A Win for Wetlands

October 5, 2023
By jackie pagano

“The game was “the floor is lava.” Five budding naturalists and Swan Valley Connections (SVC) staff tested their balance as they hopped and wobbled across patches of grass to avoid stepping on the large puddle of mud. The concern was not for clean shoes, as this group had already spent the week birding in the rain, identifying plants in the cold, and getting on their hands and knees to smell fresh mountain lion urine (that’s a story for another time). The mission here was to protect the abundance of nearly-perfect tracks left by some of the Swan Valley’s most charismatic wildlife– grizzly bears, wolves, and mountain lions– that were left in the perfect tracking substrate. Here is where you double-take and question if I really meant to say that ONE puddle had trails of several grizzlies, a trotting wolf, and a stalking mountain lion. Well, I did.”


“Hope for Gorilla” by iris smith
(Excerpts from Wildlife in the West ‘23 final reflection)

“In the book Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, a man distraught by the ways of the world seeks comfort in a teacher. He answers a newspaper ad of someone offering to teach why things are the way they are. The teacher talks about the history of human evolution, growth, learning, and consumption of resources.

He asks one crucial question: ‘With man gone, will there be hope for gorilla?’

This question is open for interpretation. Do you see this question as a hopeful future for the gorilla, that once man has disappeared from the earth, he can flourish and thrive? Do you see this question as an ominous premonition, that once man is gone, nothing else can survive? The only certainty this question provides is that man and gorilla are intrinsically intertwined, and one without the other will disrupt the natural order of things. The question also asks, is one better than the other? Why does the fate of the gorilla rest entirely on the shoulders of man, like he is somehow more capable?”


Alumni Spotlight: Adison Thorp
August 23, 2023

“My advice to students with similar academic and career goals is to go out of your comfort zone. If you truly are interested in something within the field of wildlife, natural resources, or sustainability, one of the only ways to gain experience or find your niche is to go out and try things. Seek out internships and other learning opportunities and do not be afraid to ask tough or controversial questions.”


Discovering connections in the backcountry

August 4th, 2023
By Jackie Pagano

“This July SVC hosted our first-ever Backcountry Master Naturalist course, where participants spent a total of six days together, learning to identify species, interpret behaviors, and affirm ecological relationships by practicing skills such as nature journaling, field guide identification, and more. Following the introduction to the course and a journaling exercise, participants packed up and headed into the Swan Mountains for their 4-day, 3-night backpacking experience!” 


Alumni Spotlight: Emily Gamm

July, 14, 2023

“One of the biggest things I learned was how complex most problems are. You can’t take entire ecosystems and just focus on one aspect; everything is so interconnected, and you need to evaluate the system as a whole. I also learned that conservation is not the same as preservation and this really opened my eyes to a whole new way of seeing the world. And there are ways that we can utilize the land and resources, but do it responsibly and sustainably.”


Meet wildlife in the west 2023!

“ Conservation and appreciation of the raw, natural beauty of our world has always been paramount to me, and I hope to someday have a career in natural resource management/research/conservation. SVC has given me the unique opportunity of being able to experience this firsthand, and the skills I've been learning in the classroom will be vital to my future in this field. “ Brighid Doll


Bringing back fire-adapted species
May 10, 2023
By Jackie Pagano

National Arbor Day was welcomed this year with our second-annual Tree Planting Workshop, where volunteers learned proper techniques for planting seedlings, taught by horticulturist and SVC board member Steve Klotezel. Use of common planting tools such as hodads and dibbles (who names these things?) were demonstrated and seedling handling care was discussed. These teachings were put to quick use as volunteers joined SVC staff in planting over 300 trees on a section of the Elk Creek Conservation Area, a parcel owned and managed by SVC and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.


Alumni Spotlight: Megan Hopwood
April 3, 2023

“…as a class we had the privilege to spend time with rural landowners/ stakeholders, asking tough questions about their experience living with predators in their backyard. Although sometimes these conversations were challenging, listening to their concerns and interests plays an essential role when understanding long-term wildlife management.

From these experiences, I came out a better listener and not so quick to judge a situation without learning both sides of a wildlife conflict. During downtime, I had time to reflect on my values toward wildlife management and even made changes toward being a better steward of the natural landscape.”


Alumni spotlight: meghan murphy
january 23, 2023

“One of my greatest takeaways from the program was that some of the most important moments in wildlife conservation have been instigated through a handshake in a bar. Local community involvement is essential for achieving any long-term conservation goal. No action can meet every demand of every stakeholder, but unity and collaboration are possible through compromise, respect, and consideration from all parties.”


Alumni Spotlight: Monro Obenauer
August 16, 2022

“Participating in the program confirmed my passion for conservation, especially learning about conservation through the lens of community. I learned more in my six weeks in the Swan Valley (and more that has stuck with me five years after the fact) than I learned in 3 years of traditional college courses. I have applied the knowledge that I have learned countless times and am still inspired by my experience to continue learning (which is why I just took the Montana Master Naturalist course through Swan Valley Connections- shameless plug!).”


