Lectures focus on wilderness

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation and Montana Wilderness Association are teaming up to present the Wilderness Speaker Series this winter.  

This series will explore topics involving the importance of wilderness for wildlife populations, recreation and the management of these lands.

The series will be presented in Room 139 at the Flathead Valley Community College Arts and Technology Building. 

Lectures will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. There is no charge and the public is welcome. For more information, visit www.bmwf.org or call Carol Treadwell at 406-387-3847 or www.wildmontana.org or call Amy Robinson at 406-730-2006.

Feb. 5: “Wilderness Management 101.” 

Deb Mucklow, Spotted Bear district ranger and Bob Marshall Complex manager, will discuss the challenges of managing wilderness in today’s society while maintaining wilderness character. The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act adds 67,000 acres to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. What will be the management advantages and challenges?

March 5: “The Wild is Consequential: Grizzlies, People and Sharing the Land.”

Steve Primm will share stories and experiences working on grizzly and wolf recovery around Yellowstone National Park. Discover how his innovative work and ideas near the park connect to wildlife and human populations around Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Primm is founder and director of People and Carnivores, a nonprofit in Southwest Montana that focuses on building a future for large carnivores through cooperation with the people who live with them.

April 2: “A Walk on the Wild Side — A 200-mile Hike in the Spirit of Bob Marshall.”

Chris Peterson is a reporter/photographer for the Hungry Horse News and publishes Glacier Magazine. 

Last year, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, Peterson partially retraced Marshall’s 288-mile hike through what is now the Bob Marshall Wilderness. 

He will present a slide show and tales of his adventure.