The club took 8 members, along with Faculty Advisor Alan Brumsted, to the Murie Center for a luncheon and meetup with Simon Jackson. After having a tour of the facities and learning the history and work of the center, we sat down to a lunch with Kate Gersh from the Murie Center and Simon Jackson. We discussed the club's past, present, and future projects, while gaining insite and advice from an experienced leader.
- Karli
The Murie Center focuses on outreach and education to promote conservation. Their mission statement is, “The Murie Center, in partnership with Grand Teton National Park, engages people to understand and commit to the enduring value of conserving wildlife and wild places.” The center is in a unique position to conserve wildlife though giving life-changing experiences to people by giving them the opportunity to stay on their ranch. The Murie center also brings in speakers to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to give presentations about the importance if leadership and initiative.
- Erin
I met Simon Jackson for the first time at the Eco-fair the saturday before we had lunch with him. Shelley Simonton and Kate Gersh (Assistant director of the Murie Center) had mentioned to me that he was very amiable and couldn't be a more caring, kind hearted person, but that didn't stop me from being intimidated. I found out though, Kate and Shelley were right, my nerves were completely unwarranted. Simon Jackson, who is looked to internationally as a leader for youth leadership and conservation, has a personality that will put even the most nervous of high school students at ease.
Simon Jackson's story starts when he was in middle school, only 13 years old. He heard about North America's rarest bear, the Kermode bear, which was in danger of habitat loss from human developments. He decided to have a lemonade stand. He had these lemonade stands all throughout the summer, until he had raised $60, which he sent to the government to "save the Kermode bear." Of course, he got a letter in the mail saying that he saved the bear, and went on happily. Then, he found out that of course, his $60 hadn't saved the bear and decided to create the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition. Since then, it has transformed to a six million member organization that has saved about two-thirds of the Kermode bear's habitat.
- Mackenzie
CM = Club Member
Top row: CM Wilton, Simon Jackson, Kate Gersh (Muriel Center), CM Erin, Alan Brumsted (Factulty Advisor), CM Mackenzie
Bottom row: CMs Sara, Maddie, Karli, Kali, Anna
Check out the Murie Center! http://www.muriecenter.org/
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