JACKSON, Wyo. — Last spring, the nonprofit Friends of the National Elk Refuge was incorporated to conduct a capital campaign to help replace the existing National Elk Refuge (NER)/Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center with a proposed Nature Discovery Center.
NER Visitor Services Manager Raena Parsons told Buckrail that the brand new facility would be built approximately 15 feet north of the current visitor center. Once the building is constructed, the old building will be demolished.
“We really want to pivot towards a nature center experience versus a visitor center experience, and to have a refuge experience available to the public in that building,” Parsons said.
To allow for a connection to the natural surroundings, Parsons said the plans include an elevated viewing platform on the back of the building, similar to the visitor center’s current viewing platform. The plans for the Nature Discovery Center also incorporate the expansion of visitor experiences on the landscape, according to Parsons.
“We are planning on doing habitat restoration on the landscape, and providing a trail network within that green space north of the building,” Parsons said.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Refuge Manager Sean Brophy added that the proposed building would be 8,500 square feet. The current visitor center is approximately 7,500 square feet, so the proposed building would only be 10% bigger, according to Brophy. The proposed building’s design is contained on one level to allow accessibility for all visitors.
“That will be the footprint, so it’s not going to be expansive,” Brophy said.
Parsons said that the NER received $14 million from the Great American Outdoors Act to replace the current visitor center on N. Cache St. She stressed that the Friends of the NER anticipates needing an additional $20 million to replace the facility.
“Within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the only legal mechanism we have for fundraising is a Friends group,” Parsons said. “So that is the impetuous for creating the Friends of the NER.”
After the Seattle-based Mithun Architects drew the conceptual design of the new building, grounds and parking area, the Grand Teton Association (GTA) underwrote the startup of the Friends of the NER in October 2023.
Patrick Starich told Buckrail that he accepted the position of Executive Director for the Friends organization in March 2024.
“I thought it was a compelling opportunity to do something constructive in the community, so I raised my hand and said, ‘I’m interested,'” Starich said. “Our primary focus is to raise $1.7 million to $2 million to fund the process of taking the conceptual sketch into a final biddable plan for the discovery center, which would include a lot of engineering, civil, structural and mechanical plans for the structure.”
Starich said that the facility would be a completely different, immersive experience. He explained that the structure’s plan would integrate exhibits into the space, including interactive stations, a virtual reality theater and traditional displays enhanced with QR code capabilities.
“The concepts of the exhibits will be very up-to-date and modern,” Starich said. “The Friends organization will also be perpetually funding the technology.”
All of the indoor and outdoor experiences would require continued maintenance funding, according to Friends of the NER.
Starich said that the Friends of the NER are also looking for volunteers, especially those with administrative skills or nonprofit experience to help expand the existing organization.
The project’s estimated timeline is to secure $20 million by June 2025, with plans for the project go out to bid by the end of 2025.
