchers. As they retire and land ownership changes, the land previously stewarded by the producer is vulnerable to conversion away from agricultural use. The rural communities of eastern Idaho depend on the viability of agricultural lands, and in the last few years, we have witnessed great changes to our landscape that are very concerning. Farmers and ranchers are feeling more and more pressure to sell their land to development, and low-density housing developments are replacing agricultural lands.  

In the fall of 2023, TRLT received a four-year grant from the American Farmland Trust to support our involvement in this work. The grant is developed in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and is to assist farmers and ranchers in succession planning in order to dramatically increase the transfer of working agricultural lands to a new generation of producers. The program catalyzes practitioners from across the country to support equitable farm and ranch transfers that work for both entering and exiting generations. “We are new to this area of work, but we strongly believe that protection of the natural values and resources of eastern Idaho depends on the viability of farming and ranching here. We are hoping to present ourselves as a resource to the community to help answer questions and guide landowners towards their own succession plans. Critically, we do not want to tell anyone what to do with their land or business, we simply want to assist in making connections with professionals in the relevant areas and create paths forward for those looking at the futures of their farms and ranches,” said Lydia Hanson, TRLT staff member who oversees the farm succession program. 

If you are interested in learning more about farm succession, please visit the Farm Succession Page or reach out to Lydia Hanson at lydia@tetonlandtrust.org.  

Teton Regional Land Trust Presents the 7th Annual Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival

Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT) is excited to host the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival, which returns to Teton Valley in its seventh year from Wednesday, September 18 to Saturday, September 21. This annual festival aims to give attendees the opportunity to both view Sandhill Cranes and to learn about this iconic species through tours and viewings, workshops, film, and art. The timing of the festival coincides with the fall pre-migration staging period, when Sandhill Cranes gather in Teton Valley before migrating south, and is designed to raise awareness of these majestic birds and the habitat upon which they depend. By learning about and connecting with Sandhill Cranes at the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival, the Land Trust hopes attendees will leave inspired by the species and the natural world that surrounds us all.  

This year’s festival includes morning crane tours, evening stationary crane viewings, a photography workshop with Linda Swope, a plein air workshop with Sue Tyler, a screening of the award-winning film, Wings Over Water at Pierre’s Theatre, and ends with a celebration of crane art on Saturday evening featuring crane inspired dance performances, a crane art and sculpture auction, and a presentation by Mary Lou Oslund, this year’s featured artist and winner of the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival poster contest. To register for any of these events, please visit tetonlandtrust.org/events.  

The poster contest has always been a key element of the festival and has featured many local and regional artists. Mary Lou’s winning artwork, entitled “Foraging for Food Near the River’s Edge,” is a colorful expression of her love of cranes and is the first winning artwork to include a baby crane, or colt. To create the piece, Oslund used a wood burning technique that starts with one of her own photographs. She draws the image onto a piece of wood using special heated pens, and then paints over the wood-burned image with acrylic paint. As this is a fairly new technique for Mary Lou, she will be talking about it and demonstrating how she does it at Saturday’s community event. “I am just thrilled to have one of my pieces represent the Land Trust at the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival,” exclaimed Oslund, “I feel like I really know this animal. I’m fascinated with their families, their flight, and just trying to portray them in the best way.” 

All proceeds from Crane Festival events go towards the Greater Yellowstone Sandhill Crane Initiative at Teton Regional Land Trust, the purpose of which is to secure and actively manage habitat in Teton Valley to sustain the largest pre-migration staging population of Sandhill Cranes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. As part of the Initiative, the Land Trust runs the Grain for Cranes program. This is an effort to establish annu­al food plots to ensure adequate crane food resources across the valley. To achieve this, we partner with landowners to grow, cut, and leave barley for the cranes to forage on at strategically located properties near roosting sites.  

Historically, over 5,000 Sandhill Cranes spent the fall in Teton Valley, fueling up before migrating to the south for the winter. Due to habitat degradation and fragmentation caused by increased development and disturbances, numbers fell to as few as 500 birds in the 1980s. Thankfully, efforts to protect their habitat and provide them with accessible grain to forage have helped the population rebound dramatically. In 2023, the Land Trust counted a peak of 1,137 Sandhill Cranes in a single day and 4,248 total cranes were counted over a 6-day period in Teton Valley.  

Festival attendees support the Initiative by registering for any of the festival activities, bidding on auction items, and purchasing Crane Festival merchandise. The community can also support the Initiative and the Grain for Cranes program by visiting tetonlandtrust.org or calling our office at 208-354-8939. The Land Trust looks forward to celebrating the return of Sandhill Cranes to Teton Valley with our wonderful eastern Idaho community.  

Since 1990, the Land Trust has worked with partner organizations and landowners to protect over 42,000 acres in eastern Idaho through conservation easements and other voluntary conservation options. 

