Murie Ranch
Front Porch
Welcome to Mardy's Front Porch
Olaus and Mardy Murie hosted some of the nation’s most influential conservationists on their front porch. Teton Science Schools continues the tradition by gathering on Mardy’s front porch to host discussions and performers connected to nature, conservation, and the Murie legacy.
Front Porch Concerts and Conversations
Explore 2026 Featured Guests
Programming for the Front Porch Concerts and Conversations begins at 5:45 pm until about 7:00 pm. Admission to this event is FREE. Rain/warm layers are advised. Lawn chairs are optional. Parking is limited; we strongly encourage you to park at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitors Center, which is a short walk from the Murie Ranch.
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: June 30 | 5:45 PM
Location: The Murie Ranch, Grand Teton National Park. 1 Murie Ranch Road in Moose, Wyoming
Price: Free!
- During the 30-year struggle known as the Jackson Hole Wars, Olaus Murie, Mardy Murie, and their 17-year-old son Donald spent six months in New Zealand.
- Olaus served as Scientific Leader of the New Zealand–American Fiordland Expedition.
- The expedition included more than 50 participants and focused on studying the descendants of American elk that President Theodore Roosevelt gifted to New Zealand in 1905.
- Discover the challenging conditions the expedition faced in New Zealand’s remote wilderness.
- Learn about the expedition’s findings, which were never officially published.
- Meet the fascinating individuals connected to the story, including a Pentagon official, a psychic, and a traveler known as the “Marco Polo of his time.”
- Explore a little-known chapter in the Muries’ conservation legacy and its connection to wildlife, wilderness, and international collaboration.
Edward Gray holds a PhD from Emory University and teaches for the University of Maryland Global Campus. He first saw the Tetons as a college student working in Yellowstone and has been back in some capacity almost every summer since. He served on the board of the Murie Center for 9 years and works seasonally for the Grand Teton Lodge Company at Jenny Lake.
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: July 6 | 5:45 PM
Location: The Murie Ranch, Grand Teton National Park. 1 Murie Ranch Road in Moose, Wyoming
Price: Free!
- Enjoy an evening of live music from the Grand Teton Music Festival Brass Quintet at the Murie Ranch.
- Listen as the sun sets behind the Tetons, creating a stunning backdrop for the performance.
- Program features:
- Classical favorites
- Nostalgic jazz
- Music inspired by and celebrating the outdoors
- Performers:
- Charlie Daval, trumpet
- Justin Kohan, trumpet
- Julie Beckel, horn
- Jay Evans, trombone
- John DiCesare, tuba
Grand Teton Music Festival’s mission is to engage, entertain, educate, and inspire our resident and seasonal communities through exhilarating musical experiences. We feature orchestral, chamber, and solo performances of primarily classical music by world-class artists, and we foster a culture that draws outstanding musicians to Jackson Hole in support of this mission.
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: July 13 | 8:00 PM
Location: The Murie Ranch, Grand Teton National Park. 1 Murie Ranch Road in Moose, Wyoming
Price: Free!
- A special collaboration between Wyoming Stargazing and the Grand Teton Music Festival.
- Features an evening of music curated by GTMF percussionist Craig Hauschildt, designed to be experienced after dark.
- Enjoy a unique, atmospheric performance beneath the night sky in the peaceful setting of the Murie Ranch.
- Musicians:
- Craig Hauschildt, percussion
- Kana Kimura, violin
- Rudi Heinrich, bassoon
- The evening begins with a Concert & Conversation at approximately 8:00 PM featuring Craig Hauschildt and Dr. Sam, founder of Wyoming Stargazing.
- Guests are invited to listen as they discuss:
- Their careers and creative journeys
- The connections between music, stargazing, and astronomy
- Shared experiences as percussionists
- The conversation leads into the live musical performance and stargazing experience.
Grand Teton Music Festival’s mission is to engage, entertain, educate, and inspire our resident and seasonal communities through exhilarating musical experiences. We feature orchestral, chamber, and solo performances of primarily classical music by world-class artists, and we foster a culture that draws outstanding musicians to Jackson Hole in support of this mission.
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: July 23 | 5:45 PM
Location: The Murie Ranch, Grand Teton National Park. 1 Murie Ranch Road in Moose, Wyoming
Price: Free!
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: July 28 | 5:45 PM
Location: The Murie Ranch, Grand Teton National Park. 1 Murie Ranch Road in Moose, Wyoming
Price: Free!
- A conversation about conservation advocacy, civic engagement, and working with elected officials.
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: August 3 | 5:45 PM
Location: The Murie Ranch, Grand Teton National Park. 1 Murie Ranch Road in Moose, Wyoming
Price: Free!
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: August 11 | 5:45 PM
Location: The Murie Ranch, Grand Teton National Park. 1 Murie Ranch Road in Moose, Wyoming
Price: Free!
- Join author Miriam Horn for a conversation about legendary wildlife biologist George Schaller.
- Learn how Schaller’s groundbreaking research inspired generations of conservationists, including Jane Goodall and David Attenborough.
- Discover how a 1956 expedition with Olaus and Mardy Murie helped shape his career and conservation philosophy.
- Explore the lasting impact of Schaller’s work on wildlife conservation around the world.
