Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship Awarded for 2008

May 12, 2008
08-19

Grand Teton National Park and the Grand Teton Association (GTA) are pleased to announce that Emilene Ostlind has received the Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship for 2008. Ostlind, the fourth recipient of an Evison Fellowship, is currently pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts degree at the University of Wyoming in Laramie in the disciplines of creative writing, and environment and natural resources. She plans to use her fellowship award to produce a series of nonfiction essays about the pronghorn antelope herd that summers in Grand Teton National Park and winters in the Upper Green River Basin as a means to promote designation of a national migration corridor for their protection.

Ostlind graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Wyoming in 2004. She earned multiple undergraduate degrees: a B.A. in environment and natural resources, a B.A. in humanities/fine arts, and a B.A. in Spanish. Ostlind has also received numerous awards and honors during her academic career, including becoming a Wyoming candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship in 2004.

In her application for the Evison Fellowship, Ostlind states, “While scientific studies, resource management planning and even political lobbying play crucial roles in the conservation of habitat and wild places, I would propose that creative arts most strongly influence public attitudes about how to prioritize land use.” Ostlind also states that, “Throughout the history of American conservation, each landmark event or movement has been preceded by literature that compelled general audiences and connected them to landscapes, flora, fauna, and other ecosystem elements—often those in imminent danger.” As part of her project, Ostlind plans to hike the length of the pronghorn migration path from the Red Desert south of Pinedale to Grand Teton National Park. She will also spend the summer interacting with scientists and conservationist groups who are trying to bring attention to the pronghorn migratory path and the establishment of a national migration corridor.

The Evison Fellowship was established in memory of Boyd Evison after his death in October, 2002, and created to honor Boyd’s extensive and dedicated service to both the National Park Service (NPS) and GTA. Evison retired in 1994 from an exemplary 42-year career with the NPS and soon after began a second career as executive director for the GTA, a non-profit park partner dedicated to aiding interpretive, educational, and research programs for Grand Teton National Park.

Evison Fellowships provide tuition assistance and a yearly stipend to cover travel and field research costs; Grand Teton offers housing and office space for students during field sessions. The goal of the fellowship is to encourage scientific and conservation-related research in national parks. It invites highly motivated, graduate students to conduct research within Grand Teton and the greater Yellowstone area; and it supports study leading to a master’s or Ph.D. degree in the biosciences, geosciences or social sciences. Upon program completion, the Evison Fellow provides a copy of his/her thesis to the GTA.

To inquire about applying for a Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship, or to donate funds toward this worthy program, please contact Jan Lynch, executive director, Grand Teton Association at P.O. Box 170, Moose, Wyoming, 83012, or call 307.739.3406.