Yellowstone Ecology Institute

Q & A

Students of the 2009 Yellowstone Ecology Institute participants were invited to submit questions about the wildlife and geology of Yellowstone National Park. A selection of these questions were answered each day during the 2009 Institute.

Friday, June 12, 2009

• Do people live in Yellowstone?
• Have you seen any eagles?
• Why do they let the animals run freely?

Saturday, June 13, 2009

• Do hot springs smell? Can you feel the heat when you stand next to a hot spring?
• Do people go to Yellowstone to learn about animals and our Earth?
• Does the altitude affect your ability to breathe, make you feel sick or affect your physical endurance?

Sunday, June 14, 2009

• Do certain wolves live in certain areas?
• Have you seen any bears? If so, where did you see them and what were they doing?
• What animal did you see that you weren't expecting to find?

Monday, June 15, 2009

• Why can you get closer to Bison than bears if Bison are deadlier than bears?
• What does a herd of Bison sound and smell like?
• Is the water clean enough that you can drink straight from the streams and rivers?

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

• What is the favorite animal you saw and how did you feel when you saw it?
• Did you see snow? Did it snow while you were there?
• How many Grizzly Bears and Black Bears have you seen? Are they like the ones in the Appalacian Mountains of North Carolina? What do they like to eat? How can you find a brown bear in the woods when so many other things are brown too?

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

• How do the mud puddles bubble? What do they smell like?
• How does it feel to be on top of a volcano? Was it scary to be in a caldera?
• What does it smell like standing next to charred trees and how do you feel when you see them?

Thursday, June 18, 2009

• How loud is the geyser etc.? Do fish live in the geyser? What color is the water in the geyser? How do you feel when you hear a geyser?
• How many geysers are in Yellowstone? What causes them to erupt? What did the temperature around them feel like and could you smell anything? Does the steam and water from the geysers hurt people or animals?
• Did you see Sedimentary rocks, Lava rocks and Igneous rocks? What are the most common rocks you see? Do they appear yellow in color? Did they name Yellowstone after yellow rocks or stones?

Friday, June 19, 2009

• How did the annual head dunk feel?
• What sounds did you hear at night?
• How many different types of animals did you see?

Saturday, June 20, 2009

• Does Yellowstone use solar panels? How does Yellowstone power the park?
• How can park rangers reintroduce extinct species like the Gray Wolf? Why did the Gray Wolf become extinct?
• What is the difference between Red and Gray Wolves?