Conservation Education in the Youth Wing with Kari Cieszkiewicz

“So, what are we working on today?”

It’s a question Kari Cieszkiewicz hears regularly from the kids who gather in Teton County Library’s Youth Services wing on Tuesday afternoons. And it’s one of her favorite questions.

Kari, Education & Outreach Coordinator at the National Elk Refuge, and a beloved partner in the library’s afterschool program, believes the curiosity of her students should help guide the program. She starts with a concept, observes how the students engage, and uses what she learns to shape future activities. One week, they might explore the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem through art. Another week, they might learn about wildlife behavior or how animals interact with their environment. Recently, students used etching paper and wildlife stencils to create butterflies, elk, and other elements of the ecosystems around them. The relaxed after-school environment allows for honest conversations and hands-on creativity.

What began as occasional pop-in visits at the library has now become a cornerstone of after-school programming.

“Kari’s enthusiasm for connecting youth with their natural world is unmatched.  She offers deeply engaging programming that excites the wonderment of our patrons who attend. We treasure our ability to connect with incredible partners like Kari and the National Elk Refuge,” comments Julie Tobiason, Teton County Library Youth Services Manager

Connecting the Past with Protecting the Future

With a degree in history and a passion for the natural world, Kari describes her career as a shift from being a “curator of history” to a “curator of natural history.” She sees history and conservation as deeply connected.

 “I’ve always been drawn to critical thinking- understanding the past to better inform the future,” she says. Working closely with Refuge biologists to make complex ecology feel approachable, Kari brings that same energy to local kids, helping them understand that the land, the wildlife, and the community all share an intertwined story.

That perspective is particularly meaningful in Jackson Hole, where the landscape and the community have been intertwined for generations.

Children at Jackson Elementary School can see the National Elk Refuge from their classrooms. Kids riding the Kelly school bus pass it every day. Many local children know the Refuge for its famous winter sleigh rides and the thousands of elk that gather there each year.

But there is much more to the Refuge and to the story of this place.

The Refuge was originally founded through a grassroots community movement to protect the Jackson elk herd and preserve open land. Historically, the winter habitat of those elk extended into what is now downtown Jackson, including the land where Teton County Library stands today.

For Kari, bringing conservation education into the Library directly connects that history to the place where local students gather every day.

Inspiring Action

The impact of these weekly sessions stretches far beyond the library walls. Some students have gone home and taught their parents about wildlife-safe outdoor lighting. Others have put decals on windows to help prevent birds from flying into glass.

“Teton County youth are already ahead of the curve when it comes to environmental awareness,” says Kari. But when she sees them take that knowledge several steps further, from passive learning to active stewardship, she’s encouraged. “Students take real ownership of what they learn,” she said.

And that sense of ownership extends to the program itself. Repeat attendees have formed a welcoming, close-knit community in the library’s space, helping set up materials, showing projects to newcomers, and recruiting friends off the activity bus.

Merging conservation with literacy and early learning might not seem obvious at first glance, but at Teton County Library, it proves that when you give young readers the tools to understand their local ecosystem, they become curious and creative about taking action!

Thank you to Kari Cieszkiewicz and the National Elk Refuge for their dedication to educating our community, including some of our youngest learners.