Trail Crew Work in Yellowstone’s Backcountry

Voices of Greater Yellowstone

Welcome back to the Voices of Greater Yellowstone podcast, where we share the stories and science of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. As we mentioned in our previous episode, long-time host Kristin Oxford has jettisoned off to her next adventure. I’m Emmy Reed, producer and editor of the podcast, now stepping in behind the mic. My full-time gig is being the senior digital communications associate for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and I’m excited to continue sharing interesting topics from across this remarkable ecosystem.

Thanks to that little glowing box in our hand, we are constantly inundated with heavy news, social media updates, or the fact that you forgot to do Wordle again. Have you ever just wanted to chuck it into the trash and head out to your nearest trail or place of solitude? Maybe find some respite among the trees, enjoying the simplicity of nature. From my conversation today, I believe that’s what compels many people who join the backcountry trail crew in Yellowstone National Park.

Being part of a backcountry trail crew is a labor-intensive job to enhance, or sometimes decrease, access to some wild places in the Park. I had the chance to sit down with GYC’s Montana Conservation Associate Erin Steva to chat about her stint as a crew member for a couple of years. We’ll hear about the average day for a crew member, some of her most memorable moments in the field, and how this work has translated to the Montana conservation efforts she leads today.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 49+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.
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Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
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