How long is the event?

The event runs about 2.5 hours total: doors open and light refreshments, a 60–90 minute film, then a Q&A and adjournment.

Is the screening family friendly?

Yes; the tone is educational, but be aware some footage shows predation and winter survival that may be intense for very young children.

Is there a ticket cost?

According to the listing the screening is free, but check the referral booking link for any updates or RSVP requirements.

Will researchers be present for the Q&A?

Often biologists attend on discussion nights—plans vary, so arrive early and check event notes for guest appearances.

Can I learn how to volunteer or support the project?

The Q&A and displays typically provide information on volunteering, donations, and follow-up resources to support cougar research and conservation.

Is this a live wildlife viewing opportunity?

No—this is a film and discussion about Yellowstone cougars. For live viewing you’d need to plan a trip to Yellowstone and follow responsible wildlife-watching guidelines.

Guardians of Yellowstone: Inside the Yellowstone Cougar Project

Guardians of Yellowstone brings the hidden lives of cougars to Naples, Florida, in an evening screening that reads like a field journal translated to film. Held in the heart of Naples, the program condenses 35 years of research into a 2.5‑hour experience that pairs breathtaking Yellowstone field footage with candid accounts from the biologists who built the Yellowstone Cougar Project. If you travel to southwestern Florida and want an off‑season taste of Rocky Mountain wildness, this is an unusually vivid way to connect with one of North America’s most secretive predators.

The film follows three phases of research, tracing evolving methods from early tracking and telemetry to today’s camera traps and genetic analysis. Scenes shift from lodgepole pine forests and steep canyons to sagebrush valleys and winter snows, showing the cougar in different habitats and ecological roles—ambush hunter, landscape regulator, patient mover across cliffs and drainages. Key features of the natural stage include dense conifer stands, riparian corridors, elk and deer herds that make up the cats’ prey base, and the dramatic terrain of Yellowstone National Park, established as the world’s first national park in 1872.

What makes this event special for visitors to Naples is the intimacy of the storytelling: specific cougars are introduced with names and survival arcs, and fieldwork is presented not as abstract science but as a human endeavor sustained across decades. The evening includes a Q&A, letting visitors hear how localized research in Yellowstone informs wider conservation policy and what protecting apex predators actually looks like on the ground.

Plan to arrive early to secure a seat and to browse educational displays if present; the organizers often set up maps, camera-trap prints, and summaries of collaring and tracking methods. The Q&A can run long on nights when researchers attend—bring questions about telemetry, landscape connectivity, or how local land management affects predator movements and conservation.

Practical travelers’ notes: the screening opens with light refreshments and runs about 90 minutes for the film plus discussion. It’s family‑friendly in tone though the subject matter can include raw footage of predation and winter survival. While you won’t be watching cougars live in Florida, the program is a valuable primer if your itinerary includes western national parks, wildlife viewing, or conservation volunteering.

Beyond the cinematic portraits, Guardians of Yellowstone functions as a bridge between ecosystems—linking Gulf Coast visitors with the high country’s geology, seasonal cycles, and species interactions. It’s a compact, educational evening that strengthens appreciation for predator‑prey dynamics, the role of long‑term field programs, and the people who keep that work going. If you’re in Naples and curious about the true contours of wildness beyond the shore, this screening is an efficient and moving way to cross that distance.

About Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is a Southwest Florida research and education organization that connects people to coastal science through lectures, workshops, community events, and youth camps.

It presents the Lunch & Learn Lecture Series at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, pairing a buffet from Carrabba’s Italian Grill with monthly presentations by environmental experts and complimentary center admission. The Reserve offers guided experiences such as Birding with Biologists, a three-hour beginner workshop at Donna Fiala Eagle Lakes Community Park led by expert biologists focused on identification, behavior, and binocular skills.

Annual and community events include the Classic Car Show at Florida SouthWestern State College with vehicle and vendor registration options, family-friendly activities, and Friends of Rookery Bay fundraising; an Art Gallery Reception in partnership with United Arts Collier showcasing local photography and painting; and Rookery Bay Community Day. The Reserve also hosts Science Nite, the Seabird Social decoy painting workshop during the Festival of Birds, and a wildlife workshop series addressing marine animals, invasive Burmese pythons, and local mammals.

Professional learning opportunities include a hybrid workshop for real estate professionals on selling coastal and inland properties, seawalls, boat lifts, and regulations. Educational programs for youth include a half-day marine science camp for 7th–10th graders with hands-on lab experiences led by scientists focusing on sharks, sea turtles, and conservation.

Rookery Bay emphasizes research-driven programming, community partnerships, and practical learning to advance conservation and public understanding of estuarine ecosystems. Programs welcome residents, students, scientists, and visiting nature enthusiasts year-round.