Sometimes I forget that the natural world is still very connected to the day-to-day world we live in. That fact has never been as evident as it is now, while we’re dealing with a pandemic that is disrupting every corner of our lives, including the outdoors.
Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and most of the other conservation organizations have canceled their banquets at least for the next month or two. Wyoming Game and Fish has suspended all in-person hunter education courses through April, as well as the Outdoor Expo and Wyoming Outdoor Weekend, which were both planned for May.
The outdoors themselves have not been closed, at least not everywhere. Some states are completely closing their state parks, but that hasn’t been the case in Wyoming. Federal lands are still open, too, though that could change at any time. Yellowstone and Grand Teton are open, but most facilities, including the shops and restaurants, are closed. However, if you want to visit one of the seven National Wildlife Refuges in Wyoming, you can go see them for free right now. Like at the national parks, any services they normally offer will be closed, but the entrance fees have been temporarily suspended.
So you can still get outside and get away from the bad news surrounding this virus whenever you can. I hope we can weather this health emergency as quickly as possible and get back to normal soon. If you are one of the many who are out of work due to the outbreak, I pray that you get back to work soon.
Wash your hands, keep your social distance, and stay healthy and safe. We’ll get through this together.
