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Visitors get hands dirty digging, cleaning dinosaur fossils in Thermopolis

 
CODY, WYO. — Colossal dinosaur skeletons are a prime attraction at major museums in big cities like Chicago, Berlin, New York and Washington, D.C. But none of those institutions can match what Wyoming offers for a hands-on, citizen science thunder lizard experience in the heart of dinosaur country. “Paleontology is not accessible to the general public, and it’s paleontology’s fault,” said Andrew Rossi, an interpretive guide at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis. Big museums keep their fossils behind railings and glass as part of a deliberate effort to protect valuable, one-of-a-kind specimens. But visitors crave a personal experience getting their hands dirty on a real dig, Rossi said. Continue Reading →

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Researcher examines ancient Yellowstone climate to help predict park’s future

Smoke and sunlight create deep, surreal colors during the 2008 Gunbarrel Fire, which burned along the eastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park.

Since 1872, Yellowstone National Park has been preserved and protected so that future generations will be able to enjoy the landscapes and wildlife much as they have existed for almost a century and a half. But park managers have little or no control over many factors that influence the park, including one of the most important: changes in the climate. So learning more about how Yellowstone might change as the summers become warmer, longer and drier is a key concern for planners. Cathy Whitlock, a professor of earth sciences at Montana State University-Bozeman, has a few ideas about what the future holds for Yellowstone's climate. And that insight comes from some studious detective work done looking into the past. Continue Reading →

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‘Sidesaddles and Geysers’ offers look at women’s early travels in Yellowstone

Any visit to Yellowstone National Park comes with at least some sense of adventure. And packing the car for even a short family trip through the park can be a logistical challenge. But the next time you're flummoxed by packing for a Yellowstone weekend in the RV with the kids, consider Eleanor Corthell. Corthell spent two months in Yellowstone in the summer of 1903. With her seven children. Traveling by horse-drawn wagon. Camping out the entire time. Writing about her trip, Corthell recalled that her husband, a prominent attorney in Laramie, Wy., "offered strenuous objection, of course, to the crazy project, but could only fizz and fume and furnish the wherewithal." Continue Reading →

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Fashion, furniture shows from Cody’s ‘art week’ face uncertain future

Liz Holmes, left, looks on as furniture designer John Gallis helps Hilary Heminway build a stool during a 2008 workshop as part of the Cody High Style show. Gallis coached a dozen students at his Norseman Designs West workshop on how to create a stool in the style of Western design pioneer Thomas Molesworth.

A long-running showcase for local and regional designers of Western furniture and fashion faces an uncertain future after organizers announced they are stepping away from the program, which they say is costly to produce and has not met expectations for attendance and revenue. The Cody Country Chamber of Commerce announced Friday that the organization would not produce the annual Cody High Style show for fall 2015. The group had organized the series of events since 2011 as part of Cody's annual Rendezvous Royale. Continue Reading →

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‘Pronghorn Passage’ exhibition tells story of long, ancient migration

Pronghorn antelope make one of five river crossings during their migration from Grand Teton National Park to Wyoming’s Green River Basin. ©Joe Riis

Twice each year in Wyoming, more than 300 pronghorn antelope travel 120 miles ore more, moving from summer grounds along the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park to winter range in the Upper Green River Basin. Starting next month, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyo. will host an exhibition documenting how pronghorn use the 6,000-year-old route, which is one of the longest land migrations in North America. Continue Reading →

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Elk study proposal wins $100,000 prize from new annual contest

An elk crosses the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park in September 2011.

A proposal to study elk migration in the greater Yellowstone area and share information about the animals' movements has won $100,000 in funding from a new contest aimed at supporting biodiversity studies in the region. Yale University wildlife ecologist Arthur Middleton and South Dakota wildlife photographer Joe Riis were awarded the first Camp Monaco Prize. Continue Reading →

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Historian explores complex history behind founding of town of Cody

Buffalo Bill Cody

Popular legend has William F. "Buffalo Bill" creating the town of Cody, Wyo. as a tourist oasis to help share the wonder of Yellowstone with the world. But the truth is that Cody was founded at the site of a canyon that proved ideal for building a dam that was key to Buffalo Bill's ambitious plan to irrigate 400,000 acres between the Shoshone River and the Bighorn Mountains. Continue Reading →

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