FVCC holds training on ponderosa pine trees

Flathead Valley Community College's Natural Resource Conservation and Management students are hosting a training for a new citizen science mapping effort to investigate the health of ponderosa pine trees in the Flathead Valley.

The community is invited to join the training on Wednesday, Oct. 18 in Ross Hall 166 on campus in Kalispell. Training is available at 2 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. Volunteers need to attend only one timeslot.

For over a year the Flathead Valley has been witness to pockets of declining ponderosa pine trees, namely due to a rise in the prevalence of western pine beetle. The size of a grain of rice, this insect is effective at girdling and killing trees that are predisposed to stress due to overcrowding or drought.

Participants will learn about tree identification; the biology and life cycle of western pine beetles; management recommendations to reduce the threat; how to map individual trees and conduct a health survey; and gain an understanding of the importance of citizen science in managing our natural resources.

This effort will assist students, researchers and natural resource managers in their understanding of the distribution of pine decline as well as individual tree and forest characteristics that may influence resiliency. Results will be made available in real time through a map and data dashboard as health assessments are submitted. Additional information and results will be posted online here.

This effort is partly funded by the FVCC Foundation and is a joint effort between FVCC and the Flathead Lake Biological Station.

For more information, contact Tim Eichner at 406-756-3898 or teichner@fvcc.edu.