OUTDOORS ROUNDUP: Life cycles explored in Whitefish Trail workshop
Whitefish Legacy Partners is inviting the public to spend this morning at the Whitefish Trail Learning Pavilion exploring the life cycles, food webs and social networks of local insects.
The free event will include learning the life cycle of mosquitoes, an insect hunt and using of hand lenses.
Bruce Gunderson from Flathead County and Legacy Partners program director Alan Myers-Davis will lead the workshop.
Both adults and children are encouraged to attend. All children under 6 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Participants will meet at 10 p.m. at the Lion Mountain Trailhead north of Whitefish, and the event will wrap up around noon.
For more information about this hike and other scheduled outings, visit www.whitefishlegacy.org, call (406) 862-3880 or email info@whitefishlegacy.org.
Volunteers needed for lookout painting work
The Northwest Montana Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association is looking for a few more volunteers to help with Phase Two of its Apgar painting project this weekend.
Phase Two consists of cleaning and painting the white trim around the windows and doors, plus some minor carpentry repairs.
Participants have the option of hiking in and helping for the day or committing to multiple days by packing in a sleeping bag and spending the night.
Those interested in volunteering will need to contact Scott Murphy, the association’s coordinator for projects in Glacier National Park to register.
To register or to get more information, email scott.a.murphy@hotmail.com.
The local lookout association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting federal and state agencies in the restoration, maintenance and staffing of fire lookouts and other historic support structures on public lands.
Local botany experts to lead North Fork hike
Join local botany experts on Saturday for a hike in the North Fork area of the Flathead National Forest.
Flathead Forest Botanist Chantelle Delay and Glacier National Park Nursery Manager Sonja Hartman will lead a 6-mile, moderately strenuous hike on the Moran Creek Trail and up to Coal Ridge.
The trail climbs gradually through a diverse forest and flora before reaching the open bowl below Coal Ridge, revealing views of a whitebark pine forest.
The group may choose to continue up the last steep ascent to the ridgetop and the fire lookout.
Participants will have the opportunity to see many native plants, likely including blooming rhododendron albiflorum, a plant that is found in the Flathead National Forest but is not listed for Glacier National Park.
Be prepared for a possibly muddy, wet trail with a few small streams.
The hike is free; the group will meet at the Smith’s parking lot in Columbia Falls at about 8:30 a.m.
Call Hartman at 270-0756 for carpooling information and details.
‘Mussel dogs’ in action at Holland Lake on Tuesday
A duo of specially trained “mussel dogs” will be on display Tuesday evening at Holland Lake as they work to sniff out invasive mussel species at the state watercraft inspection station.
Black Labrador sisters Rosebud and Ismay, under the direction of their human handler Deb Tirmenstein, are trained to detect boats infected with zebra and quagga mussels, aquatic invaders that have caused significant damage to lakes and waterways in many other parts of the country. Montana has successfully avoided infestation of the mussels in all of its water bodies, but the mussel dogs are part of a wide-ranging effort to keep the state’s waters clean.
The mussels have no natural predators, reproduce aggressively and are responsible for wrecking public beaches, water supply infrastructure and dam intakes.
The public is invited to watch the dogs in action at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, at the Holland Lake Boat Launch. Parking and admission to meet the dogs is free.
For details visit SwanValleyConnections.org or call (406) 754-3137.
U.S., Canadian parks hold science day
Parks Canada and the U.S. National Park Service will host the 13th annual Waterton-Glacier Science and History Day at the Falls Theatre in Waterton Lakes National Park on Tuesday.
This international event, held annually on the last Tuesday in July, is free of charge with park entry fees.
Science and History Day is an opportunity to learn about the latest research directly from the scientists and historians working in and around the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
Experts will discuss their work in a non-technical style, with presentations grouped into themes of aquatic resources, landscapes, history and wildlife.
Some of this year’s subjects include the threats facing salamanders, cross-boundary work on climate change, the parks’ lesser-known past and how remote cameras are used to track wildlife movement.
The event will celebrate the National Park Service’s Centennial with a viewing of the 1954 film “Wardens of Waterton,” featuring cooperative work with Glacier National Park rangers.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a sack lunch for the 45-minute lunch break. The film viewing is at 12:45 p.m.
Montana Office of Public Instruction renewal units will be available for Montana teachers who attend this conference.
Attendees are reminded that a passport is required for crossing the Canadian border.
A detailed agenda for Science and History day is available at www.nps.gov/glac/learn/upload/Science-HistoryDay_Agenda_2016.pdf.
Weed-pulling event planned at Finley Point
Montana State Parks is inviting the public to help Flathead Lake State Park staffers combat invasive weeds on Wednesday.
Park staffers will host volunteers as they help to control these plant pests, and participants will learn about weed identification, various control methods and why it’s important to control weeds.
Bring water, work gloves, long pants and sturdy shoes. Trash bags will be provided.
The weed-pulling event takes place 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, at Finley Point, 31453 S. Finley Point Rd.
For more information email flatheadlake.americorps@gmail.com or call (406) 837-3041.