Meet wildlife in the west 2022!

“I hope to leave with empathy for those who do not have the exact same opinions as me. I believe that the best way I can be an advocate for apex predators while studying them, is by understanding other communities’ reasonings for why they view them in a negative light.” Whitney Mayer


creative connections: jessie thoreson

“I am a songwriter. There is this incredible feeling when I notice a vein of inspiration seeping into my brain from my experiences in the natural world. In those moments my entire perspective shifts from passively interpreting the world, to actively trying to understand how I am choosing to interpret it. It is like the inspiration is whispering for me to come over and check it out from this angle.

Through my work and my schooling, I have been trained to see the natural world in a scientific and explanatory way. It is exciting to both challenge that linear way of thinking about nature, and to use that scientific insight for lyrical inspiration.”


Creative connections: Penny Hegyi
April 13, 2022

“Wildlife photography can raise awareness of the plight faced by endangered species and habitats through images that create an emotional connection for viewers.”


To Find, Observe, Collect, and Reflect: L&L 2021 Field Journal Highlights
november 19, 2021
by andrea dinino

During L&L, students are required to make different kinds of entries, including event maps, species I.D., free form entires, and watershed maps. Going through these field journals at the end of the semester is a major highlight because we get to see how each student viewed the world around them. We get a glimpse at the aspects of the program and natural world stood out to and inspired individuals, and we get to see some pretty incredible creativity. (Not to mention some of the personal, reflective entries move us to tears.) CONTINUE READING→


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MEET Landscape & livelihood 2021
september 14, 2021

They’ve been here for a couple of weeks now, and they’ve explored from the valley floor to mountaintop lookouts. They’re starting to feel at home after coming to the Swan from as far as Hawaii and Massachusetts, and it’s time we properly introduced our 2021 class of Landscape & Livelihood! CONTINUE READING→


Alumni Spotlight: Gabrielle Gittens
July 26, 2021

My greatest takeaway is that despite the many differences that people have, people residing in the Swan Valley all share a common ground: they all have a love and connection to the great Montana landscape. This connection does not discriminate against age, gender, race, or stake holding. Whether you are a grizzly bear biologist in the Swan or grew up hunting in the valley, there is a place for everyone at the table…CONTINUE READING→


MEET WILDLIFE IN THE WEST 2021
MAY 27, 2021

Say hello to our TENTH class of Wildlife in the West! These eight students from across the U.S. have chosen to spend their summer in Montana, immersing themselves in the complexities of conservation and wildlife management, and we couldn’t be more excited to have them here. CONTINUE READING→


Creative Connections: JOANNA ES CAMPBELL
MAY 20, 2021

"Sometimes I stop and sit on the forest floor and stare at the canopy and lose track of time. Nothing is wasted. I see something new every day, which means, each day holds a new surprise. I’ve known this mountain my whole life, but it is only in the past year of walking every day that I am learning about the plants and animals who live here, some of their relationships, the sounds and scents of the forest floor, the patterns of darkness and light, water and ice, and the currents of air." CONTINUE READING→


Creative Connections: Sam Grinstead
april 14, 2021

“It always strikes me how little people know about aquatic ecosystems. People who don’t fish regularly don’t realize that fish are absolutely everywhere – even in car dealership ponds, sewer systems, and drainage ditches. I think if more people were aware of their local fish communities, as well as what aquatic ecosystems look like, they would be more likely to respect and conserve these places and the resources that come in tandem with them…” CONTINUE READING→


Alumni Spotlight: Jimmy Parsons
February 17, 2021

“Get involved with a variety of programs to not only see what fits you best, but also to establish a wealth of connections that you can always reach out to!” CONTINUE READING→


Alumni Spotlight: Ally Moser Scott
January 14, 2021

“…The program also gave me a firm appreciation for the importance of partnerships because of the opportunity to interact in person with such a diversity of stakeholders – federal, state, and tribal biologists, private landowners, hunters and trappers, and private organizations. Being able to meet and talk to these individuals made their perspectives and experiences so much more relatable. Nothing else in my education provided an experience like interacting with the community in and around the Swan.” CONTINUE READING→


Alumni Spotlight: Leah Swartz
November 23, 2020

“Before doing L&L, wildlife biology and restoration ecology weren’t really on my radar as potential career paths. Being exposed to professionals in these fields sparked a strong interest in science and changed the course of my education and career.” CONTINUE READING→


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Alumni Spotlight: Riley Burke
September 29, 2020

“This experience is unique in the fact that the entire program is hands-on, from meeting with loggers working in the woods or ranchers and tribal members in the neighboring valley, to learning how the forest interacts with the nature and the river - you are in a constant state of involvement and are almost exclusively calling the wilderness your classroom!” CONTINUE READING→


