Earthfire Institute Collaborates with Wyoming Global Leadership Exchange

On September 18th the Earthfire Institute hosted a group of international delegates from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). For the second year in a row Jackson-based Wyoming Global Leadership Exchange (WGLE) called upon Earthfire to share their experience and insight with international leaders of NGOs looking to use Teton Valley non-profits as models for their own organizations.

The Bangladeshi group was composed of four NGO executive directors, a program director, and two translators. The delegation arrived at Earthfire Institute to witness examples of “how non-profits work to protect our natural resources,” said Nicole Prater, Executive Director of WGLE. Though visitors to non-profits are often allowed to view office environments and see power-point presentations, a visit to Earthfire is to go beyond simply meeting in a boardroom. To come to Earthfire, is not to hear how and what is being done, but instead to experience it for yourself.  This, according to Prater made it “a highlight of the group’s trip.”

Rather than hosting a large numbers of visitors, Earthfire’s goal is to work with small groups of influential people, who in turn influence others to act on behalf of wildlife and the environment.  After a short introduction, Dr. Eirich, founder and executive director of the Earthfire invited the group from Bangladesh to meet a few of the animal ambassadors.

The opportunity to enter a two-acre enclosed Wildlife Garden and meet wild animals was both exciting and a little bit unsettling.  Several members of the group chose to enter, while some at first opted to watch from outside the enclosed garden.

Major Bear, one of the black bears at Earthfire, was the first to meet the group.  Under the careful supervision of animal trainer Jean Simpson, each guest had the opportunity to greet and spend time with him.  As members of the group witnessed Major Bear up close, the nervous tension associated with an unfamiliarity of wild creatures began to dissipate.  Soft chatter filled the air, people began taking pictures and some of the guests that were initially afraid to enter the garden, decided to step through the gate.

Next, three wolves entered the Wildlife Garden and Dr. Eirich shared the story of wolves in the American West. As Apricot, Moonlight and Moonlit, splashed in a creek, swam in a pool and chased each other around the garden, the group learned about the critical role wolves play in Yellowstone ecology and the success of wolf reintroduction into the national park.

Earthfire’s vision is to create a bridge that connects humans with the natural world through the voices of rescued native wildlife under its care, bringing us the joy of interspecies understanding and giving us the will to protect wildlife for future generations.

The effect of Earthfire’s vision hit home with the foreign group. Kaniz Fatema, Executive Director of Annanah Sangstha – an organization dedicated toward improving the lives of the underprivileged – turned to Dr. Eirich nearly in tears and said she would like to establish a place like Earthfire Institute in Bangladesh and would “share this thought of creating a similar facility with your professional counterparts in my country of Bangladesh.”

This opportunity was organized by the Wyoming Global Leadership Exchange, Jackson, Wyoming and sponsored by the International Visitor Leadership Program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

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