Naturalist turned new mom Katie Shepherd Christiansen says we ought to reflect on how we can treat wild country with more respect

Betsy Gaines Quammen wrote a book about the Bundys. In Part 2 of an interview with Rebecca Watters, she discusses militants, the search for truth and conservation-minded Mormons

Ready for survivalism, are you? Yellowstone winterkeeper Steven Fuller indelicately dismantles the End-Times fantasy. There is no place humans can run to escape ourselves

Westerners aren't singing like Caruso from their balconies; they're greeting each other like a pack of fellow lonesome lobos

In a real-life potboiler, Sarah DeOpsomer pens a personal journal about Covid-19's arrival in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and waiting for her own (positive) test results to come in

Thirty years ago, the Greater Yellowstone's first attempt at having a grand vision to protect the ecosystem turned into a whimper. What happened? A first-hand account from a civil servant who was there

It's normal to feel stressed out and alone, so what can we do about it? Timothy Tate, Bozeman psychotherapist, shares a few thoughts about creating the transformation we need

Legendary NBC newsman and longtime Greater Yellowstone resident reflects on values of 'The Greatest Generation'

In this excerpt from Betsy Gaines Quammen's new book 'American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God & Public Lands in the West,' the author explores how Utah became the center of anti-federalism

Behind the pages: Charlie Denison interviews Montana writer Russell Rowland about a novel set in Paradise Valley

Critics condemn Trump's top public land cabinet minister for telling people to visit Yellowstone and other parks during a pandemic. UPDATE: Yellowstone and Grand Teton closed Tuesday, March 24 until further notice

Buried for more than an hour and resigned to the worst, a skier recounts his dramatic rescue. It's a tale especially important for those headed into the backcountry

Western towns are dog-crazy hamlets. As award-winning author Ted Kerasote notes, we need to think carefully about their social interactions, too

A young Italian sends a warning to his contemporary Millennial and Gen Z peers in the Northern Rockies

The ecosystem holding America's first national park is facing whirlwind changes. The slowdown could be the wake-up call we need.

In the isolation of America's first national park, Steve Fuller and other winterkeepers carry on their age-old task of preventing roofs from collapsing

Until his last breath, former ranger, hiker and nature advocate Mike Yochim raced to finish a book aimed at protecting America's first national park

Many say the controversial hunting practice violates ethical tenets of fair chair and runs counter to safe food storage guidelines in grizzly country. George Nickas offers this op-ed critique

Lois Red Elk writes of a warrior, her father and how humans need to dream themselves whole

Pondering the toll, Bozeman climbing legend Conrad Anker and psychotherapist Timothy Tate featured in latest New Yorker Magazine profile

In the absence of predators, deer numbers exploded. After environmentalist George Monbiot killed one for population control, animal rights activists howled

Cora Neumann, a first-time candidate who worked with First Ladies on both sides of the political aisle, aims to unseat one of the richest lawmakers on Capitol Hill

Joe Scalia says conservationists should rally around better vision for Gallatins that holds Forest Service's feet to the fire and results in more Wilderness

To protect the best of Greater Yellowstone, Lori Ryker says humans need to practice real intelligent design and make sure nature registers

Interest groups believe their plan offers a real chance to secure permanent protection for the Wild Gallatins

Layser creative writing and journalism fellowship offers $3500 to person who wants to tell Greater Yellowstone stories. Application deadline is March 11, 2020

For naturalist Susan Marsh, winter is a great season for reflecting on what's out of sight and mind—and how each of us can appreciate new worlds 

Dave Hall celebrates the lifeblood of Greater Yellowstone that reaches millions downstream

For poet Lois Red Elk, the aromas of her grandmother's kitchen created bonds that still waft across generations

New report on Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by scholar Robert Keiter identifies major challenges threatening its health

Writing from the southern Rockies, Molly Murfee shares her disappointment with how some young people think about wilderness

In Gorongosa National Park, her country's iconic equivalent of Yellowstone, Gabriela Curtiz becomes the first woman tourism guide in local history. Part 1 in her ongoing series, "Gaby's Journey"

Receiving honorary doctorate, Mike Clark tells college graduates American democracy at turning point; meanwhile, Diana Blank bestowed with MSU President's Medallion

Special Report: The National Environmental Policy Act benefits the lives of all Americans every day. So why is the Trump Administration weakening It?