Alumni Spotlight: Lucas Beck
August 28, 2020

“The tracking skills I learned on my program have been foundational to the field work I have done. My work in Voyageurs is dependent on the same kind of careful field observation I honed on my Wildlife in the West course. While for my work in Washington, Wildlife in the West formed the basis for my experience tracking the wildlife of the mountain west…” CONTINUE READING→


Alumni Spotlight: Mary Sketch
August 10, 2020

“My experience with SVC and in the Swan Valley has truly shaped the course of my studies and career. I think the biggest takeaway was seeing first-hand the resilience of rural communities and their ability to come together and conserve the places that are so important to them. Still today in my work in rural advocacy, I commonly come back to the phrase that rang so true during my time in the Swan: “Because we all shop at the same grocery store” (a reference to everyone’s favorite Condon Mercantile)…” CONTINUE READING→


A Day in the Field with Daughter of the Sun
July 24, 2020
By ANDREA DININO

“Maybe this is our curveball,” Kaydee offered as Nathan repeatedly pulled the cord of the small chainsaw that sounded as if it were too tired to work today.

In the world of trail clearing (especially into the wilderness), there might be a set start time, but that’s about as much as you can plan on, other than expecting the unexpected. I planned to meet Nathan Noble and Kaydee Borchers of Daughter of the Sun Backcountry Services (DOTS) at 9am that morning at the end of my road…” CONTINUE READING→


Alumni Spotlight: Sam Grinstead
June 8, 2020

“Landscape and Livelihood opened my mind, educated me, and exposed me to many careers within my field of work. The coursework made me a more well-rounded natural resource professional, and gave me practical, hands-on knowledge of the ecosystem and its interconnections. It opened my mind to new perspectives, and taught me how to create solutions that take multiple perspectives into account.” CONTINUE READING→


Alumni Spotlight: Jedd Sankar-Gorton
May 11, 2020

“Find what inspires you by being curious and saying yes to opportunities. Then, if you do find something that inspires you, chase it and enjoy the ride. I never would have expected to still be living in NW Montana more than 10 years after my SVC semester, especially having grown up in Philadelphia, but here I am. This place grabbed me and I found a community and work that reflected my interest in the meeting place of people and the environment. ” CONTINUE READING→


Alumni Spotlight: Mikie McDonnell
March 13, 2020

“The contacts that I had made while in L&L essentially put me on a track to a masters in Natural Resources at the University of Idaho, where I designed a certification program for those involved or wanting to be involved with Targeting Grazing. The sheep herding opportunity that I was a part of for two summers opened so many doors for my academic career and overall “uniqueness of employment” that has set me apart in many hiring situations. ”CONTINUE READING→


Alumni Spotlight: Cassidy Williams Shelton
February 3, 2020

“I learned so much more than wildlife science, ecology, and biology. I learned how the connection to place can be life changing. I learned that a difference of opinion does not mean that someone is less educated, selfish, or inconsiderate. I did not just gain an appreciation for wildlife, but I also learned about human dimensions. I understood that issues related to natural resources are not just black and white. As odd as it sounds, SVC showed me how to lead a fuller life. It changed me as a whole person.”
CONTINUE READING→


Alumni Spotlight: Meredith Fraser
January 5, 2020

“L&L introduced me to people on the ground, making a living and working towards conservation in ways I had never thought of before. Coming from a background in marine biology, there was a moment where I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing so far from the ocean in rural Montana.

But this program completely opened my mind to the social side of conservation and gave me the tools to consider and incorporate the inherent connection between people and place. L&L taught me to approach environmental and resource issues not in isolation, but as existing within complex social-ecological systems, regardless of whether you were in the mountains or on the coast.”
CONTINUE READING→ 


Alumni Spotlight: Josh Blouin
December 4, 2019

“I feel as though I have a lifetime of memories from just a short period of time in the Swan. I was fortunate enough to come back to the Swan after my Wildlife in the West program for a few months of winter rare carnivore monitoring. The times where wolves were howling all around us or when I sat with a Canada lynx for a bit comes to mind, but all of those fond memories have one thing in common: they take place in the Swan Valley. There are no words to describe it. It’s simply a special place.”

CONTINUE READING→ 


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Alumni Spotlight: Christen Girard
November 12, 2019

“Because of L&L, I gained new frameworks for hope, resilience, and collaborative visioning to apply to my studies. I also learned firsthand the transformative power of immersive, place-based education, gaining a deep sense of place and connection to the northwest landscape. it was during this program that I first fell in love with field journaling, a practice I’ve maintained and deepened over the last 14 years.”

CONTINUE READING→ 


Alumni Spotlight: Julia Lakes
October 8, 2019

“ Participating in SVC’s program not only sparked my interest in community conservation work, but it also gave me a foundation that proved extremely useful in my career.  The hard skills (like botany, forestry and land use policy) and soft skills (like listening, valuing community and different opinions) I learned in the program are ones I turn to on a daily basis. 

