Winter Speaker Series starts Jan. 25

The annual Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates Winter Speaker Series is a decades-long tradition in the Flathead Valley for the public.

This year brings three interesting, informative presenters during this challenging period in the park.

In 2021 the presentations will be given virtually so Glacier National Park fans across the nation may take part. Talks begin at 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday of January, February and March. The community is welcome, attendance is free when registered online.

Jan. 25 — Kevin Warrington will present “Sperry Chalet and the Sprague Fire: Before, During, and After.” Warrington has been running Sperry Chalet for 15 years and is the third generation of his family to operate the Glacier National Park chalet concession Belton Chalets Inc., which runs both the Sperry and Granite Park Chalets in Glacier Park. These popular chalets are accessible only by trail and can be reserved for overnight stays. In addition to lodging for weary hikers, several interpretive multi-day workshops at both chalets are available throughout the summer. The Sperry Chalet was lost in 2017 in the Sprague fire but was rebuilt and re-opened last year. The talk will include a photo slide show and an inside view of the fire and the restoration of Sperry Chalet.

Feb. 22 — James Hackethorn from the Glacier Park Boat Company will present “Glacier’s Historic Wooden Boats: Maintaining and sharing these living artifacts with park visitors for generations to come.” Hackethorn is the human resources and interpretation manager for Glacier Park Boat Company. He has been with the family-owned business since 2003. He is a graduate of the University of Montana and holds a master’s degree in history from New Mexico State University. Some of his recent work has been the successful nomination of four historic boats in Glacier Park to the National Register of Historic Places. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Columbia Falls.

March 22 — Jeff Mow became the 22nd superintendent of Glacier National Park in August 2013. A 31-year veteran of the National Park Service, Mow served 21 of those years in Alaska at various parks including Kenai Fjords, Denali, Glacier Bay, and Gates of the Arctic. Mow studied environmental education at Carleton College and geology at the University of Michigan. He has served as Rotary Club president, mayor of Alaska’s smallest incorporated city, and community EMT and volunteer firefighter. He and his family enjoy a variety of winter activities and the hiking, biking and paddling opportunities Montana offers. Mow will present "Navigating the Uncertainties of a Global Pandemic at Glacier National Park” and discuss the recent challenges for park operations, including attendance and the pandemic.

EVENT DETAILS

Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates will present their 2021 Winter Speaker Series as an online event through the Zoom format, due to COVID-19 restrictions. A registration link is under "Events" on their Facebook page @GNPVA or on the website, www.gnpva.org.

The registration link for February and March will be posted several weeks before each event.