by Yellowstonian
When wildlife photographer Jenny Golding and her husband, naturalist-sculptor George Bumann, founded the Yellowstone Summit in 2021, the country was still locked in isolation caused by the Covid pandemic and they sensed a yearning that people had for coming together around things they value. Residents of Gardiner, Montana, Golding and Bumann witnessed firsthand the resonance that both Yellowstone National Park and the encompassing ecosystem has for nature lovers the world over.
Their idea of staging a virtual summit that gathers some of the region’s most inspiring storytellers and renowned global experts gained traction.
Between 1500 and 2000 people “attend” each year by logging in with their pass. “Besides the insider stories shared at the summit, there’s a strong sense of community that makes the event particularly heartwarming and fun,” Bumann says. “Folks hang out in the private online Facebook community sharing stories and photos and asking questions. Live Q&A sessions with speakers give folks the chance to interact “face to face” with the people who are shaping our understanding of America’s best-known park.”
Now in its fifth year, the Yellowstone Summit has truly hit its stride. Think of the Yellowstone Summit as a virtual Yellowstone lollapalooza for the mind and heart offering multiple windows into how you can express your love for America’s first national park.
As in years’ past, Yellowstonian is proud to be a Summit parter. The Summit also helps to support the excellent work of Yellowstone Forever as a friend and supporter of science and public education in Yellowstone Park.
As one offering Yellowstonian founder Todd Wilkinson conducted an interview with legendary conservation activist Louisa Willcox about her incredible career and advice she offers for how citizens can make aa difference, especially in these uncertain times.
Learn more and sign up for a pass by clicking here.
Recently, we had a conversation with Bumann and Golding.
YELLOWSTONIAN: This is the fifth year of Yellowstone Summit. How does it feel ooking back across a half decade of staging this event?
GEORGE BUMANN: It is a source of immense pride to look back over the last five years of putting on the Yellowstone Summit. We have had the chance to feature some of the most interesting, talented, knowledgeable, and respected figures in the world of Yellowstone art, science, history, geology, and park experiences. Along the way we’ve had the chance to financially support the park through proceeds from Summit. We’ve returned over $34,000 to the park in the first four years through Yellowstone Forever and we’ve also created a unique archive of these amazing folks and their work. In essence, the Yellowstone Summit has enabled us to expand the Yellowstone community much further abroad than could be done with an ‘in-person’ event.
YELLOWSTONIAN: There is a buzz this year around the range of guests who are taking part. What excites you both about the 2026 summit? How many different people and what are a few of the highlights?
GEORGE BUMANN: Probably one of the most thrilling aspects of organizing the Summit is the diversity of folks we get to feature. We have over 30 speakers for this year’s Summit that speak to an incredible breadth of topics that give you an unparalleled, insider’s view of Yellowstone and surrounding areas. We all get to see Yellowstone through the eyes of presenters like researcher Dr. Eric Boyd who can point out why we see certain types of thermal features in an area and how they change over time.
Jenny Golding will give you a snapshot of three backcountry trips in Yellowstone and Cara McGary shares an itinerary for a driving tour into exquisitely beautiful Beartooth Mountains, that you might want to consider.
National Geographic photographer Ronan Donovan reveals how lessons from as far away Ellesmere Island, the open oceans, or Africa, apply to Yellowstone and ourselves.
A presenter like Ky Koitzsch shows us how non-invasive genetic techniques, as applied to moose droppings, can be the key to estimating population numbers more accurately than ever before.
Jane Demaray gives us a window into her family past and what it might have been like to tour the park during the Wiley Tent Camp era. You will also be taken behind the scenes and learn how a professional film maker, Jeff Hogan, captures the unparalleled images of mountain lions for his film, “Heart of a Lion.”
And if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to have a view of a secret place where wildlife visit, where you could simply sit and observe in one special place—night and day for over a month—you will love Dan Hartman’s presentation of, “Hidden Valley.”
This is just a sampling of what awaits when you have a general admission pass. VIP passes allow for more access to experts and chances to win prizes.
YELLOWSTONIAN: You mentioned that people from around the world, who love Yellowstone or dream are coming here, are signed up to observe live or taped events. Elaborate a bit on the reception and from how far away people are tuning in.
JENNY GOLDING: The Summit is hotly anticipated each year and brings unparalleled stories, personalities, and information about the Park that would not be accessible almost any other way. The Summit has found its way into the homes of Yellowstone lovers in all 50 states and countries across the world. We receive a flood of inquiring emails and over-the-top feedback from participants from past events wanting to know when registration opens each year, and where they can get more! For many, the Summit is a bit of a homecoming; a way to experience Yellowstone whether they can get to the park in person or not. Attendees tell us that the “Yellowstone fix” so many yearn for to span gaps between visits, is filled in special ways by this online event.