I credit the SVC program with helping me succeed at Wallowa Land Trust….”

CONTINUE READING→ 


Alumni Spotlight: Alissa Anderson
September 23, 2019

“ I first came to the Rockies thinking that guns were for shooting people, and that cutting trees was always bad. I had these opinions and feelings having only experienced an urban lifestyle. Now, I am a hunter and a proponent of responsible logging on public land. I guess what I’m trying to illustrate is that SVC played a large role in my education about the complicated relationships of people’s lives and natural resources in the real world. This experience was invaluable to my growth as a human.”

CONTINUE READING→ 


Meet Landscape & Livelihood 2019
September 4, 2019

Get to know our latest group of students, who have come to the Swan from across the U.S. with goals of understanding rural living, gaining new perspectives related to conservation and more. CONTINUE READING→


Removing Trash from Treasure: Debut Cleanup Day is a Success on the Upper Swan River
August 27, 2019
By ROB RICH

“The news today is filled with horrific updates on the likes of microplastics (in drinking water, in sea salt..) or the Great Pacific garbage patch (the frightening gyre of trash that’s at least as big as Texas). So, for a change of pace, here’s some good news: On August 24, SVC hosted our first-ever Upper Swan River Cleanup day….” CONTINUE READING→ 


Alumni Spotlight: Diani Taylor
June 11, 2019

“ I was looking for something that would be physically and mentally challenging in the outdoors, something outside of my comfort zone, and Landscape and Livelihood fit the bill perfectly…I came away from the program with a much deeper appreciation for the importance of a community - its people, their beliefs, and economic drivers- in addressing local environmental challenges.”

CONTINUE READING→ 


Meet Wildlife in the West 2019
May 28, 2019

Get to know our latest class of Wildlife in the West and why each of them has chosen to spend a summer learning in the Swan!

CONTINUE READING→ 


Alumni Spotlight: Clark Coneby
April 25, 2019

“This field program taught me so many skills and isn’t something many have done. It was exciting, unique, tough, and rewarding. I’ve listed it on my resume, and at every interview I have had thus far, Wildlife in the West has come up.”

CONTINUE READING→ 


Call of the Curious: Becoming a Master Naturalist with Swan Valley Connections
March 8, 2019
By ROB RICH

Orange is a rare color in the Swan Valley forests. On certain slopes in fall, the leaves of mountain ash will sometimes cast this tint. But it wasn’t fall. It was winter, and the color that caught Laura’s eye was a tawny feather, bright against the snow. As she got closer and confirmed what it was, she was seized by the sudden curiosity to know who had left it there, and why

Have you ever been out walking, and found yourself consumed by questions like this? It doesn’t have to be a feather – it could be a hole in a stream bank, a bone on the roadside, or spring’s first flower…CONTINUE READING→ 


Eight Years of Carnivore Monitoring in the Southwestern Crown of the Continent 
February 26, 2019
By LUKE LAMAR

Since the beginning of the Southwestern Crown Collaborative Carnivore Monitoring Project in 2012, Swan Valley Connections (SVC) has been collaborating annually with various partners to monitor rare carnivores. The scope of work and our partners have changed over time, leading to new and exciting research opportunities in 2019. CONTINUE READING→ 


Insects with Impact: How Swan Valley Connections Can Help You Manage Bark Beetles for Healthy Forests
February 12, 2019
By ROB RICH

Winter is typically a quiet time of year, but come February, the phone at Swan Valley Connections (SVC) starts ringing. “Yes, the date is still April 15,” I can hear Leanna say down the hall. Leanna may be our longtime Office Manager, but everyone in earshot knows she’s not talking about tax day. She’s talking about another kind of deadline, determined by the time when Douglas-fir beetles take flight. CONTINUE READING→ 


When in Doubt, Track it Out
February 1, 2019
By ROB RICH

“I’m getting 46 inches here,” said Jan, measuring out the length between where the animal’s foot touched down to where the same foot touched down again. “I got 48 over here,” said Ed, “though it’s still hard to get clear sense of the tracks.” But even without conclusive identification, energy in the group was soaring, knowing a stride of this size could only come from a very large animal…. CONTINUE READING→


Swan Valley Bear News: Griz Mortality
December 9, 2018
By ROB RICH

If record highs for human-caused bear mortalities are set, they typically happen late in the fall, when the onset of winter coincides with voracious appetites. This is the time, which scientists call hyperphagia, when bears consume over 15,000 calories per day so that they can go into hibernation with the nourishment needed to survive until spring.

