© 2021 All Rights Reserved.
01
All Yellowstone Guide Academy instructors are experienced guides & trainers, each with over a decade of experience in Yellowstone.
02
Earn your nationally-recognized Certified Interpretive Guide certificate or your Professional Yellowstone Guide certificate.
03
We present the latest information and ongoing research from one of the most studied and most popular National Parks.
Explore the foundations of interpretation – and beyond – in this nationally-recognized certificate program offered in partnership with the National Association for Interpretation. Engaging classroom sessions and targeted field sessions in northern Yellowstone will engage individuals who are new to the field of interpretation as well as more experienced interpreters looking to add formal training or additional tools to their interpretive skill set.
Are you an aspiring Yellowstone guide? Or an experienced guide looking to hone your interpretive skills and deepen your Yellowstone knowledge? Join us for the Professional Yellowstone Guide training course!
Build your Yellowstone guiding skillset, earn your Professional Yellowstone Guide Certificate, and network with other experienced and aspiring Yellowstone guides.
Earn your Professional Yellowstone Guide Certificate by completing the 5-day core Professional Yellowstone Guide Course including at least 1 elective or deep dive.
This course is aimed at new and experienced Yellowstone guides. Through targeted classroom sessions, plenty of field time in the park with veteran guides and trainers, and guest presentations from local experts, the 5-day core class will provide everything a new guide needs in order to begin their Yellowstone guiding career. In-depth Yellowstone information, “guide specialty” locations, and interpretive skills specifically for Yellowstone guides will provide even long-time guides with new tools to deliver the best possible Yellowstone experiences for their guests.
Additional course components, elective sessions, and information-rich Yellowstone “deep dives” offer a flexible and even more in-depth experience targeted to individual guides’ interests and goals.
Itinerary
Price: $695
Your Registration Includes:
Registration Does Not Include:
This class is taught by experienced Yellowstone naturalist guides, instructors, and guide trainers, each of whom has more than 10 years of experience teaching, guiding, and training in Yellowstone.
George Bumann, M.S., has been a lifelong observer of nature, and a researcher, guide, artist, and educator for over 30 years. After completing a M.S. in Wildlife Ecology, the last 20 years have been spent here in Yellowstone, during which time he has helped over 10,000 people learn how to enjoy the wonders of animal language to deepen their knowledge and appreciation of the natural world. George is also an accomplished sculptor and art educator. His nature-inspired artwork can be found in collections throughout the United States and around the globe, including the permanent collections of the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the C.M Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana, among others. His art and educational programs have been featured in the Salt Lake City Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Sacramento Bee, and on television, radio, and online through the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, and Tedx Bozeman. George will be teaching 1 elective session.
Brad Bulin, M.S., has been guiding in Yellowstone for over 18 years. He earned his Master’s in Wildlife Biology from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, and he is a certified trainer of interpretive guides through the National Association for Interpretation, which he enjoys as a way of passing on his experience as a Yellowstone guide. Before coming to Yellowstone, Brad was a formal educator, teaching K-12 and serving as school principal. He has authored The Grand Lady of Yellowstone and Other Yellowstone Wolf Stories, has had several wildlife videos broadcast on national television, and has conducted many wildlife presentations throughout the country. Brad loves to entertain as well as educate people in this fantastic park he now calls home. Brad will be teaching core course components and electives.
Carolyn Bulin is a naturalist guide, educator, and co-owner of Yellowstone Wildlife Profiles LLC. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Management with emphases in ecology and cultural anthropology from Northern Michigan University. Carolyn has been living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for 15 years, guiding and teaching in Yellowstone for over 10 years. Her specialties include multi-day seminars on wolf research and management, day hiking and backpacking courses, and single-day private tours catered to the interests of each group. As a certified trainer of interpretive guides through the National Association of Interpretation, she also teaches in-depth classes that share the art and skill of naturalist guiding. Carolyn’s volunteer experience in Yellowstone includes snow tracking surveys for the Yellowstone Cougar Project, carcass surveys with the grizzly bear research team, and assisting with trapping ravens and fitting them with GPS harnesses for research. During her free time, Carolyn enjoys exploring the GYE with her husband and two small children. Carolyn will be teaching core course components and electives.
James Halfpenny, Ph.D, is an author, scientist, educator, and Vietnam vet who specializes in environmental ecology, animal tracking, and carnivores. He has written over 25 books, including Scats & Tracks of the Rocky Mountains and Track Plates for Mammals. He led the American First East Greenland expeditions in 1975 and 1976, is a Fellow of the Explorer’s Club, received the Antarctic Service Medal, and is past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Outdoor Leadership School. Jim earned his Ph.D. in Biology, Ecology, & Mammology from the University of Colorado in 1980. He is currently the President of A Naturalist’s World, an ecological education company. Jim will be teaching 1 elective.
