Wyoming Annual Report 2023

Reconnecting with History and Nature

When The Nature Conservancy first acquired Heart Mountain Ranch Preserve, it was clear that the landscape was important for more than just its wildlife and plant diversity. Standing tall within a vast valley of sagebrush, Heart Mountain is one of the most significant landmarks in northwest Wyoming. In addition to its prominence on the landscape, the mountain has deep importance and history with the Apsáalooke (Crow) people, who refer to it as Foretop’s Father.

As the current caretakers of the land, we know that we have a responsibility to provide the space for Indigenous peoples to restore their relationship with, use of and access to ancestral lands and water. More than that, our stewardship practices need to thoughtfully include collaboration with our Indigenous partners. In 2011, Crow tribal elder Grant Bulltail reached out to the Heart Mountain community—including University of Wyoming lecturer Mary Keller, Christ’s Episcopal Church and The Nature Conservancy—about a potential ceremony for the Apsáalooke people. We were honored to offer Heart Mountain Ranch Preserve as the place that would help fulfill Grant Bulltail’s vision.

Out of that partnership, the Return to Foretop’s Father celebration was created. The two-day event honors the Apsáalooke people’s return to their ancestral homeland after 130 years and their reconnection to the mountain. It includes traditional song and dance, as well as a Crow Pipe Ceremony. While the event’s main focus is elevating Indigenous wisdom and the traditions of the Crow, it invites all ecologically minded people to experience and learn more about the mountain.

With your support, we will continue to protect landscapes like Foretop’s Father and Heart Mountain Ranch Preserve for all people who want to reconnect with nature.

With our Wildflower Watch program, we’ve trained hundreds of citizens to collect valuable scientific data about how our changing climate is causing native plants to bloom earlier. The ramifications of this shift are huge. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are often unable to match their own life cycles to the changing bloom times, leaving plants unpollinated and animals from birds to grizzly bears desperately hungry. Our scientists are mapping these shifts to discover ways people may be able to intervene.

In a first-of-its-kind partnership with Grand Teton National Park, Wildflower Watch volunteers are now helping rangers collect seeds of sagebrush and other native plants to restore disturbed areas and fortify the landscape against hotter, drier conditions. 

We have also begun expressly inviting Wyoming’s many Spanish speakers to share in this effort by offering both bilingual programs and walks that are guided exclusively in Spanish. We further welcome Spanish speakers to volunteer at workdays such as this year’s installation of a scientific station to study the region’s changing snowpack.

Leading the Way: Dave Work

Dave Work may describe himself as “no spring chicken,” but few can match the energy he brings to conservation. After spending 30+ years in the oil and gas business, Dave and his wife moved to Denver, where they worked with TNC to place a conservation easement on their property—the second conservation easement ever in Colorado. Dave went on to serve as a TNC board member for Wyoming. He believes our efforts to educate the public about protecting wildlife migration corridors in Wyoming are paramount to successfully conserving nature into the future.  

We are honored to have had Dave’s talents and expertise on our board, and we thank him for his continued support.