But this year, by the first week of August, 27 grizzlies were killed in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE). CONTINUE READING


Swan Valley Bear News
November 12, 2018
By MARK RUBY, Wildlife Biologist for U.S. Forest Service, Swan Lake Ranger District

Hunting in grizzly bear country has made headlines in past years as each fall, bear conflicts with hunters are reported in Montana and the Northern Rocky Mountains. Outside of Choteau in 2015, a hunter attacked by a male grizzly bear pushed his arm down the bear’s throat to ward off the attacking animal.   An Idaho bow hunter recently survived a bear attack near Livingston. CONTINUE READING


Return from the Rocky Mountain Front
October 31, 2018
By MEREDITH FRASER

The Landscape and Livelihood students had a busy week on the Rocky Mountain Front and Blackfoot Valley, focused on collaborative watershed groups and agricultural landscapes. The trip started out with an adventure into Glacier National Park with a hike up to Apgar Lookout. After a series of switchbacks up to the top… CONTINUE READING


The (Over)Story on Forests and Communities
October 11, 2018
By MEREDITH FRASER and L&L STUDENTS
Photos by SARAH FISHER, MEREDITH FRASER & ANDREA DININO

Landscape & Livelihood students spent the past two weeks delving into Forests and Communities, one of the five courses covered in the L&L program. This year we had the pleasure of learning from two new instructors, SVC Conservation and Stewardship Associate Mike Mayernick, and Jim Burchfield, SVC Advisory Board member and former Dean of the School of Forestry at the University of Montana. Students learned about stand characteristics, fire ecology, timber harvest…
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Distant Neighbors: Swan Valley Bear Resources Hosts Workshop for Romanian Bear Managers
October 8, 2018
By ROB RICH

A couple weeks ago, a group of ten nonprofit and government stakeholders from Romania learned about bear-resistant trash bins in the Swan Valley. They tested latches, pummeled the thick plastic with their fists, and ran their hands over jagged and warped edges left by grizzlies who chewed – but failed to open – the bins. CONTINUE READING


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L&L Backpacking Trip
September 17, 2018
By MEREDITH FRASER and L&L STUDENTS

Last week the Landscape & Livelihood students embarked on a five-day backpacking trip into the Swan Mountains. The trip started off with an exciting hike up to Upper Holland Lake where the students had their second black bear sighting so far this semester! Upon arrival… CONTINUE READING →


Meet Landscape & Livelihood 2018!
September 4, 2018

We're always impressed with the group of students our programs attract from across the country; get to know our latest class of L&L and what brought them to the Swan! CONTINUE READING →

 


Consider the Water Lilies, How They Grow: A Concerning New Plant on our Lakes
August 31, 2018
By ROB RICH

“This is where the water lily was last year,” sighed Fish Biologist Beth Gardner, pointing to a small cove in Holland Lake's south shore. The water lily. Singular. Today, water lilies abound there, in a growing patch the size of a Chevrolet Suburban. And there are other patches around the lake's edge, wherever the water is shallow and still.  CONTINUE READING →


eDNA for AIS: Demystifying a Tool That Can Watch the Health of our Waters
August 22, 2018
By ROB RICH

Dragging a meter-long net a meter underwater while putting along at five miles an hour, I understand  what it’s like to be a bull trout holding still against the flow. The drag was only a hundred meters and three minutes long, but even with a forearm resting on the gunwales of the aluminum skiff – a well-worn, forest-green vessel dubbed Shrek – there was an isometric intensity to the static pull. CONTINUE READING →


With a Stomp and a Leap: SVC Partners with Montana Land Reliance to Advance Long-Term Amphibian Monitoring
August 19, 2018
By ROB RICH

With a sound that registered somewhere between plunging a toilet and a breeze through aspens, Matt Bell stepped his sandaled foot into the pond’s shallow edge. Squish, squish-squish. “This is the Frog Stomp,” he deadpanned, as if the practice had been widely endorsed by amphibian authorities beyond the Montana Land Reliance (MLR) where he works. “These guys are camouflaged and hard to see in the shadows, and the idea is to trigger some movement out of them.” Nothing jumped... CONTINUE READING →


When Electricity and Water Do Mix: Electrofishing to Preserve the Westslope Cutthroat Trout of Red Butte Creek
August 8, 2018
By ROB RICH

Hunched under a battery and generator heavy on her back, Beth Gardner squeezed a switch, instantly transmitting 800 volts from the probe in her hand to the waters of Red Butte Creek. The boxed apparatus beeped with the insistence of a paramedic’s AED, but as she scanned and shocked each riffle and pool, Beth didn’t flinch. At least not until a white shape surfaced in the swift creek’s froth, and she started yelling hysterically, “there’s one, right there, yes…you got it!” Graham plunged his net and scooped the quarry to find... CONTINUE READING →


“Good Fences Make Good Neighbors”: Swan Valley Bear Resources is Charged for Coexistence
July 2 , 2018
By ROB RICH

Jan Moore will never forget waking to the sound of a grizzly cub wailing with its mother thundering inside a culvert-shaped trap. It was the furious attraction of family denied freedom by inches of metal. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Grizzly Bear Specialist Tim Manley was trying to relocate the whole family together, and as the panicked calls reported the pre-dawn rage, he could only sigh and get dressed for another day on the job... CONTINUE READING →