Timothy Tate examines the kinds of transformation many seek

Poet Lois Red Elk offers two works that speak of reverence for ancestry, family, culture, spirit and Mitakuye Oyasin

Distinguished American climate change scientist Michael Mann writes form the front row of the blazes Down Under

Off the beaten path, Steven Fuller reveals the national park unknown to most of the masses

Legendary 'winterkeeper' Steven Fuller returns with his MoJo column about life in American wonderland

By the wildlife they hold, the Gallatin Mountains are wilder than most national parks in the Lower 48. So why are the Forest Service and enviro groups balking at more extensive protections?

Park Service veteran Norm Bishop tried to prepare citizens in the Yellowstone region for wolves. Today he reflects on what we've learned as Colorado considers bringing Canis lupus back

MoJo interviews Scott McMillion, publisher/owner of Montana Quarterly, praised as one of the best regional magazines still made of paper in America

For painter Barbara Rusmore, the restorative power of nature is a catalyst for art and advocacy

Poet Lois Red Elk shares her concern about how Chronic Wasting Disease may affect the animals rooted deep in indigenous culture

Seriously, while Montana, Wyoming and Idaho are currently free of rogue swine "herds," they're headed this way

Writer Susan Marsh marks the passage of this year, reflecting on having "enough," advocacy and exuding gratitude

What if the average per capita local income was $250,000? In Teton County, Wyoming, it's true, but you know what they say about statistics, eh

'Voices of Yellowstone's Capstone: A Narrative Atlas of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness' is a must-have trove of words pictures and maps

Long before the Absaroka-Beartooths became a federal wilderness and before Yellowstone was called 'wonderland,'  they were home ground to the Crow. An essay by Shane Doyle

For the first time ever, CWD has been confirmed in Montana wapiti. How might it affect America's most iconic concentration of big game animals?

Ben Williamson of the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative has ideas that challenge the way his elders have approached conservation. Read the MoJo interview

Former head of Greater Yellowstone Coalition and current MoJo board member Mike Clark to receive honorary doctorate from MSU

As Phil Knight writes, human-animal curiosity and contact extends both ways

Pacific Northwest salmon populations are collapsing. What is the best way to resuscitate them? Two experts debate.

Outdoor recreation in America is worth nearly $1 trillion annually but like any consumptive industry, it can make nature a casualty

As an advisor to The North Face, psychotherapist Timothy Tate discusses wellness within the context of outdoor adventure athletes. What can the rest of us learn?

Another reminder that all grizzly foods aren't equal. When you lose one, as has been shown in Greater Yellowstone, it can disorder things at an ecosystem level

"Our Wild Calling," the new "game-changing" book by Richard Louv, explores why our connection with other species is good for society, our mental health and the wild places that matter to us

In this season of transition, Lois Red Elk reminds how humankind is reflected in the stories of wamakhashka

How Ted Turner's bison restaurants, inspired by Montana, have cast big green ripples nationwide

A veteran Forest Service backcountry specialist reflects on how her agency is dealing with growing human pressure

Every elected leader faces a choice: tell the truth and do what's right for country and civility or deepen the divide

Bozeman, Montana is now one of America's 'It' cities. Here, a real estate firm bravely riffs on why people are moving away

MoJo columnist Jordan Payne says righteousness alone won't convince young people to support landscape protection

Compared to her Rocky Mountain neighbors, the state is the only one losing people. Wyoming's leaders have some soul-searching to do

Will "collaboration as usual" save America's most iconic ecosystem or it is time for new leaders touting a braver new vision?

