Variety of events Saturday focus on climate change

 A year after Glacier National Park was established in 1910, University of Montana Professor Morton Elrod lugged a large camera to a scenic point and snapped a photo of Jackson Glacier. An artist as well as a scientist, Elrod sold park images through his family postcard business.

In 2009 scientist Lisa McKeon photographed the same scene. Side-by-side but separated by 98 years, the two images reveal a striking truth of climate change — a great glacier nearly gone in less than a century.

That stark contrast has inspired a new generation of artists to translate science back into art, bringing attention to climate change.

Two of those artists will be in Whitefish on Saturday, April 26, to join scientists and musicians for an evening of visual stories and reflection about the real-world impacts of climate change.

“Stories from the Mountain, Songs from the Soul” starts at 7:30 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Tickets cost $5 at the door.   

The evening of art, music and science centers around tales of climate change inspired by Glacier National Park.

Featured participants include:

v Dan Fagre, research ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, West Glacier.

v Lisa McKeon, physical scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, West Glacier.

v Diane Burko, painter, Philadelphia.

v Joy von Wolffersdorff, professor of art, Northridge, California.

v The Crown of the Continent Choir.

v Left Side Brains, youthful bluegrass.

The evening is sponsored by the National Parks Conservation Association and Glacier Climate Action.

Earlier on Saturday, people in five Northwest Montana towns will spotlight Montana climate solutions through community discussions, music and rallies.

All events begin at noon.

Bigfork: Climate and community gathering, downtown Bigfork.

Columbia Falls: Honk and wave in support of climate solutions, U.S. 2 and Nucleus Avenue.  

Kalispell: Jamming for climate solutions, Depot Park, featuring the Tropical Montana Marimba Ensemble.

Pablo: Roundtable discussion with speakers at Salish Kootenai College, the late Louie Caye Sr. Memorial Building. Lunch provided. Noon to 3 p.m.

Whitefish: Dance a jig, honk and wave for climate solutions, corner of Spokane and Second Street, featuring the bluegrass sounds of the Left Side Brains.

“Climate change is a big hairy challenge,” said Laura Behenna, coordinator of the Kalispell event.

“We’re trying to make sense of the science through the most human of endeavors: art, music, sharing stories, talking with your neighbors. By meeting the climate challenge at a personal and community level, we can begin to find the abundant climate solutions available to us as Montanans.”