Big Announcement!
Folks, I could not be more excited and proud of all that the Bighorn Basin Paleontological Institute has accomplished in its first 5 years. We are growing, reaching more people every year, providing more opportunities to paleontologists of all stripes, and most importantly, excelling in every aspect of our mission.
Despite all of this (and perhaps as a reflection of my never-be-complacent personality), something has been gnawing at me for the last couple of years. It took a lot of time and introspection to pinpoint the source of that restlessness, but the picture became increasingly clear over the last year or so: simply put, it’s our name.
Let me explain.
Although ‘Bighorn Basin Paleontological Institute’ has worked for us, it has never been . . . perfect. It is a good description of who we were when we opened our doors five years ago, but it no longer encompasses our bigger dreams and aspirations.
We’re doing a wonderful job of exploring the paleontological riches of the Bighorn Basin, but it’s a big world with plenty of hidden treasures to uncover! The Basin will always be “home” to us, but why stop there? We want to be able to go wherever the dinosaurs take us - our name shouldn’t limit our geographical adventures to one corner of the world.
Similarly, our name shouldn’t limit our ability to make important contributions to just one subject. Paleontology, while endlessly fascinating and important in its own right, is just one facet of the natural world that we are so passionate about. If paleontology lies seamlessly where the fields of geology and biology overlap - something we preach regularly - then why not take the natural next step and incorporate those fields as well? Our Montana home lies at the north rim of the Bighorn Basin, at the foot of the Beartooth Mountains, and adjacent to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This is one of the most geologically and ecologically diverse regions on the planet. It seems that our passions and geography have put us in the perfect position - the perfect natural laboratory - to bring our unique brand of fully-engaged citizen-science to the living natural world, just as we’ve been doing with the prehistoric.
With all of those thoughts weighing equally on our minds and hearts, we needed a name that is up to the task of representing our lofty goals and ambitions. It hasn’t been easy. How do you squeeze all of that into one brand? What set of words can possibly adequately reflect so much enthusiasm and aspiration? I think we did it . . .
I’m so excited to tell you that the Bighorn Basin Paleontological Institute is now Elevation Science Institute for Natural History Exploration, or Elevation Science for short. As I mentioned, paleontology and our home in southern Montana will always remain at the heart of our operations, but we feel the new name will allow us to strategically expand our education and outreach programming and to grow the organization into a nationally-recognized and admired force for natural history science, exploration, and education.
We are so thankful that you have joined the BBPI’s adventures through our first five years - without your help and support, we could never have enjoyed so much success, nor would we be in a position to realize this greater vision of the original dream. Now we invite you to Elevate Your Adventures to new and exciting heights with Elevation Science!
– Jason P. Schein; Executive Director