When adults see the young Swede, Timothy Tate says, they catch a glimpse of their own childrens' anger staring back from the future

A former Forest Service Chief and the national head of Trout Unlimited recall the motivation behind an amazing act of conservation that could be undone by Trump

Lois Red Elk writes about protest and the tormented ghost of a soldier who helped take her homeland

Robert Patrick, a Doig fan and end-of-life-physician, writes of what he found in the famous author's journals

Doig's spirit springs to life in the MSU Library Archives, revealing his literary triumphs, fears and what lay in his heart 

Just as life vests are required for boaters and wearing orange for rifle hunters, Mike Bader says bear spray ought to be compulsory too

History shows those pushing for mountain bikes in wilderness have no factual traction. Read this excerpt of Todd Burritt's book on Greater Yellowstone

Todd Burrit, former wilderness ranger, goes on a long wander in Greater Yellowstone and emerges as a protector

Susan Marsh riffs eloquently on connecting to place, loss of place and what's worth saving. Are we in Greater Yellowstone listening?

Opinion: John Goodell says a new bill, "The Recovering America's Wildlife Act," offers a game-changing path forward. What you need to know

Larry Desjardin examines impact of Interior Department executive order opening gate for e-bikes in national parks, wildlife refuges and BLM lands. Are national forests next?

How your morning brew can save lions, elephants, people and keep the miracle of Gorongosa alive.

For writer Rick Bass, dignity can be measured where nature is allowed to persist without impetuous interference. Another installment in our Sounds Of Silence series.

Danielle Oyler teaches people how to live and recreate smarter around places where bears live. How knowledgeable are you?

A young environmental writer interviews two heroes, Conrad Anker and Craig Mathews, about their own evolution as defenders

During his life, MoJo columnist Tim Crawford says there has never been a more important time to stand up, than now

Timothy Tate treks into the Yellowstone backcountry and ruminates on an ethic present in three generations

Mike Person, a Montana-born lineman for the San Francisco 49ers, finds peace where trout dwell

Mountain Time Arts takes on climate change by making it visceral, not abstract, for Greater Yellowstoneans

Eliminating lead bullets isn't anti-hunting, experts say; it's being pro-human and wildlife health. Franz Camenzind asks: what sportsman would be opposed to that?

Poet Lois Red Elk writes of buffalo dreams becoming fulfilled and rumbling spirits finding a way home

Book review: Researcher's new riveting memoir takes us back to a fateful day in 1977 when mauling in Gallatin Mountains of Yellowstone brought him global attention

In his new memoir, 'One of Us,' bear biologist Barrie Gilbert recounts his own brutal grizzly attack and the reasons behind his passion for large landscape conservation

Despite claims by the Trump Administration and some politicians that the public desperately wanted the ESA reformed, that isn't what citizens say in surveys

Stricken with ALS—aka Lou Gehrig's Disease—author of new book on Yellowstone gives MoJo interview to talk about park and stories that need telling

Despite coming under increasing pressure, EPA remains noncommittal to abolishing deadly M-44s used to kill predators that eat livestock on public land

Instead of a improving a landmark environmental law, changes appear designed to flout environmental standards, says award-winning former Forest Service veteran

Columnist Tim Crawford says if you worried about former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Pendley is more frightening

In a time of rising social anxiety and mass violence, empathy seems in short supply. Exposure to wild places can revive it

A leading business entrepreneur says investment necessary to maintain healthy outdoor economy, wildlife in northern Rockies and high quality of life

MoJo summer intern Jordan Payne explores the multiple ways, for good and bad, that social media is affecting the way we interface with the wild outdoors

A young woman of color in the West craves her connections to nature but struggles with the fact it doesn't always feel safe

From the Battle of Pierre's Hole to a debate over an offensive high school mascot, Teton Valley is a perfect place for historical reflection

In this excerpt from John Taliaferro's new book on George Bird Grinnell, local efforts to exploit Yellowstone remind us again that past is prelude

How trail therapy delivers a perfect dose of meaning

SHIFT can still have real impact but only if it is willing to shift itself 

John Taliaferro's "Grinnell: America's Environmental Pioneer and His Restless Drive to Save the West" is epic, entertaining and important

Lois Red Elk, 500-generation Dakota/Lakota, writes about getting her 'Cobell check' and 500 years of injustice

Place names matter, even when describing the ineffable and especially if monikers provide cover for cultural amnesia

Photographs and videos being shared on social media are causing hideaways to get overrun. So what can be done? 

