See, Learn About Wolves And Bears Of Yellowstone With Granby's Gary Melnysyn

Wildlife photographer and Granby resident Gary Melnysyn will present a program on bears and wolves indigenous to Yellowstone National Park, featuring both vivid photographs and a wealth of information, at Sessions Woods in Burlington on Dec. 1.

Along with about 15 years of experience as a self-taught wildlife photographer, Melnysyn brings two years of park ranger experience at Yellowstone, credentials as a master wildlife conservationist (through the state of Connecticut) and certified master naturalist (through the University of Florida) and a lifelong love of nature to his presentation. The program focuses on the reintroduction of Yellowstone’s timber wolf population, which began in 1995, and the fate of the Grizzly Bears across the national park’s history to the present day.

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Besides his work directly in Yellowstone, Melnysyn has traveled through the Alaskan tundra, the wilderness of Canada, Montana and Wyoming, the Sea of Cortez, which spans the area between Mexico’s mainland and Baja California peninsula, into Maine and Connecticut and much more.

“Gary’s passion for photography, combined with his wildlife background, results in stunning, wildlife images,” the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) wrote in a release about the program.

“The Wolves and Bears of Yellowstone” takes place on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the Sessions Woods conservation education center 1:30 p.m. Melnysyn will discuss timber wolf social structure, predation and habitat as well as the present condition of grizzly bears in Yellowstone and display his work. A gallery reception and meet and greet with Melnysyn, hosted by the friends of Sessions Woods, takes place Saturday, Dec. 15 from 2 to 4 p.m.

From the CT DEEP: “Sessions Woods Conservation Education Center is located at 341 Milford Street (Route 69) in Burlington. Both programs are free but pre-registration is appreciated 860-675-8130, Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sessions Woods is operated by the Connecticut DEEP Wildlife Division. The Friends of Sessions Woods is a volunteer organization that supports educational exhibits and programs at the facility. The Conservation Center’s exhibit area will be open from 1:00 to 4:00 PM on both days.”