VIEW THE FULL UPLIFT NEWSLETTER HERE – Uplift 2021

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT:

Hi YBRA Members and friends!  I hope that you are all in good spirits and health.  

Our annual meeting will be held virtually December 20th at 5 pm Montana Time via Zoom (Please use this link to enter the meeting id to access the zoom meeting – ZOOM.  The link address, meeting ID, Passcode, and dial-in numbers are also available on the proxy form at the end of the newsletter, Uplift 2021).  If you can not participate, please return the voting proxy form and dues/donations form by December 20th, 2021.  Proposed for re-election are current board members: Denece Lord and Rickard (Rik) Williams.  

COVID-19 has been a challenge for everyone and YBRA is no exception.  YBRA was closed for summer classes in 2020.  By securing a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan (since forgiven) as well as Montana COVID-19 related grants, YBRA was able to keep key staff employed while completing an ambitious maintenance and refurbishment program in the absence of summer attendees.  We also celebrated Jeanette Reinhart’s 40 years of service to YBRA.

YBRA opened for summer classes in 2021 with six groups returning for a successful field season.

• Groups attending YBRA in 2021 in chronological order were: Montclair State University, Southern Illinois University, Roger Williams University, Bighorn Basin Paleontological Institute, North American Dendroecological Field Week, and Westminster College.
• Working with health experts, YBRA developed and executed a COVID-19 protocol that was enormously successful – NO ONE (staff or clients) came down with COVID-19 at YBRA.
• In June, YBRA was threatened by the fast-moving Robertson Draw Fire which ran north over top of Mt. Maurice.  YBRA evacuated attendees to a temporary camping location.  Fortunately, at the last minute, the fire took a turn to the east and spared YBRA.  The YBRA staff were fantastic in managing the temporary evacuation.  The firefighters under the management of the Custer Gallatin National Forest staff, did a terrific job in protecting both people and facilities.  
• Fewer groups used YBRA than normal due to COVID.  However, YBRA’s financial health was helped by obtaining a PPP2 loan in 2021 (since forgiven).

I strongly encourage you to renew your YBRA membership as well as consider donating to YBRA.  COVID-19 unfortunately is still with us, and now there is the new variant (Omicron).  Our preliminary estimate of YBRA attendees in YBRA in 2022 is less than in pre-COVID years and the PPP loan program will not be available.  YBRA also faces uncertainties driven by inflationary pressures and in the number of universities requiring or encouraging field geoscience courses.

YBRA continues to focus on providing quality low-cost accommodations and meals in a wonderful environment for students, citizen-scientists, researchers, and faculty in geological and other scientific disciplines.  IF you know of any groups that might be interested in using YBRA, please let us know.  

This YBRA newsletter is available here, Uplift 2021 , sent by e-mail to our membership list and by US mail to members without known e-mail addresses.  Please let us know your current e-mail address so that YBRA can keep in touch with you.

David Converse, YBRA President

e-mail: ybrapresident@gmail.com

As always, visitors such as potential clients, YBRA alumni or other interested parties who wish to tour the camp should contact YBRA in advance either via phone, 815-790-0288 or via email at creasy6@gmail.com.