Grizzly Bears

To many people, the name Craighead is synonymous with Grizzly Bears as a result of the Craighead brother's pioneering study of grizzly bears in Yellowstone Park in the early sixties. A National Geographic television special - "GRIZZLY" - was seen by millions of viewers.
The Craighead Institute was founded in 1964 by Frank C. Craighead Jr. Grizzly Bears and grizzly ecology remain fundamental to our conservation research and activities.
The Craighead Institute was founded in 1964 by Frank C. Craighead Jr. Grizzly Bears and grizzly ecology remain fundamental to our conservation research and activities.
Early grizzly bear ecological research
In 1958 Frank and John Craighead began a ten-year ecological study of the grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. This was the first systematic, scientific study of grizzly bears and indeed any large carnivore. During the next ten years the Craighead team pioneered advances in wildlife ecology and conservation including the development and use of radiotelemetry, anesthetization and handling, and population dynamics modeling. The Craighead team introduced the ecosystem concept to wildlife management as their study revealed that grizzlies were using a much larger area than Yellowstone Park itself. Frank termed this the Yellowstone Ecosystem. In 1964 Frank created a non-profit organization which is today the Craighead Institute, and which has continued to lead advances in technology and thinking in the fields of wildlife ecology and conservation.
Many of the baby-boomer generation remember the Craighead team from the popular National Geographic articles and films about their work, particularly the “Grizzly” and “Wild River” television specials. However, younger generations are often unaware of the Craighead legacy or of the work that the Institute continues to do. At the same time, environmental awareness has grown from thinking of discreet populations of animals in protected national parks, to regional metapopulations of connected landscapes, to continental scale conservation efforts like the Spine of the Continent (or Wildlands Network), and the Yellowstone to Yukon initiative. The Craighead legacy was truly the beginning of this growing awareness, and the Craighead Institute is still at the forefront of conservation efforts.
Many of the baby-boomer generation remember the Craighead team from the popular National Geographic articles and films about their work, particularly the “Grizzly” and “Wild River” television specials. However, younger generations are often unaware of the Craighead legacy or of the work that the Institute continues to do. At the same time, environmental awareness has grown from thinking of discreet populations of animals in protected national parks, to regional metapopulations of connected landscapes, to continental scale conservation efforts like the Spine of the Continent (or Wildlands Network), and the Yellowstone to Yukon initiative. The Craighead legacy was truly the beginning of this growing awareness, and the Craighead Institute is still at the forefront of conservation efforts.
Grizzly bear genetics

Lance Craighead helped establish the importance of genetic research for conservation of wildlife species with his work on Arctic grizzly bears in the 1990’s. He worked with David Paetkau, using the DNA primers that David developed, to elucidate paternity, mating patterns, and population genetics of a wild and relatively unhunted grizzly bear population on Alaska's North Slope that had been studied for almost 20 years by Harry Reynolds with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Harry had been a student of John and Frank Craighead and the University of Montana, and is now retired and the Director of the Gobi Bear Fund. David is a world renowned leader in wildlfe genetics and founded a company in Nelson, British Columbia: Wildlife Genetics International.
Grizzly bears and connectivity

Lance Craighead helped complete accurate models and maps of grizzly bear habitat, including the first grizzly bear corridor models and connectivity analysis (least cost path) with Rich Walker in 1995. Brent Brock, Landscape Ecologist at the Craighead Institute has developed GIS tools to identify key areas for protection of wildlife connectivity in the face of land use change; many of them based upon grizzly bear resource selection and sensitivity to human developments and activities.
Grizzly bears and conservation planning

Today the Craighead Institute is a recognized leader in conservation planning with the publication of the book: “Conservation Planning; Shaping the Future” by Esri Press in 2013. The Institute is working with local communities in the U.S., Canada, and internationally to help people plan the landscapes of their future. Grizzly bears, and other focal species that act as surrogates for biodiversity, have been a fundamental part of our conservation planning approach.
Grizzly bears and environmental education

Craighead Institute staff and colleagues are developing environmental education materials for Montana schools. All of our work is directed towards maintaining healthy, balanced ecosystems in the face of climate change and human development; and we want to inspire children to learn about, and help take responsibility for, our natural environment.