Upcoming Events
Glacier National Park Wildlife Tracking
Join us for a winter wildlife tracking adventure in Glacier National Park!
This course is in partnership with The Glacier Institute; full details and registration information can be found on their website:
Wildlife Tracks & Sign
Spend a day honing your senses to the subtle signs left by wildlife on the landscape.One week prior to our field day we will send out a link to an informational lecture and overview of tracking techniques. We will then apply these techniques in the field during our time together. You’ll become familiar with gait patterns and how to measure the stride (length) and straddle (width) between tracks, you’ll learn of signs, other than tracks, to be on the lookout for, and you’ll gain knowledge of some of the common behaviors of our wild neighbors.
Enrich your future walks through the woods and deepen your connection to the natural world around you!
$100 per person
Limited to 10 participants.
Snowshoes available if needed.
Summer Programs Scholarship App Deadline
Summer Programs (start date between May 16-Sept 30) Scholarship App Deadline
Applicants will be notified about the status of their scholarship application within 2 weeks of the application deadline.
To apply for a SVC scholarship, please answer the questions on the form linked below. If you have difficulty completing the form, have questions, or need clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact Sara Lamar.
Scholarship recipients will be asked to write a testimonial once they complete their SVC program.
Trail Camera Movie Night at the Hungry Bear!
Join us for a Trail Camera Movie Night at the Hungry Bear Bar & Grill in Condon!
We’ll be playing some of our best footage from recent years and sharing about the wildlife and behaviors seen on screen.
Bring the whole family!
Wildlife Tracks & Sign
Spend a day honing your senses to the subtle signs left by wildlife on the landscape.One week prior to our field day we will send out a link to an informational lecture and overview of tracking techniques. We will then apply these techniques in the field during our time together. You’ll become familiar with gait patterns and how to measure the stride (length) and straddle (width) between tracks, you’ll learn of signs, other than tracks, to be on the lookout for, and you’ll gain knowledge of some of the common behaviors of our wild neighbors.
Enrich your future walks through the woods and deepen your connection to the natural world around you!
$100 per person
Limited to 10 participants.
Snowshoes available if needed.
Cartography Comes Alive: Rare Carnivore Monitoring
SVC’s Luke Lamar will be presenting on 10 years of rare carnivore monitoring in the Southwestern Crown of the Continent at Xplorer Maps in Missoula, as part of their “Cartography Comes Alive” event series.
The event is free and open to all, however, space is very limited and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis; registration is encouraged! For more information or to reserve tickets, visit Xplorer Maps at 1245 S 3rd St W, Missoula or call 406-546-4972.
Spring Break Wildlife Tracks & Sign Course
Spend a week in the field with us, earn two credits through the University of Montana (WILD 291), and gain your Wildlife Tracks & Sign Certification through CyberTracker North America!
Not exclusive to college students & does not need to be taken for credit - all are welcome!
Cost: $1,450 + $155 University of montana credit fee
10% non-refundable deposit due at registration
(Includes: food, lodging, transportation around the Swan Valley, and pick-up from Missoula)
*See email for actual start and end times
Quarterly Potluck: TBD
Swan Valley Community Hall, Hwy 83, mm 42.5, Condon
5:30 pm - Doors Open • 6:00 pm - Potluck Dinner • 6:30 pm - Presentation
Join us for our quarterly community potluck & presentation
SVBR Spring Bear Wake-up Social (Ferndale)
Swan River Community Hall
(115 Swan River Rd, Bigfork, MT 59911)
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Join us for our annual Swan Valley Bear Resources “Spring Bear Wake-up Social”
Erik Wenum, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 1 Bear and Lion Specialist, will be presenting on living with bears and sharing information our local population!
Weekend Warrior Master Naturalist (1 of 4)
Topics: Intro to nature journaling and birds with Cedar Mathers-Winn
Over the course of a year, join us for 4 weekends in the lower Swan River Watershed to engage in experiential, field-based education. Participants learn to identify species, interpret behaviors, and understand ecological relationships. This experiential education strengthens both a sense of place and the confidence, curiosity, and attention needed to respect and conserve diverse ecosystems.
Course Dates:
May 3rd & 4th, 2025
July 19th & 20th, 2025
October 11th & 12th, 2025
January 17th & 18th, 2026
This course is based out of Bigfork, Montana.
Learn more on our Montana Master Naturalist page
*Actual start times will be communicated via email before the course begins
Cedar Mathers-Winn
is a naturalist, biologist, and educator based in Bozeman. He earned his Master’s degree studying animal communication in southwestern Montana, and has studied ecology and animal behavior in mountain, tropic, and desert ecosystems. As an educator, Cedar emphasizes the everyday subtleties of nature, revealing worlds of wildness hidden in plain sight.
Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup (Volunteer Opportunity)
Join us (rain or shine!) for our annual Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup Day, as we pick up trash along our beautiful highway 83 and in front of The River House.
Reflective vests, garbage bags, and grabber tools provided.
Please bring your own gloves, snacks, water, and any of the following if you’re able: rakes and grain shovels, wheel barrels, and pickup trucks for transporting needles.
Questions? Please e-mail taylor@svconnections.org
Bigfork Elementary 5th Grade Campout
Three groups of 5th graders from Bigfork Elementary camp out on the Swan Legacy Forest for 3 days & 2 nights, while learning about wetland ecology, wildlife safety, and more!
May 7-16
Wildlife in the West Begins!
Our 6-week college field program, Wildlife in the West, begins!
Experience ecology and management of endangered species in Montana’s working landscapes
May 19-June 28, 2025
9 credits
Wildlife Trailing Workshop
Participant are taught to follow an animal's trail, how to recognize and interpret tracks & sign, anticipate where the trail is going, read the trail for danger, interpret the ecological context of the trail, and approach the animal, if the occasion arises.
$375 per person
Limited to 6 participants
*See email communications for actual start and end times
Wildlife Trailing Certification with David Moskowitz
Spend two days in the field with professional wildlife tracker and educator David Moskowitz in this Cybertracker certification course .
STANDARD CERTIFICATION ($475)
Class size is limited to 4 people; lodging and food not provided.
This course fills quickly — early registration recommended.
If you have questions, please email taylor@svconnections.org
At a CyberTracker Trailing Evaluation, every participant takes a turn as lead tracker. The goal is to follow an animal’s fresh spoor to locate it on the landscape, guide the group to approach and observe it, and, finally, to exit the area without alerting the animal to any human presence. Every tracking situation is different, so we are always in the position of having to “figure it out.” This uniqueness also results in variations to the exact experience of each participant, dictated by field conditions and animal behavior.
We assess every participant’s ability to follow spoor, recognize and interpret tracks & sign, anticipate where the trail is going, read the trail for danger, interpret the ecological context of the trail, and approach the animal, if the occasion arises.
Meet David Moskowitz…
A photographer, naturalist, and educator, David has an approach that is highly interactive; he actively engages participants in identification and interpretation of tracks and signs, and allows plenty of time for questions and discussion.
David is a Senior Tracker through Cybertracker Conservation.
Wildlife Trailing Certification with David Moskowitz
Spend two days in the field with professional wildlife tracker and educator David Moskowitz in this Cybertracker certification course .
STANDARD CERTIFICATION ($475)
Class size is limited to 4 people; lodging and food not provided.
This course fills quickly — early registration recommended.
If you have questions, please email taylor@svconnections.org
At a CyberTracker Trailing Evaluation, every participant takes a turn as lead tracker. The goal is to follow an animal’s fresh spoor to locate it on the landscape, guide the group to approach and observe it, and, finally, to exit the area without alerting the animal to any human presence. Every tracking situation is different, so we are always in the position of having to “figure it out.” This uniqueness also results in variations to the exact experience of each participant, dictated by field conditions and animal behavior.
We assess every participant’s ability to follow spoor, recognize and interpret tracks & sign, anticipate where the trail is going, read the trail for danger, interpret the ecological context of the trail, and approach the animal, if the occasion arises.
Meet David Moskowitz…
A photographer, naturalist, and educator, David has an approach that is highly interactive; he actively engages participants in identification and interpretation of tracks and signs, and allows plenty of time for questions and discussion.
David is a Senior Tracker through Cybertracker Conservation.
Wildlife Tracks & Sign Specialist Certification
The CyberTracker Track and Sign Certification is an internationally applied, professional-level certification used to promote wildlife tracking and knowledge. This two-day field experience is both an assessment and a training, with an emphasis on open dialogue and real learning.
The process during the Track & Sign Specialist evaluation is identical to the standard evaluation, excepting the following variation: At least 50 “very complex” spoor will be asked, with not more than 10 “complex” spoor. No “easy” spoor will be asked. In addition to this, 7 “extremely complex” spoor will be asked; No penalty is awarded for an incorrect answer on an extremely difficult question, but three correctly answered extremely difficult spoor cancel the mistake of one incorrect answer; thus, participants can rectify up to two mistakes during an evaluation and still earn their Specialist Certificates. Specialist evaluations are initially open to participants who have earned a Professional certificate. If there is still space two months before the evaluation, we will open the evaluation to participants who have earned a Level III certificate.
SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION ($575)
Class size is limited to 10 people; lodging and food not provided.
This course fills quickly - early registration recommended.
If you have questions, please email taylor@svconnections.org
Meet David Moskowitz…
A photographer, naturalist, and educator, David has an approach that is highly interactive; he actively engages participants in identification and interpretation of tracks and signs, and allows plenty of time for questions and discussion.