Cursing at the wind? The more that its elected officials dig in their heels for coal, the further behind Wyoming falls in people and durable job creation

A veteran of the American Wilderness movement says the debate over protecting the Gallatin Mountain Range near Yellowstone should not be a means for rationalizing further loss of wildlands

Jackson Hole is on the front lines of a new reality: As Susan Marsh notes, we are rapidly running roughshod over the things that bring us to Greater Yellowstone

Should the Pacific Northwest Trail be re-routed in the Yaak Valley to insure habitat for an imperiled population of grizzlies remains protected? 

Why is it so hard for younger folk to embrace restraint in our consumption of nature? Is a new form of 'athletic Manifest Destiny' upon us? Timothy Tate ruminates.

Mountain Journal intern Jordan Payne gets a crash course on the New West and titanic forces shaping its future

Charlie Quimby reviews 'Desert Cabal,' Amy Irvine's semi-reverential take-down of Cactus Ed, environmental hero and flawed human, like all of us

From dog-related issues to rude human behavior and worse, swelling numbers of users result in increasing complaints

New superintendent of America's oldest national park lays out priorities, discussing everything from grizzlies, wolves and bison to snarled road traffic and other threats

Meet Mountain Journal intern Jordan Payne. He's bringing fresh young eyes in writing about America's most iconic wildland ecosystem

As Tom France writes, Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho emerges as an unlikely hero and he believes it's time to act

Region's amazing migration corridors and Western working lands are co-dependent. As Lesli Allison writes, 'to ensure either thrives, both must persist'

The rescue of America's national land mammal is considered one of the greatest conservation success stories ever and yet it's hard to find many wild herds on the map 

Following the tragic loss of young climber Jess Roskelley, Timothy Tate explores the connection between loss and the sacredness of living a life true to oneself

When it comes to safeguarding bears, scientists say wilderness-caliber lands, free of riders, are important to bruin persistence

Andrew Dobson discusses the consequences of artificially feeding elk in Wyoming, the positive role of predators in confronting disease and worries related to CWD

Two poems by Lois Red Elk remind that neither we, nor animals, are "others" in the natural world

Mountain Pursuit, founded by former journalist and fifth-generation Wyomingite Rob Shaul, expresses outrage over, among other things, the brutal treatment of coyotes and decline of fair chase in hunting

How can some western communities and wildlands save their essence during booms, how do others prevent themselves from blowing away? A gathering in Bozeman will address these poles of the 'New West'

Founder of Patagonia joins former U.S. Interior Secretary and dozens of eminent scientists who say capital "W" essential to safeguarding wildlife in core of Greater Yellowstone

Mountain Journal interviews researcher Rebecca Watters on efforts to save wolverines halfway around the world

As Lance Olsen notes, the renewable energy revolution is just beginning but scaling it also requires massive earthmoving

Wyoming Wilderness Association turns 40 and four dynamic young women are reinvigorating the wilderness spirit when so much is on the line in Greater Yellowstone

Award-winning writer Susan Marsh, a former Forest Service naturalist and wildlands manager, expresses worry that is on the minds of many in her famous valley

MoJo columnist Lance Olsen says the world's youth have ample reasons to question the selfishness of their elders

Want more journalism devoted to defending America's crown jewel ecosystem? Support "Give Big" to MoJo and all of the non-profits doing good work at the intersection of people and nature

An old wrangler looks back on his life as he nears the end of the trail.  Bob Staffanson, who founded The Billings Symphony and later became known as "the Cowboy Conductor" in New England and Europe, grew up herding cattle in Montana. It was the unshakable imprint of the West that brought him home. Staffanson reflects on the current president, the resilience of Western women, and the definition of a real cowboy.

Montana's acclaimed poet of the prairie beholds the patterns of nature and finds solace in the power of turtle

Gallatin County, Montana is one of the fastest-growing non-urban counties in America but is there a plan to deal with the deluge?

MoJo columnist Timothy Tate, a psychotherapist and consultant to The North Face adventure team, examines why some court risk and others get exhilaration by watching others take chances

Despite major environmental challenges, Brian Yablonski writes in this op-ed that there are many reasons to reject doom and gloom—and embrace hope

Seventy years after A Sand County Almanac was published, what would 'the godfather of modern ecological thinking' say about battles over predators, recreation and environmental justice?

As hip mountain towns struggle to make a place for worker bees, Lance Olsen says our tax code, the timber industry and developers aren't focused on real solutions

Like Search and Rescue for those lost in the woods, people facing addiction or mental illness can also require the assistance of people who care.  Psychotherapist Timothy Tate explores the deep impact of intervention.

First grizzly-human encounter reminds us of value of bear spray and the long odds of getting attacked

Annual wapiti survey: apart from wolves and other wildlife meat eaters, a formidable predator is winter

Renowned Jackson Hole photographer inspires masses, including famous friends, to rally in defense of nature. His work now featured in national museum tour

Wyoming rancher Heyneman, who grew up near Fishtail, Montana, has a personal family connection to the legendary Padlock Ranch and once left a big impression on Wallace Stegner

With a grand vision for rewilding native species in eastern Montana, APR is spurring a huge debate over bison, private property rights, federalism and the survival of rural communities 

Mountain bikers and hikers with dogs can bring huge spatial intrusions into wildlife habitat

Ag lands play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of Montana's fastest-growing valley. This is the first piece in an ongoing series touting the important role private land protection groups play in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem—and beyond

With Chronic Wasting Disease likely already on refuge, action is claimed as necessary to prevent disastrous disease outbreak amongst America's most famous elk herd

Getting old need not be a season of dread. As Timothy Tate says, it can be an opportunity to embrace who we are

Lance Olsen boils down a familiar old battle to its basics as sabers rattle among coal interests in Wyoming and Montana

What does it say about us when we have leaders who don't have the courage to act?

MoJo columnist Susan Marsh waxes on how we 'harvest' living things to avoid admitting we're taking their lives

"CWD is gonna be a helluva wildlife problem even if disease doesn't reach livestock and humans," Osterholm says. He criticizes Wyoming for continuing to operate controversial elk feedgrounds

A contrast between two different organizations—one devoted to tackling real issues shaping our region, the other running away from hard discussions about growing impacts of industrial-strength recreation

Never mind Greater Yellowstone's super volcano, there's already an epic explosion occurring in some corners of the ecosystem. And it's called growth

For Anna Vanuga, leaving Wyoming for Montana unearthed a new life through art. Her story will touch your heart

First-ever Greater Yellowstone Fellowship Offers $3500 to creatively explore America's most iconic ecosystem

Cursed cars: a Millennial tourist, among the record-breaking masses, admits to being profoundly disappointed by his front country experience in America's first national park

By courting the images that come to us during sleep and drawing upon their messages, our dreams within can help us achieve more meaningful, peaceful outer lives

With a sense of urgency, feisty spirit and an incredible eye, this talented witness turns wild trout and salmon into art muses for conservation

A MoJo Special Report: Can the wild Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem survive the coming hurricane of human population growth? As part of Mountain Journal's ongoing investigative series, "Greater Yellowstone: The Big Picture," Todd Wilkinson examines significant issues shaping the future of America's most iconic wildland ecosystem. This story focuses on the accelerating impacts of human development.

MoJo columnist Rebecca Watters returns from a research mission to Mongolia where she tracked lobos, leopards and wolverines

By not confronting the causes of climate change, we're setting ourselves up for huge economic and ecological impacts. A comprehensive analysis by Lance Olsen on this and the Green New Deal

Erika Ross gives a speech that lays out the magnitude of violence committed against women in Indian Country. Why has it taken so long to address this grave injustice?

With climate change, public land issues and other important matters before House Resources Committee, will lawmakers swear to God that they'll be seeking the truth?

Is fined $5000, receives probation and prohibited from killing wolves for a year. Also calls attention to larger issue of sport hunts allowed near national park borders

From sport hunting iconic species to giving local communities ownership over wildlife, Namibia may do things that drive some American conservationists crazy, but it has slowed and reversed the decimation of wildlife

Life after government: Mike Gurnett celebrates wildlife in metal after being a spokesman for the natural world         

Flowing forth from the streams of our unconsciousness are insights sometimes more profound and visions more real than what we know when our eyes are open

Wisdom of Youth: Teenager Florence Doyle brings powerful remembrance from Indian Country at 2019 Women's March

MoJo columnist Susan Marsh reflects on the value of reflection. We all need to stop and pause

Giving Back To Greater Yellowstone Can Also Mean Not Taking The Things That Sustain It

Lois Red Elk Tells Different Tales From "Little Red Riding Hood"

Timothy Tate: Just as the backcountry brings perils, so, too, the mental space filled with charged emotions at the start of a new year. 

