our programs:
beyond yellowstone living lab

Our Living Labs connect place-based academic research with local expertise to solve real-world problems on private, Tribal, and public lands and waters.

Our first Living Lab is located in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and we will soon launch a second in northern California.

Advancing Conservation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

The Beyond Yellowstone Living Lab (BYLL) is a research collaborative that blends applied science with policy expertise and community engagement.

We work with UC Berkeley, the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and local partners to identify and address key conservation issues, including wildlife population dynamics and barriers to migration. See below for 2025 program highlights across technology, research, collaborations, and communications.

infographic of BYLL program successes in 2025
Image description: an infographic depicting program successes in 2025. This includes: eight core partners; engaged 48 potential collaborators, including nine from Tribal governments and organizations; developed and transferred methods and/or tools to seven partners; BYLL was the invited research partner for virtual fence implementation for more than 1,000 cattle; mapped 395 miles of fence on foot; mapped more than 450,000 miles of fence in 11 western states using remote sensing algorithms; and generated more than 22,000 video views via Wyoming PBS.

Key Projects

For a more comprehensive list of ongoing BYLL work, please visit the lab website.

Fence Mapping Along the Absaroka Front

Researchers walking along a fence in WY
Fence inventory crew field technicians Hayden Campbell (left) and Tristen Fleming (right) walking an electric fence line in the Sunlight Basin area. Credit: Kristin Barker.
  • Thousands of miles of fence in the GYE is no longer needed or used. Migrating animals like pronghorn can struggle to cross or become entangled in fences. However, removing and modifying fences is very expensive—up to $15,000/mile. 
  • BYLL recently mapped almost 400 miles of fence across the Absaroka Front using a customized data collection app that was adopted by three other groups doing similar work in Wyoming.
  • One of our partners, the Absaroka Fence Initiative, used our field data to prioritize wildlife-friendly fence modifications and launched a multi-year effort to modify fencing across the Carter Mountain migration corridor. This is a conservation priority for both federal and state agencies.
  • Additional groups in Idaho, Montana, and New Jersey have reached out to discuss adapting our methodology to their needs.

Upper Shoshone Mule Deer Video Collaring

  • Wildlife video collars are giving us a rare, year-round look at how mule deer use habitat and interact with their environment, including in areas difficult to access by field crews.
  • We recently deployed and tested different video camera configurations, helping inform future collar design. Collar videos have been shared in several public talks and as part of a dedicated Wyoming Game & Fish Department social media campaign designed to raise awareness of wildlife migrations and their habitat connectivity needs.
  • We are now compiling and evaluating the footage for research and further education and public outreach through storytelling.
Pronghorn in Yellowstone National Park
Pronghorn in Yellowstone National Park

Private Land and Community Conservation

Buffalo grazing in field
Buffalo grazing in fields near Yellowstone. Credit: Tucker Russell
  • We conducted a large survey across the GYE to understand landowners’ experiences with wildlife and interest in adopting different types of conservation tools. We wanted to gain a better understanding of how landowners who are interested in permanent conservation easements compared to those only interested in temporary conservation tools.
  • Our results show the degree to which temporary conservation tools can increase the number of landowners adopting conservation tools, rather than “competing” with permanent options.
  • The manuscript is being finalized for submission to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

Recent Talks & Presentations

  • Pathways Conference (Sept 2025): Kristin Davis presented results from a landowner survey analysis with coauthors Hilary Flint (UWyo), Arthur Middleton, Kristin Barker, and Drew Bennett (UWyo).
  • Wyoming Wildlife Fence Summit (May 2025): Kristin Barker presented on AI approaches to fence mappings. Recording available here. 
  • Society of American Archaeologists Poster Presentation (April 2025): Kristin Barker presented research on integrating multi-dimensional regional datasets from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Poster viewable here. 

Latest Updates

wildlife jumping over fence

Migrating wildlife need lots of space between houses, research shows
High Country News

bison grazing

Developing new tools to de-risk wildlife occupancy on private lands
Regan et al 2024

Yellowstone national park

Yellowstone is Disappearing
New York Times Op-ed

Aerial view of Yellowstone housing

How does land development affect migratory ungulates?
Research Brief

Partners

Our collaborators include academics, policymakers, Tribal groups, and local community members.

Previous and current partners include UC Berkeley, University of Wyoming, Absaroka Fence Initiative, Absaroka Front Working Group, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Bureau of Land Management, Draper Natural History Museum, East Yellowstone Collaborative, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Jackson Hole Land Trust, Park County Open Lands, Property and Environment Research Center, The Nature Conservancy – Wyoming, Trout Unlimited, US Department of Agriculture & US Forest Service, Western Landowners Alliance, and the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative.