Yellowstone Park Foundation

The Moose & YCC: A Lasting Legacy

Since 1989, the million-plus men and women of the Moose fraternal organization have provided their support to the thoughtful restoration and preservation of our nation’s first national park.  They have generously funded the Yellowstone Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), a residential work and education program for young people aged 15 to 18. It’s clear that Yellowstone and its many visitors benefit from the hard work and dedication of YCC participants, but the intense summer of work can also provide a life-changing experience for individual crew members, like Liesel Marron.

In 1991, Liesel Marron—Liesel Heckle at the time—was just 16 years old. As one of Mooseheart’s first two YCC youth, it is an understatement to say that her first summer in Yellowstone was a once-in-a-lifetime experience...

Here, in Liesel’s own words:

“It's hard to believe that it has been 20 years since I experienced my first ‘real’ job. Having the honor to represent the Moose Organization as a youth from Mooseheart to participate in the YCC has had an extreme impact on me. The YCC gave me a foundation for work ethics and an opportunity to see the beauty of the earth. The YCC instilled in me the value of thinking beyond myself. Without my experiences with the YCC, I wouldn't be the person I am today.

“This was the first opportunity I had to actually try out manual labor. I mean I mowed the lawn and helped move boxes before, but to actually wield a pulaski, debark trees and carry logs to create footbridges and fences was exhilarating! I learned more about myself in one summer working with the YCC than I ever could have asked for. Not only did I enjoy meeting new people from all walks of life, but I was able to accomplish personal goals, such as hiking over 100 miles that summer. I would recommend participating in YCC to anyone who asked."

-Liesel Marron, excerpt from Yellowstone Youth Conservation Corps: A Legacy of Support  

Read the rest of Liesel’s story and find out how her YCC experience influences her life today, in the 4-page retrospective Yellowstone Youth Conservation Corps: A Legacy of Support, a brief history of Moose’s funding legacy, 1989-2009, in words and pictures. Download the PDF>>

In 2011, the Moose’s extraordinary commitment will draw to a close.   It is with sincere appreciation that the Yellowstone Park Foundation and Yellowstone National Park thank the members of the Moose organization for their outstanding generosity.



The Yellowstone Park Foundation is currently seeking leadership support for the YCC program to continue in 2011 and beyond. 

Interested individuals, foundations, or corporations may email Nina Jaeger, Director of Major Gifts, at njaeger@ypf.org or call her at 406.586.6303 to  request additional information about supporting this program.