Yellowstone 150 Year Anniversary ephemera, 2022

In 2022 Yellowstone National Park celebrated its 150th anniversary after being established in 1872 as America’s first national park in an effort to preserve scenery, cultural heritage, and wildlife. To this day the park is relevant to 27 Native American tribes and is one of the last and largest original ecosystems on Earth. Over the course of its existence, Yellowstone has had problems with natural disasters, overhunting, and the introduction of invasive species but through modern efforts, the park is now a healthy ecosystem. During 2022, anniversary efforts faced some difficulties due to flooding and ongoing obstacles from the pandemic in years prior. On the 150th anniversary of its opening the National Parks System announced they were setting strategies and priorities to tackle modern problems in Yellowstone. The areas they planned to address included their workforce, strengthening ecosystem and heritage resources, visitor experience, infrastructure, and coalitions and partnerships. Celebrating the anniversary was a joint effort of multiple organizations including Yellowstone Forever, Yellowstone National Park Lodges, and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and the event was also celebrated by park patrons and supporters.

Sources: Yellowstone National Park website www.nps.gov webpages entitled "Park History" and "150 Years of Yellowstone." (Accessed March 2023)