Montana’s Most Unwanted: A New Monitoring Season Begins for Aquatic Invasive Species
June 22, 2018
By ROB RICH

Our Wildlife in the West students recently went fishing at Upsata Lake, but they didn’t want to catch anything, except maybe some plankton, aquatic insects, or algae. Motored gently about in small skiff by volunteer Barry Gordon, and led by Blackfoot Challenge’s Caitlin Mitchell, we hand-reeled in a white, three-foot net on a hundred-foot rope. Shaped like a wizard’s hat, our net yielded just a little draft of fluid the color of weak green tea, which we promptly conveyed into a 250 mL plastic bottle. There were some crumbles and scum in the fluid, some of which squirmed... CONTINUE READING →


Learning To Live In Harmony With Bears
June 16, 2018
Story: STUDENTS OF WILDLIFE IN THE WEST
Photos: ANDREA DININO

On Saturday, June 9th Swan Valley Bear Resources hosted the Bear Fair at the Swan River Community Hall in Ferndale/Echo Lake, an annual event that works to share information with the public on how to coexist with bears. Almost three weeks into our time as Wildlife in the West students, the Bear Fair was an awesome opportunity for us to interact with community members and share what we have learned in our time here...  CONTINUE READING →


Making It Count: Volunteer Citizen-Scientists Connect Huckleberries, Climate Change, and Grizzlies through the Seasons
June 12, 2018
By ROB RICH

If you happened to be driving to check on the Jim Lakes trailhead last Thursday, you might have seen some peculiar folks crouched over huckleberries not far from the road. It’s June, of course, so nobody was feasting on northwest Montana’s most beloved wild fruit. Instead, we – volunteers and staff for a project with the Earthwatch Institute... CONTINUE READING →


Restoring Watersheds with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
June 8, 2018
Story: ROB RICH
Photos: ANDREA DININO

More than a few eyebrows perked up when Biologist Rusty Sydnor called something on the landscape a “wasteway.” Our Wildlife in the West students were on tour in the Mission Valley, to learn from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) about managing watersheds and native fish... CONTINUE READING →


Wildlife in the West Dives into the Aquatic Realm
June 4, 2018
By ROB RICH

Have you seen the Swan River lately, or a neighborhood creek? Unless you're looking right now, or even if you are, the scene has probably been changing since you saw it last. That's partly why, in between an exciting round of backcountry navigation, bear, wolf, and lynx studies, our Wildlife in the West program began to explore our local waters...

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Meet Wildlife in the West 2018
May 25, 2018
By ANDREA DININO

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A Spring into Birding: The 25th Annual Bird Count for World Migratory Bird Day
May 15, 2018
By ROB RICH

"Five and seven (that's twelve), plus seven (nineteen)…thirty," said Sharon Lamar, whose quick mental math earned her a role in summation. “Thirty red-winged blackbirds, last chance," I called, feeling like an auctioneer, then scribbled yet another species to our list. But we weren't selling anything away: we were accounting for the priceless gift of the birds who have returned with the spring. By the end, in admirable tribute to World Migratory Bird Day, Swan Valley Connections' volunteers counted...  CONTINUE READING →


Spring Bear Wake-up Social
April 17, 2018
By LUKE LAMAR
Photos by SEAN COSTELLO

Every year Swan Valley Bear Resources (SVBR) partners with various agencies and organizations to provide educational events aimed at promoting human-bear coexistence. On April 12, SVBR hosted a Spring Bear Wake-Up Social at the Swan Valley Community Hall that featured presentations by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks grizzly bear management specialist Tim Manley and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes wildlife biologist Stacy Courville.... CONTINUE READING →

 
 

Carnivore Monitoring 2018
January 29, 2018
By LUKE LAMAR, MIKE MAYERNIK, and SARA HALM

SVC staff have been out again this winter surveying The Nature Conservancy's Clearwater Blackfoot Project area and surrounding U.S. Forest Service lands for rare carnivores... CONTINUE READING →


Community Potluck Heats Up Condon
January 5, 2018

Swan Valley Connections kicked off its first monthly potluck on Wed. Jan. 3rd. Nearly 40 folks were in attendance and feasted on... CONTINUE READING →


Touring the Working Landscapes of the Southwest Crown
November 15, 2017
By SARA HALM

Landscape and Livelihood is an interdisciplinary, experiential field program. Subject matter is intricately woven together to tell the story of a place and the people connected to it. Nevertheless, L&L students evolve in distinct stages throughout the program... CONTINUE READING →


Landscape & Livelihood has had a busy couple of weeks!
October 10, 2017
By JESSIE THORESON

Right after we returned from the backpacking trip, we got all hands on deck to help with Community Firewood Day. This event, put on by Swan Valley Connections, is an effort to get winter firewood to community members... CONTINUE READING →


