JACKSON, Wyo. — The Wyoming Wilderness Association (WWA) is seeking volunteers for its citizen science Solitude Monitoring Program. The volunteers will work to collect data in four wilderness areas: The Jedediah Smith, Teton, Gros Ventre and Bridger Wilderness areas.

According to the 1964 Wilderness Act, solitude is one of the four defining characteristics of wilderness, and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and other federal agencies are tasked with protecting it. The Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee National Forests have developed protocols to monitor and collect travel-encounter data in order to build a baseline and understand long-term trends in recreational use.

This month, WWA is hosting four volunteer trainings on the data collection protocols, one in each of the wilderness areas. The upcoming trainings are open to the public, and those interested can register online. This summer marks five years of WWA’s volunteer-based Solitude Monitoring Program.

The protocol used by the WWA meets the USFS National Minimum Protocol for Monitoring Outstanding Opportunities for Solitude criteria. According to the statement from WWA, the ability to leave the sites and sounds of civilization behind and experience solitude is an integral part of the wilderness experience. Without a way to measure and monitor solitude for land management planning, its existence could be under threat.

WWA’s National Forest Wildlands Director Peggie dePasquale said that federal budget cuts are causing a decrease in boots-on-the-ground wilderness staff.

“This program was designed to help supplement wilderness managers’ efforts to gather this critical information,” dePasquale said via press release. “We cannot celebrate the work of our volunteers enough, and yet it is imperative that we recognize that an army of volunteers, or even privately funded positions, cannot replace the dedicated and skilled crews that have been lost.”

See below for the list of training opportunities, and visit the WWA website to learn more and register.

  • Saturday, July 12: Holmes Cave near Moran in the Teton Wilderness
  • Wednesday, July 16: Dry Ridge Trail near Driggs in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness
  • Saturday, July 19: McLeod Lake near Hoback in the Gros Ventre Wilderness
  • Wednesday, July 30: Green River Lakes near Pinedale in the Bridger Wilderness

Monica is a Staff Reporter who studied journalism at Syracuse University and has been in the valley since 2015. She loves writing about the local food and bev scene, especially craft beer. When she’s not on the clock, you can find her paddle boarding, sewing, or whipping up a new recipe at home.