Isabella Riem

Undergraduate Research in the Neighborhoods

Isabella’s research consisted of how wolves impact the Greater Yellowstone Region; specifically, an ethnographic study of a 20-million-acre ecosystem and the surrounding gateway towns. Studying the relationship between people and the environment, Isabella acknowledges the importance of the chain of effects they have on each other, and how certain behaviors affect themselves. After Yellowstone National Park’s last wolf was killed due to concerns of them leaving park boundaries and taking livestock as prey in 1926, wolves have been listed as endangered. Many controversies and questions surrounding their reintroduction arose. Farmers became worried about their livestock, hunters about the abundance of elk, and ecologists about how they would disrupt the ecosystem. Various ethnographic methods were used to investigate these changes. Through collecting artifacts and interviewing a park ranger and tour guide, it was found that the surrounding community and park has split opinions regarding this.  

Learn more about this and other research in the Neighborhood Engagement Centers.