Former Chicago businessman moved to Montana to hunt big game and enjoyed fame as a hater of lobos

When it comes to true recovery for America's most famous bruins, the focus is not on numbers but biological connectivity

At the Anderson Ranch, "learning/adventure vacations" bring people together through fun, wildlife and stories shared around a campfire

But MoJo columnist Steve Primm, a volunteer firefighter, says it's more important to heed the burning facts

Whitman College student Luke Ratliff visits with Mark Haggerty about the deepening urban-rural divide

Tim Crawford says healthy landscapes are the underpinning of good living in Bozeman and all of the rural West

A student tries to make sense of Ted Turner's attempt to restore wildness and ponders the role of bison and beaver as keystone species

Before the Bakken made fortunes and a mess of the landscape, Jackson Hole naturalist Susan Marsh discovered a different kind of majesty

Scientists have long supposed grizzly populations between ecosystems might link up. David Stalling wonders when it will happen.

Dreaded deadly pathogen now literally among Jackson Hole's famous elk herds as thousands of wapiti arrive in valley for winter

In the ancient elder tradition, Lois Red Elk tells stories of her grandmother.  Her poems lead us to a deeper reflection on the missing and departed women in Indian Country.

In a harrowing nature video that went viral, there's an unethical story behind the narrative

Susan Marsh says Greater Yellowstone is a fount of wild American rivers—and trails— yet many citizens treat them only with greed or indifference

Montana's democratic governor, who could contend for The White House, addresses the recent election and issues facing the rural West

Still, the Democratic National Committee remains clueless in dealing with rural West and heartland

In their Paradise Valley photo op, Steve Daines and Senate hopeful Matt Rosendale appear to have trouble knowing the difference between private and public tracts

When we talk of justice, Timothy Tate the psychotherapist wonders about the message sent to American daughters

New report says fossil fuel interests dominate hearings on issues affecting American West

MoJo columnist Tim Crawford says true leaders say what we need to know, even if we don't want to hear it. And we need to elect them.

MoJo's resident first responder Steve Primm didn't find the phantom victim; he stared into a problem created by growth

Should they be encouraged to leave in order to make room for the next generation of worker bees?

Tim Crawford says the fire and police departments need new digs because of the development boom, but many citizens are already feeling overtaxed

Mountain Journal collaborates with students from Whitman College's "Semester in the West" who share their thoughts about issues shaping an iconic region

Noah Dunn contrasts public Yellowstone with a private ranch next door

Sportsman and former Marine David Stalling says grizzlies have been—and can be—managed without killing them for sport

Star in Bob Legasa's video about bear spray becomes hero in repelling grizzly attack

Bozeman artist Steve Osman is donating proceeds from the sale of works to support Mountain Journal's investigative reporting fund

But will conservationists, business community also support limits on other forms of 21st-century resource exploitation to protect ecosystem?

Kevin van Tighem, who once served as superintendent in Canada's equivalent of Yellowstone, has harsh words for the deteriorating tenor of social media

Lee Nellis, a longtime planning guru in Greater Yellowstone, responds to Lori Ryker's call for a new blueprint in thinking about development

Lois Red Elk: the power of feminine energy isn't new; it's ancient and there in the sky

For naturalist Susan Marsh, fall is the season of visual warmth, and reflection on fallibility

Timothy Tate asks: is it possible for mountain towns to grow without losing their soul?

Hunting guide's death is tragic and circumstances surrounding it raise many questions. A look at the nature of human-bear incidents

In Jackson Hole, a half-minute vignette of rutting bulls with the Tetons rising behind

In MoJo's new series "Beyond the National Parks," we explore Greater Yellowstone's longest national forest

George Wuerthner says one of Greater Yellowstone's most important wildlife areas is unprotected