Kevin Rhoades has joined The Vital Ground Foundation as its communications director. He will be responsible for the organization’s communications and outreach programs for the purpose of enhancing Vital Ground’s image, expanding the membership base, and increasing its efforts to protect and restore North America’s grizzly populations by conserving wildlife habitat.
“I am pleased and excited to announce that Kevin Rhoades has joined our staff as communications and outreach manager,” said Gary Wolfe, executive director of The Vital Ground Foundation. “Kevin will be a tremendous addition to our staff. He has a solid background in wildlife conservation, journalism, media relations, digital media production and website development.”
For Rhoades, working with grizzlies in the field and now in conservation helps him complete a personal circle. “Since 1981 I’ve watched and hoped for three major ‘wildlife moments.’ One wish was granted in 1995 when the wolf returned to parts of the Rocky Mountain west,” he says. “Two aspirations are yet to come. I’d love to see bison roam the open spaces of the Northern Plains. The third piece of the puzzle – a corridor for the grizzly bear to travel from the mountains of British Columbia to the calderas of Yellowstone.”
The Vital Ground Foundation works cooperatively with landowners, local communities, and state and federal agencies. Based in Missoula, Mont., Vital Ground addresses the issue of habitat fragmentation head-on by permanently protecting crucial lands for the benefit of grizzly bears and other wide-ranging wildlife. For more information: www.VitalGround.org.