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Yosemite's
oldest non-profit support group, the Yosemite Association, celebrates 80 years
of service to the park this year. The association was organized as the first
cooperating association in the national park system in 1923. Known as the
Yosemite Museum Association (and later to be called the Yosemite Natural History
Association), the group was formed to secure funds for building a new museum
and to promote a better knowledge of the natural history of the region among
the visiting public. There are now nearly 70 similar organizations, modeled
on the association, in national parks throughout the country
On March 29th, the association holds its annual spring forum in Yosemite National Park. The event, a day-long festival of Yosemite activities, will celebrate the association's accomplishments over the past 80 years as well as provide interpretive walks and programs about the park and park issues. Participants can learn about black bear research in Yosemite, walk with a ranger on the Old Big Oak Flat Road, meet the new park Superintendent, Mike Tollefson, or take part in a variety of other activities. A tribute to Galen and Barbara Rowell, presented by his children, will honor their art and support of Yosemite. After an official unveiling of the new association logo, a special wine and cheese reception including an exhibit on the association's history will conclude the day's activities.
The Yosemite Association has a long tradition of supporting the park. In 1925, the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Foundation made a large gift to the association, which was used with other donated funds to construct the Yosemite Museum. The two-story structure contained exhibits, a library, storage facilities, a classroom, offices, and caretaker's quarters. Today it houses the park Research Library, the museum collection, two galleries, and park offices.
As the Yosemite Natural History Association grew, it began to publish educational materials to provide information to enhance the study of natural and human history in Yosemite. Among them was "Yosemite Nature Notes," a monthly publication of the naturalist staff that was printed from 1926 until 1961. In recent years, the association's publication program has expanded, and it regularly produces high quality, award-winning books and maps, including the landmark An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park and Two Bear Cubs: A Miwok Legend.
The association maintains a roster of nearly 9,000 members, and its current activities include the operation of bookstores in park visitor centers, a program of outdoor courses, several wilderness-related initiatives (bear canister rentals and wilderness permit reservations among them), and numerous other educational programs in Yosemite. With its earned revenues, the Yosemite Association (as it is now known) donates funds to the National Park Service to support education, research, and environmental efforts in Yosemite. Over the past decade, the association has contributed more than $4 million to aid park programs.
The Yosemite
Association, the first support group in Yosemite and the first national park
cooperating association in the country, is proud of its accomplishments over
the past 80 years, and looks forward to making even greater contributions
to the park in the new century. To learn more about the Yosemite Association
or for more information about the spring forum, visit www.yosemite.org
or call 209-379-2646.
March 22, 2003
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