Yellowstone
Happy birthday to our backyard park
Published
5 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Christine Gianas Weinheimer EBS CONTRIBUTOR
Guess who’s celebrating a birthday? It’s our famous neighbor, Yellowstone National Park, which turns 147 years old in March. Yellowstone was established as the world’s first national park by an act of Congress, and President Ulysses S. Grant signed it into law on March 1, 1872. In honor of this special day, here’s a brief look back at Yellowstone’s beginning.
In the early 1800s, European-American trappers brought back stories from the West of a place where the earth hissed and bubbled, where multi-colored hot springs and spouting geysers filled the landscape. These reports were largely dismissed as delusions or tall tales until formal expeditions commenced in 1869. Resulting descriptions of the hydrothermal features, along with huge waterfalls, canyons and herds of wildlife, fueled curiosity in Washington D.C.
Further proof in the form of Thomas Moran’s artwork and William H. Jackson’s photographs from the Hayden Expedition of 1871 are said to have helped convince Congress that the Yellowstone landscape was exceptionally beautiful and valuable.
Yellowstone National Park was named for one of its most prominent features: the Yellowstone River, reportedly called “Mi tse a-da-zi” by the Minnetaree tribe, which literally translates to “Rock Yellow River.” Canadian trappers translated the name into French as “Roche Jaune,” which eventually appeared on maps in English as “Yellow Stone,” and explorers began referring to the entire region as Yellowstone.
The park’s early promoters envisioned Yellowstone National Park would exist at no expense to the government. This didn’t work out so well when the first, unpaid superintendent didn’t have funds to protect park wildlife and other resources from poachers, vandals and squatters. Congress appropriated funds to protect it in 1878, but efforts to safeguard the park were largely unsuccessful until the U.S. Army took charge in 1886. The National Park Service was later formed in 1916.
The Yellowstone boundaries we’re familiar with today differ from the straight, rectangular-shaped boundaries in place when the park was established. In 1929, President Herbert Hoover signed a bill changing the borders to better conform to natural land and water features. Three years later, Hoover issued an executive order adding around 7,000 acres above the original north boundary near Gardiner to provide winter range for ungulates.
Today, Yellowstone is one of the largest nearly intact temperate-zone ecosystems on Earth and preserves a collection of more than 10,000 hydrothermal features—more than the rest of the world combined. It’s home to the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states and is the only place in the U.S. where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times.
Countless individuals have contributed to the preservation of Yellowstone over the years and thousands continue to play a role in its stewardship. For instance, Yellowstone Forever, the park’s official education and fundraising nonprofit partner, provides opportunities for educational programming and volunteerism, and is building a network of supporters dedicated to preserving the park.
Learn more about Yellowstone Forever by visiting yellowstone.org.
Christine Gianas Weinheimer lives in Bozeman and has been writing about Yellowstone for 17 years.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
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169 Snowy Mountain Circle
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
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Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome
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Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome to come, if you don’t know who to bring come alone this is a great mixer event! This is an event hosted by Big Sky OUT as we work to provide queer safe spaces throughout the community.
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(Sunday) 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
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Cowboy Coffee
25 Town Center Ave. Big Sky, MT 59716