Return From The Mountains
September 25, 2017
By JESSIE THORESON

The weather was promising a high in the mid 30s the morning we packed our bags for a three day trek into the mountains. We made our way towards Upper Holland Lake (approximately 6 miles from the trailhead) to learn about the geology, land management, watershed dynamics and the wilderness of the Swan Mountain Range... CONTINUE READING →


Getting To Know The Landscape
September 7, 2017
By JESSIE THORESON

A week after arriving in the valley, the 2017 Landscape & Livelihood crew is finally getting settled into the rhythm of rural life on the homestead... CONTINUE READING →


LA Teachers go to Montana to study huckleberries, climate change and grizzlies!
September 6, 2017
Guest Blog by MONTANA CLIMATE CHANGE

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Welcome Landscape & Livelihood 2017!
September 5, 2017
By JESSIE THORESON

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Snorkeling the Stream 
July 11, 2017
By EMILY BOGAN

Deciphering good fish habitat can be difficult, especially from the bank. Therefore, Wildlife in the West students got all the way in the water to see for themselves the different habitat types within the banks. Bull trout are one of the focal species of the program, offering a different view... CONTINUE READING →


Dear Wildlife in the West 2017
July 5, 2017
By EMILY BOGAN

Thank you. The last six weeks have been some of the best of my life and it wouldn’t have been possible without the students, instructors, or beautiful classroom the Swan Valley provides. I am going to miss this place so much when I leave, but I can relax knowing I will be able to remember all... CONTINUE READING →


Wildlife in the West 2017
June 30, 2017

Final presentation by Boise State University student SARAH KELLER
Photo by University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh student RYAN DELOGE

I’m not normally the type of person who does this kind of stuff – I’m quiet (really) and an introvert, not someone who you would expect to sign up for a college field course that involves living in a converted barn with 14 other students for over a month and traveling all around western Montana. I’ve spent half of my childhood and all of my adult life in Boise—a pocket of southwest Idaho surrounded by both public lands and rural communities that few people outside of the state have ever heard of... CONTINUE READING →


Promoting Human/Bear Coexistence in the Swan Valley
June 16, 2017
By LUKE LAMAR

Swan Valley Connections has several staff who are members of Swan Valley Bear Resources (SVBR), which is a collaborative group that also involves the U.S. Forest Service. Combined, SVBR is able to offer resources that help minimize bear conflicts on both private and public properties, and ultimately work towards its mission of promoting human/bear coexistence in the Swan Valley... CONTINUE READING →


From Rivers to Ridges 
June 1, 2017
By EMILY BOGAN

This past week the Wildlife in the West students spent time learning about stream ecology and bull trout, as well as higher elevation ecology with habitat suitable for Canada lynx. It was many of the students’ first time tromping through a river in waders... CONTINUE READING →


Say hello to Wildlife in the West 2017!
May 30, 2017
By EMILY BOGAN

Say hello to the amazing students that make up the 2017 class of Wildlife in the West! We have an awesome group from all around the country who are super excited to be in Montana and to use the Swan Valley as a classroom to learn more about wildlife and the issues surrounding it! Check out who is here and why they are thrilled about this program… CONTINUE READING →


Snow IS Fun
March 23, 2017
By SARA HALM and ADAM LIEBERG

Snow IS fun. Winter brings an abundance of outdoor recreation options and opportunities to learn about the natural world. This winter Swan Valley Connections seized the chance to teach snow science, animal tracking, and winter survival skills... CONTINUE READING →


Fresh Tracks And Carnivore Scats
February 28, 2017
By ADAM LIEBERG and CODY DEMS

2017 marks the sixth year of the Southwestern Crown of the Continent Collaborative Carnivore Monitoring Project. The project consists of teams from the US Forest Service, Blackfoot Challenge, and Swan Valley Connections, monitoring rare carnivores across 1.5 million acres... CONTINUE READING →


Mountain Caribou Initiative: Camera Trapping for Carnivores
February 21, 2017
By MOUNTAIN CARIBOU INITIATIVE
Text and photos by DAVID MOSKOWITZ

Caribou are not the only animal tough to track down in the Caribou Rainforest ecosystem. As part of our efforts to tell the story of all of the creatures that call these mountains home, I have been setting camera traps this winter in collaboration with Swan Valley Connections in northwestern Montana... CONTINUE READING →


L&L’s Final Days of Biogeography
October 28, 2016
By JULIA GOODHART

With a brief and celebrated respite from the steady barrage of October rain, L&L students headed into the woods for the final days of Biogeography! With classes culminating and final papers and projects approaching, it seemed like two days using our hands constructively, and tromping through the wet vegetation to identify our trees and animal sign were sincerely appreciated.