Miriam Horn is a bestselling author, environmental advocate, journalist, and filmmaker. Her previous books include Rebels in White Gloves, Earth: The Sequel (coauthor), and Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman.
She has produced two documentary films, with one premiering at Sundance. Before turning to books, Horn worked at the Environmental Defense Fund and the US Forest Service, and wrote for magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times. She lives in Colorado, in the South San Juan Mountains. For more information on Miriam Horn and George Schaller, including a glimpse of his private archive, go to miriamhorn.com.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/635282/homesick-for-a-world-unknown-by-miriam-horn/
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: August 18 | 5:45 PM
Location: The Murie Ranch, Grand Teton National Park. 1 Murie Ranch Road in Moose, Wyoming
Price: Free!
- Learn about watershed conservation, river health, and the future of the Snake River headwaters.
The Snake River Headwaters Watershed Group brings a broad coalition of partners together to ensure a resilient and healthy Snake River Headwaters ecosystem with clean and ample water to meet the needs of current and future generations.
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: August 24 | 5:45 PM
Location: The Murie Ranch, Grand Teton National Park. 1 Murie Ranch Road in Moose, Wyoming
Price: Free!
- Explore innovative approaches to reducing conflict between wildlife, livestock, and communities.
Front Porch Out and About
Discover the 2026 Featured Guests
An extension of the Murie Ranch’s Front Porch series, Out & About brings live music, storytelling, and meaningful conversations to our community.
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: March 18, 2026 | 6:30 PM
Location: Teton Science Schools Jackson Campus, 700 Coyote Canyon Road, Jackson, Wyoming 83014
Price: Free!
- Explore the three “ices” of the Tetons: snowfields, glaciers, and rock glaciers
- See how fast glaciers are shrinking with the latest LiDAR data
- Learn how rock glaciers buffer late‑season cold water and alpine life
- Discover what the Teton glaciers may look like in 40–100 years
Born in North Pole, Alaska and raised in both lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan, Simeon earned a Bachelor of Science in 2007 from the University of Michigan in environmental science and geology, and Master of Science in Geoscience focusing on fluvial geomorphology from Colorado State in 2013. His thesis focused on channel morphology and riparian plant community impacts from diversions in small mountain streams on the Routt National Forest in northern Colorado.
In 2013 Simeon began his permanent federal career with the US Forest Service as a Hydrologist in Laramie, WY on the Medicine Bow National Forest, working on stream and riparian restoration in between road and timber sale projects. In 2015, he moved to the Shoshone NF in Lander, WY as a Zone Hydrologist, working on water quality and riparian health monitoring across the Wind River and Absaroka mountains, and fell hard for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and its pristine landscapes.
Since June of 2017 Simeon has been the Physical Science Branch Chief at Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, overseeing science and resource management for water, air, geologic and other abiotic resources, in addition to serving as the GIS Lead. In his 8.5 years at Grand Teton – with responsibilities for pursuing research, monitoring, management, and restoration of a variety of physical science resources – he has led the glacier monitoring and geohazard/rockfall assessment program, as well as provided technical expertise on many water resource projects, ranging from minor and major streambank stabilization and construction projects, to Wild and Scenic River flow quantification, floodplain assessments, wetland restoration, flood response, and more.
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: April 8, 2026 | 6:30 PM
Location: Teton Science Schools, Kelly Campus
1 Ditch Creek Road, Kelly, Wyoming 83011
Price: Free!
ABOUT
Come hear from Justin Schwabedissen, Bear Biologist at Grand Teton National Park & John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, as he shares insights on the movement of bears through the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
- Seasonal rhythms of a bear’s life
- When bears transcend boundaries
- Modern research techniques for studying bears
- Q+A on Grand Teton’s bear population
EVENT INFO
Date & Time: May 19, 2026 | 6:30 PM
Location: Teton Science Schools, Jackson Campus
700 Coyote Canyon Road, Jackson, Wyoming 83001
Price: Free!
ABOUT
Come hear from Bryan Bedrosian, Conservation Director of Teton Raptor Center, as he shares two decades of raptor research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and beyond.
Presentation Synopsis:
- Learn about Bryan’s 25 years of studying raptors, corvids, and sage-grouse in Jackson Hole and across the West
- Hear insights from a world leader in golden eagle research and lead ingestion in wildlife
- Discover highlights from Teton Raptor Center’s research initiatives over the past 20 years, including:
- Bioacoustics
- Population ecology
- Genetics
- Lead-free programs
- Habitat mapping
Bryan has been studying raptors in Jackson Hole and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for the past two decades. He completed his master’s degree from Arkansas State University, studying Common Raven ecology in Jackson Hole and Red-tailed Hawks wintering in Arkansas. Bryan has continued to expand his management-based research with dozens of projects across Wyoming and Montana, focusing on raptors and sage grouse. His current work involves many ongoing projects on spatial ecology, habitat use, bioacoustics, genetics, and conservation planning. He enjoys tinkering with engineering projects and has developed several new wildlife traps, GPS tracking transmitters, and automated recording systems. Bryan has served as the president of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society and co-chair of the Wyoming Golden Eagle Working Group. He has worked with many researchers and on numerous projects across North America and Europe, and believes that collaboration is key to successful wildlife science and conservation. Bryan lives in Jackson with his lovely bride, Emily, and is a proud father of his son, Oliver, and daughter, Alice.
