JACKSON, Wyo. — The Grand Teton National Park Foundation (GTNPF) received an unexpected gift of nearly $2 million from conservationist and filmmaker Myrna Berlet.
According to GTNPF this gift will support the Foundation’s ongoing partnership work with Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) and will be used to begin an endowment for wildlife and natural resources conservation efforts, as well as youth engagement programs.
Myrna and her husband Walt ran a small educational film business—Berlet Films—that focused on wildlife. The couple traveled the world to collect footage of a variety of species in their habitat and created more than 70 films that were distributed widely to be used in classrooms, libraries and educational lectures. They spent many months throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and developed a deep connection with the area.
“Myrna Berlet’s estate gift is amazing,” GTNPF President Leslie Mattson said. “After learning more about her story, we are humbled to honor her legacy by starting an endowment for our wildlife conservation and youth education efforts in Grand Teton National Park, which align with her life’s work and passions. To receive a gift of this magnitude as we celebrate our twenty-fifth anniversary as an organization is truly inspirational.”
GTNPF is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to fund projects that protect and enhance Grand Teton National Park’s resources. The Foundation initiates improvements, critical research and projects that improve visitors’ experiences.
GTNP uses funding from Grant Teton National Park Foundation.