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A Week of Wetlands and Forestry
October 25, 2016
By JULIA GOODHART

After returning from our week in the Mission Valley, the aspen trees beginning to flutter in yellows and golds, the L&L students continued their exploration of the Swan Valley’s wetlands.  In the photo below, Andrea is gesturing to the boundary of the wetland - where the cottonwoods, aspens, and other ‘upland’ vegetation begin...

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Putting Beck Creek Garden to Bed
October 17, 2016
By CORY FRONING

Yesterday, October 16th, was Putting the Garden To Bed day. As the rain poured down on my muddy overalls and big winter coat, I flexed my cold-slowed fingers and wondered how an entire growing season had passed since the skies were last dark like this and the soil bare, way back in May...

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Exploring Water and Agriculture in the Mission Valley
October 13, 2016
By CORY FRONING and JULIA GOODHART

It has been a wild few weeks! The L&L students have been on some wonderful adventures recently, and we’ll try to catch you up with everything!  After an awesome day chopping and hauling firewood with community members to ensure everyone has plenty of wood for the winter, we left our beautiful homestead to live and learn on the other side of the Mission mountains for five days.

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Getting To Know Our Watershed
September 23, 2016
By JULIA GOODHART

After our venture into the Bob Marshall, we plunged headlong into the first few days of our Watershed Dynamics and...

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Beck Creek Garden CSA Dinner
September 12, 2016
By CORY FRONING

When I remember yesterday’s CSA dinner, the memory isn’t my own, but rather it’s drawn from the brain of a third person; sitting in the clouds, peering out over the Missions, into the belly of the Swan, zooming in on a tiny patch of sunflowers and zucchini...

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Backpacking in the Swan
September 12, 2016
By JULIA GOODHART

This past week, the Landscape & Livelihood students ventured into the Swan Mountains for a five-day backpacking trip.  We camped on the quiet shores of Sapphire Lake, and climbed...

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Meet Landscape & Livelihood 2016!
September 9, 2016
By JULIA GOODHART and CORY FRONING

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Hello, hello from the Beck Homestead!
September 2, 2016
By CORY FRONING and JULIA GOODHART

Sunflower blossoms, the first fall frost, and Landscape & Livelihood students have finally  arrived! It’s hard to believe that we have already waved goodbye to 8 CSA shares and a bountiful huckleberry season, but sunny temperate days and chilly nights are making for a seamless transition into an autumn full of learning...

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Flammulated Owl Surveys
July 18, 2016
By JULIA GOODHART and LUKE LAMAR


In June, Swan Valley Connections was contracted by the U.S. Forest Service to conduct flammulated owl surveys at several sites on the Flathead National Forest in the Swan Valley, Tally Lake area, and near the South Fork of the Flathead River...

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WiW Goes Camping Part II: People Predators, and Perspectives
June 29, 2016
By SARAH ROY

The second part of our big camping trip focused mainly on Grizzly bears and wolves and how they fit into the landscape here in Montana. We not only studied the ecology of these animals and their movements, but more importantly we focused in on how these creatures interact with people...

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WiW Goes Camping Part I: Exploring Aquatics
June 27, 2016
By SARAH ROY

We started off our big camping trip with some hands-on aquatic activities. Instructor Andrea Stephens took all of us to see how culverts can affect the connectivity of fish populations...

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Wilderness Volunteer Trail Clearing
June 20, 2016
By LUKE LAMAR

On Saturday, June 18, volunteers joined forces with SVC's backcountry trail stewards, Christian Mascho and Nathan Noble, to help clear some of the Lower Hemlock Lake trail...

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Why should I care about fish?
June 13, 2016
By SARAH ROY

Here in the Swan Valley, this is the resounding question. It is one of the top conservation concerns for biologists, but seems to be one of the least addressed questions in the general public...

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Bear Fair Highlights
June 10, 2016
By SARA HALM and LUKE LAMAR

For eight years Swan Valley Bear Resources (SVBR) has served the upper Swan Valley community, offering various resources for residents to reduce the chance of bear conflict and promote coexistence. One of these resources are education and outreach events...

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Beck Creek Garden Update
June 6, 2016
By CORY FRONING

It’s hard to believe I’ve already been back in the Swan Valley for an entire month. I am so grateful to have been welcomed back into this community with open arms...

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Grizzly Bears and Whitebark Pine Ecology
May 31, 2016
By SARAH ROY

For the past few days, the students have been focusing on grizzly bear ecology. Everything from where they live, to what they eat, to how their bodies react physiologically while in hibernation…

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Meet Wildlife in the West '16
May 25, 2016
By SARAH ROY

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Carnivore Monitoring Continues
February 8, 2016
By EMILY McCALL

The carnivore monitoring season continues! Interns and staff are mourning our fellow intern Sophie’s return to school at the end of her winter break, but Josh and Emily continue to learn the arts of tracking...

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Interns @ Swan Valley Connections
January 18, 2016
By JOSH BLOUIN

Happy New Year from the interns here at Swan Valley Connections...

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