The Good Neighbor Handbook: Unlocking the Power of Storytelling in Park County
Park County Good Neighbor Handbook Cover | Photo by Kristin Baker
Within Park County, Wyoming, the town of Cody has long been defined by ranching, farming, and an enduring Western way of life. For Park County residents, identity is deeply tied to the land—protecting that way of life means safeguarding the natural ecosystems and agricultural heritage that sustain it. Yet like much of Wyoming, it is experiencing a development boom that places new urgency on ensuring that growth does not come at the cost of community connection and environmental stewardship.
Kimberly Brandon-Wintermote, a longtime Cody resident and realtor with the Northwest Wyoming Board of Realtors, has seen firsthand how the recent development boom has brought an influx of prospective homeowners who are often unprepared and unfamiliar with the area. She explains, “People see us as a place to retreat to. They’re looking for a different lifestyle, one that’s very laid back. We want to welcome that, but we have shared practices and community norms as well. People need to understand the nuances of our area, and how their decisions will impact our land and our people.”
In response to this challenge, LegacyWorks’ East Yellowstone Regional Initiative Director Laura Bell has been facilitating the co-creation of the Good Neighbor Handbook with our partners in the East Yellowstone Collaborative. Together, they united around a collective vision: to share local wisdom and resources in order to uplift community values, and inspire the preservation of an irreplaceable landscape.
The Good Neighbor Handbook brings together essential regional information that might otherwise be overlooked or unfamiliar - especially for new residents. By creating a central place to share this knowledge via a mix of storytelling, data, and art, East Yellowstone Collaborative members hope the handbook will invite deeper engagement, appreciation, and understanding to enable the protection of an ecosystem that sustains both its people and wildlife. “Our partners—realtors, irrigation districts, weed and pest, conservation districts—they’re fielding questions from people all the time,” says Laura. “There’s a clear need to bring these resources together. We’re not the experts, but we’re the ones gathering and spreading the information.” As a central hub, the handbook helps bridge fragmented knowledge, ensuring that stories, perspectives, and essential guidance reach a broader audience.
Stars & Soil full spread illustration of ways to improve soil | Illustration by Bantam Designs
The handbook spans topics from Park County history and wildlife migration routes to recreation and land stewardship. It also addresses local norms around agriculture, soil health, dark skies, and living alongside wildlife. A particular emphasis is placed on water and irrigation systems. As Laura notes, “People moving here often aren’t familiar with water rights—how irrigation works and who manages it.”
Park County is a close-knit community, grounded in neighborly care and local pride. In many ways, the handbook is designed to strengthen and sustain that spirit for both new and longtime residents. Looking ahead, Laura hopes to see the books “dog-eared, leafed through, and marked up” in homes across the county, helping residents feel “even prouder of where we live.”
The Good Neighbor Handbook is slated for a community rollout this summer. The Collaborative plans to print enough copies for every Park County household, distributing them through local channels, including to new homeowners via the Northwest Wyoming Board of Realtors. An interactive digital version will also be available on the East Yellowstone Collaborative website.
The Good Neighbor Handbook is poised to become a lasting source of connection and shared understanding, helping Park County navigate growth while sustaining its heritage and quality of life. Storytelling as a tool for integration, decision-making, and impact is central to LegacyWorks’ Theory of Change. Through the Good Neighbor Handbook, the East Yellowstone Collaborative has crafted a narrative that serves as both guide and catalyst for preserving Park County’s future. As Kimberly puts it, “We want to keep the Western way of life, where we love our neighbors… We have to grow, and yet we also have to sustain the way of life we value. We need a community our youth want to come back to.”