Wrun for Wray Targhee Hill Climb Returning for 12th Year with all new Organizers

Teton Regional Land Trust is excited to announce the 12th Wrun for Wray race on June 22 at Grand Targhee Resort with all new organizers, Michelino Sunseri and Matthew Chorney. Former Wrun for Wray top runners, Sunseri and Chorney took over from Lani and Wray Landon III, who have helped organize the race since 2011 in honor of Wray Landon IV, their son, an avid adventurer and naturalist, who was a Land Steward at Teton Regional Land Trust before his death in 2010 in a skiing accident.

Lani and Wray decided to step back from organizing the race this year for personal reasons. “We worked on the race all year. It just got to be too much and we needed to pare down in our lives,” the Landons explained. Relief came in the form of two former racers, Sunseri and Chorney, who had helped out in the past by volunteering and with sponsorship. Lani said, “We were thrilled that they wanted to take it over–local, young, top runners. But we will still be there, cheering on the runners as they cross the finish line.”

“We were excited to continue the tradition,” said Sunseri. “I’ve been running and racing for 19 years and this is the first time I’ve been on the other side. I never knew how much work went into an event like this–very eye opening but fun. I’m enjoying it!” The biggest challenge in organizing a large event like Wrun for Wray “has been learning how to use all the technology and also getting everything done in a timely manner, getting sponsorships, and reaching out to businesses,” explained Sunseri, “but I’m looking forward to once the race is finished and everyone is at the base so we can all celebrate as a community and look at the mountain we just went up with a cold beer.”

Since 2020, a raffle has also been included in the race. This year’s prizes include a season pass at Grand Targhee Resort, backcountry skis from Yostmark Mountain Equipment, a scenic flight over the Tetons, and many more gift certificates and prizes generously donated by local businesses. Raffle tickets are $20 each or six for $100 and can be purchased online or at the event. You do not have to be present to win.

All funds raised at the Wrun for Wray, through the raffle and race entry fees, go to the Wray Landon Legacy Fund, which supports projects that Wray himself would have enjoyed. These funds have been used for summer intern positions, land protection projects, fence removals, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration, the Teton Basin Trumpeter Swan Project, and the Greater Yellowstone Sandhill Crane Initiative, among many other projects. To date, over $241,000 has been raised for the Wray Landon Legacy Fund.

In addition to the top three male and female racers overall, as well as the top racers in each age category receiving great prizes, Wrun for Wray is also a participant in the Summer Ascent Series. Partnered with the Snow King Hill Climb and the Rendezvous Mountain Hill Climb, the top male and female runners with the lowest overall time in all three races will be awarded two complimentary day passes to all three resorts: Grand Targhee, Snow King, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

We hope you will join the Land Trust, Michelino and Matthew, and the Landons on June 22 for a 10AM start time at Grand Targhee Resort for the Wrun for Wray. Runners and walkers are welcome to join in the fun. The first 100 entries receive a runner’s packet. Stay after the race for complimentary snacks and drinks from race sponsors, race winner and raffle announcements, or to peruse sponsor booths. To purchase raffle tickets or to register for the Wrun, please visit tetonlandtrust.org.

Teton Regional Land Trust Announces 2024 Michael B Whitfield Scholarship Recipient, Madeline Pentz

Madeline Pentz, formerly of Teton High School, and more recently home schooled at Fred’s Mountain Academy, is the recipient of this year’s Michael B. Whitefield Scholarship. The $2,000 award is given annually by Teton Regional Land Trust to a senior who lives in the Land Trust service area with a passion for environmental studies, biology, or agriculture. 2024 marks the first year the Land Trust has given out $2000 instead of $1000.

Madeline plans to enroll in college in the fall and study biology. Born and raised in Driggs, she spent her childhood enjoying many different outdoor activities with her family, from hiking and wildlife viewing to sailing. “Each day I continue to build more and more appreciation for all the knowledge and lessons I gained through these adventures,” said Madeline. Her parents instilled in her an interest and love for science and biology, as well as a wealth of knowledge about the outdoors that they continue to share with her.

Because Madeline longed to spend more time following her passions like hockey, skiing, piano, and travel, she opted to forego traditional bricks and mortar high school and pursue online studies instead. “Many of the concepts and ideas surrounding my education took place on a chair lift, on Freds Mountain, where I sat as a captive audience, listening to my parent’s notions regarding my future. On the way down the mountain, I was informed about all nature available to our senses, from pine marten tracks to the variety of trees to the different mountain ranges. I heard it all. Considering the substantial time spent on Freds Mountain, under these conditions and immersed in conversations about much more than our last run, we deemed it suitable to name my educational endeavor Freds Mountain Academy,” explained Madeline.

With this scholarship, Madeline aspires to “help the earth I live on and all its inhabitants. I want to pay forward the opportunities that I was able to take part in, hopefully impacting others’ lives throughout my journey as positively as those who have impacted mine.”

Teton Regional Land Trust created this scholarship in honor of Michael B. Whitfield who helped found the organization in 1990 and served as its Executive Director for 18 years. Michael’s passion for and commitment to land conservation in eastern Idaho has been instrumental in the preservation of key landscapes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors who show an intention to pursue a major course of study in college or vocational school in the environmental sciences, biology, ecology, environmental planning or policy, agriculture, or a related field.