•	Vision Statement
•	Mission Statement
•	What We're About
•	Our Board

The Yellowstone Country Guardians bring a powerful voice of hope and inclusivity to the lands and communities of Yellowstone Country. We are a place-based organization that inspires people to care for and love this region. Our deep sense of place and rootedness is engrained in the work we do and allows us to bring new and exciting ideas to Yellowstone Country and beyond.

Because we believe the fate of Yellowstone Country rests in the hands of its local communities, we invest in the area’s greatest asset—its youth. No one has more to lose from the despoilment of Yellowstone Country than the youth of this region; thus our youth-based programs enhance students’ connection to Yellowstone Country, empowering them to set the tone for the region’s future.

Through our education and outreach programs, we foster a deep understanding of the wildlands and wildlife found throughout our region. By nurturing our communities’ commitment to Yellowstone Country and animals like the grizzly bear—an umbrella species and indicator (guardian) of health throughout the Yellowstone Ecosystem, and perhaps the most authentic symbol of wildness in all of North America—we help ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to experience the beauty and wonder of this sacred landscape.

We help newcomers to this land connect with long-time residents, thus bridging this cultural gap. Through our community work, we encourage new residents to the area to develop a deep and lasting sense of place, at the same time that we provide a platform for long-time residents to rediscover their love for this region.

By working with the youth of the region through our educational programs, we strive to create curriculum that helps students better understand the importance of fostering the protection of wildlife habitat, open space, and watershed quality.

Through community involvement we help our citizens live in active harmony with wildlife and their surroundings, while remaining a voice for both the people and the land.

Inspiring a Vision:
A letter from the Executive Director

Over the course of seven years as an interpretive ranger in Yellowstone National Park, I had the opportunity of a lifetime. During this period I had the good fortune to give presentations about preserving wildness within the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem to visitors from around the globe. Sometimes traveling 4 or 5 nights a week to the biggest venues in the park (with 100-400 visitors in attendance), I shared my love and passion for Yellowstone. I have seen firsthand that same love and passion reflected back in the eyes of visitors from all over the world.

During the summer of 2004, visitors began suggesting that I start a Yellowstone based nonprofit. These conversations with visitors stirred a dream within me, one that had been growing during my years at Yellowstone. I began doing my homework and paying more attention to the organizations already in existence, and while I was encouraged by much of the great work being done, I also discovered that a great deal more could be accomplished. My years in Yellowstone, coupled with a serious look at the entities now entrusted with its future, brought me to the conclusion that in order for Yellowstone as I know it to flourish for my daughter to enjoy—for the children of all those visitors and local families to enjoy—more must be done. A more inclusive approach is needed—not to replace the current model, but to strengthen our conservation ethic. And so I began to take the visitors’ challenge—starting a Yellowstone based nonprofit, something new and different—very personally, and very seriously.

In trying to put my finger on what was missing in the nonprofits already working to protect Yellowstone, one thing struck me: the lack of what I perceive to be “community.” Community leaders, community presence, community outreach. The harder I looked, the more difficult it became to see an active presence—a sense of engagement—right here, within the communities of Yellowstone Country.

I believe a sense of place is one of the greatest things we are offered as human beings. In order to ensure its future, Yellowstone Country needs people who have this place in their heart, in their blood—people who know this place and its citizens. The citizens of this region expect their representatives to have a deep understanding of the local issues and the effects these issues have both on the land and in the communities. The same can be said regarding the expectations for those working in the nonprofit sector. In many ways, we are public servants, representing the needs and concerns of the land, water, wildlife and the people. Yellowstone needs people who are willing to take risks. After seven years of living and breathing Yellowstone, watching its “goings-on” up close and personal, I’ve come to the conclusion that while the existing agencies and organizations have made great strides and, in many cases, paved the way—and will no doubt remain a vital part of preserving this landscape into the future—we need more. We need to broaden our efforts. We need more passionate, committed community leaders, who are willing to dedicate their lives to inspiring a commitment to this sacred land. People who are willing to put their butts on the line.

And thus was born our vision for Yellowstone Country Guardians. Now it is time for us to embark together upon this new and exciting journey. A journey that will be filled with winding roads and dead end trails, leading to the most impressive views we will ever see.

Yellowstone Country Guardians plan to spread the gospel of this holy landscape. We will build upon great achievements that have occurred over the past 20 years. I believe in my heart that we will do beautiful and lasting work. I believe there is nothing in this world more powerful than the human voice, the power of the word; and we are putting together a collection of powerful voices that will change community outreach in this region. This organization cannot be a success with just one passionate voice, it will only be through the dedication of many highly motivated people with a passion to preserve wildness in this region that we will become a powerful force.

And these people are hiding in the woodworks, ready to lead.

Michael Leach