Tyrene Riedl Originally from Portland, Oregon, Tyrene fell in love with Yellowstone and its ecological diversity during her first visit to fish in the park in 1996, while pursuing a BFA in Acting in Ashland, Oregon. It was a life changing experience, and in 2002, she made the choice to give up her dreams of Broadway to live the dream of moving to Yellowstone. Since 2007, Tyrene has worked in the park as an Interpretive guide, snowcoach driver, fly-fishing guide & instructor, Interpretive Trainer, and outdoor educator. Tyrene is a Certified Interpretive Trainer through the National Association for Interpretation, and she finds inspiration in guiding both new and seasoned park visitors to find a deep and personal connection to Yellowstone as well as encouraging them to discover what wildness means to them.
Virginia Shoup comes to Yellowstone from a long history in outdoor education and the Girl Scouts. She first worked in the park in 2012, thinking it would be just a fun one- summer job. But after falling in love with the animals, the thermals, and even the lodgepole pines, she never left! Virginia has worked for over 10 years as a Yellowstone naturalist, working with families, teachers, school groups and everyone in between. In the Girl Scouts, she has worked as a summer camp counselor and Leadership Director, and as an international volunteer and Leadership Seminar facilitator. Virginia is a Certified Interpretive Guide, a Leave No Trace Trainer, and a Wilderness First Responder. After the initial shock of her first -30° Yellowstone winter days, this California girl now thrives in the winter and lives for summer hikes and paddle trips. She uses her degree in theater to make science and the outdoors come alive for students of all ages! Virginia will be teaching core course components and electives.
Don't have time for a multi-day class? Register a la carte for half-day or full-day sessions geared toward guides and covering specific Yellowstone guiding topics in-depth. Choose the sessions that meet your goals, or add half-day electives or a full-day deep dive to your Professional Yellowstone Guide Course registration for a truly customized training experience.
Electives are half-day field- or classroom-based sessions covering specific topics for Yellowstone guides.
Rates: $99 for your first registration, $75 for subsequent registrations. Discounts offered for multiple registrations from one company.
Wolf Forensics & Animal Communication – with Jim Halfpenny & George Bumann
May 9 | 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Classroom
Dr. James Halfpenny will present Forensic Analysis of Wolf Sign. As a guide, it’s great when you see a wolf – but what if you don’t? Look for their sign! Dr. Jim will show you what tracks, skulls, bones and kills tell us. Learn what forensic biologists look for when they examine a skull, and hear amazing stories of trials and triumphs that you can share with your tour guests.
George Bumann, M.S., will present Wolf Howls & Coyote Cries: Eavesdropping on Yellowstone’s Wild Conversations. Go beyond the basics of nature observation into understanding the natural environment at a deeper, more transformative level. This engaging multimedia presentation offers images, sounds (including George’s award-winning animal impersonations), as well as stories of wolves, coyotes, birds, and more from the wilds of Yellowstone and beyond. Glean understanding that native peoples and professional wildlife guides use to tune in to animal communication in ways that teach us all about our shared environment.
Charismatic Microfauna: Birds & Herps.
May 9 | 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. | In the field.
Sometimes, it’s the small things (literally!) that can really make a tour memorable. When the wolves and bears aren’t cooperating, when you have the same group for multiple days and they want a deeper dive into Yellowstone, or when you have that 5-year-old who is crazy about reptiles, it pays off to know your birds and herps! Join Brad on this field-based class to learn about Yellowstone’s avians, reptiles, and amphibians – where to find them, how to ID them, and some cool facts to share with your guests.
Level Up! Taking Your Tour from “Neat” to the Experience of a Lifetime.
May 9 | 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. | Classroom & In the Field
Whether you are an experienced Yellowstone guide or new to the scene, this session can help you take your tours to the next level. Through discussion, reflection, and demonstration we will explore techniques and strategies to make your tours more memorable and impactful to guests of all ages. We will delve into methods to facilitate discovery, ways to ask thought-provoking questions, skills to tactfully discuss controversial issues, and more. This class will focus on methods rather than on resource knowledge, and it can be tailored to the interests and goals of the group, so please come ready to discuss and share your own experiences. We will likely be both inside and out during this elective.
Deep Dives are full-day field-based excursions that explore one area of the park or one topic in-depth. Designed by guides for guides to enrich your guided experiences!
Rates: $129 for your first registration, $99 for subsequent registrations. Discounts offered for multiple registrations from one company.
Natural History & Ecology of Wolves & Bears
May 11 | 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. | In the Field
Most tour guests have two species at the top of their wish-list: wolves and grizzly bears. Join us to immerse yourself in the world of wolves and bears, gaining the most up-to-date and in-depth information about these charismatic species and learning where and how to find them even on the quietest days. This session is designed to complement the Lamar Valley field day of the Professional Yellowstone Guide course, and repetitive information will be kept to a minimum.
Principles of Environmental Education for Yellowstone Guides
May 13 | 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Classroom & In the Field
Environmental education brings the landscape alive for guests of all ages and gives them the knowledge and inspiration to care about the natural world in Yellowstone and beyond. Through classroom and field sessions, you’ll explore best practices of education including the 5 E’s model of instruction and Bloom’s taxonomy of learning, see these educational practices modeled in real-world field situations, and explore techniques for how to engage your guests through multiple learning styles and multiple senses, how to connect guests to the park by fostering a sense of place, and how to meaningfully and intentionally incorporate fun games and activities for all ages into your tours.
© 2021 All Rights Reserved.