David is a Senior Tracker through Cybertracker Conservation.
Meet Michelle Peziol…
Meet Michelle Peziol…
Michelle is a seasoned tracker who embarked on her journey in 2009. Now, she resides in Montana, where her expertise extends to tracking nitrogen in groundwater.
Michelle is a Senior Tracker through CyberTracker Conservation.
Wildlife Tracks & Sign Standard Certification
The CyberTracker Track and Sign Certification is an internationally applied, professional-level certification used to promote wildlife tracking and knowledge. This two-day field experience is both an assessment and a training, with an emphasis on open dialogue and real learning.
STANDARD CERTIFICATION ($375)
Class size is limited to 10 people; lodging and food not provided.
This course fills quickly — early registration recommended.
If you have questions, please email taylor@svconnections.org
Meet David Moskowitz…
A photographer, naturalist, and educator, David has an approach that is highly interactive; he actively engages participants in identification and interpretation of tracks and signs, and allows plenty of time for questions and discussion.
David is a Senior Tracker through Cybertracker Conservation.
Summer Wildlife Tracks & Sign Course
Spend a week in the field with us, earn two credits through the University of Montana (WILD 291), and gain your Wildlife Tracks & Sign Certification through CyberTracker North America!
Not exclusive to college students & does not need to be taken for credit - all are welcome!
Cost: $1,450 + $155 University of montana credit fee
10% non-refundable deposit due at registration
(Includes: food, lodging, transportation around the Swan Valley, and pick-up from Missoula)
*See email for actual start and end times
Weekend Warrior Master Naturalist (2 of 4)
Topics: Botany, Streams & Wetlands with Cedar Mathers-Winn
Over the course of a year, join us for 4 weekends in the lower Swan River Watershed to engage in experiential, field-based education. Participants learn to identify species, interpret behaviors, and understand ecological relationships. This experiential education strengthens both a sense of place and the confidence, curiosity, and attention needed to respect and conserve diverse ecosystems.
Course Dates:
May 3rd & 4th, 2025
July 19th & 20th, 2025
October 11th & 12th, 2025
January 17th & 18th, 2026
This course is based out of Bigfork, Montana.
Learn more on our Montana Master Naturalist page
*Actual start times will be communicated via email before the course begins
Cedar Mathers-Winn
is a naturalist, biologist, and educator based in Bozeman. He earned his Master’s degree studying animal communication in southwestern Montana, and has studied ecology and animal behavior in mountain, tropic, and desert ecosystems. As an educator, Cedar emphasizes the everyday subtleties of nature, revealing worlds of wildness hidden in plain sight.
SVBR Annual Bear Fair (Condon)
SWAN VALLEY BEAR RESOURCES ANNUAL BEAR FAIR
Come learn about living in bear country from bear management experts, local professionals, and bear-related organizations.
MT FWP grizzly bear research team member, Milan Vinks will be our presenter!
The event is from 12pm - 4pm at the Swan Valley Community Hall in Condon.
Montana Master Naturalist
During six days of experiential, field-based education, participants learn to identify species, interpret behaviors, and affirm ecological relationships. Upon completing the course, you’ll earn your Montana Master Naturalist Certification! (This course can also be taken for college credit)
The Montana Master Naturalist Program is designed for adults who want to stoke their curiosity, deepen their knowledge of the natural world, and give back to their communities in new ways.
"A Woman Among Wolves" Book Reading with Diane Boyd
Join us at the Swan Valley Community Hall for a co-hosted event with Alpine Artisans, where Diane Boyd will read from her book, “A Woman Among Wolves: My Journey Through 40 years of Wolf Recovery.”
Weekend Warrior Master Naturalist (3 of 4)
Topics: Forests, Lichen, and Fungi with Taylor Tewksbury
Over the course of a year, join us for 4 weekends in the lower Swan River Watershed to engage in experiential, field-based education. Participants learn to identify species, interpret behaviors, and understand ecological relationships. This experiential education strengthens both a sense of place and the confidence, curiosity, and attention needed to respect and conserve diverse ecosystems.
Course Dates:
May 3rd & 4th, 2025
July 19th & 20th, 2025
October 11th & 12th, 2025
January 17th & 18th, 2026
This course is based out of Bigfork, Montana.
Learn more on our Montana Master Naturalist page
*Actual start times will be communicated via email before the course begins
Weekend Warrior Master Naturalist (4 of 4)
Topics: Wildlife Ecology and Tracks & Sign with Sara Lamar
Over the course of a year, join us for 4 weekends in the lower Swan River Watershed to engage in experiential, field-based education. Participants learn to identify species, interpret behaviors, and understand ecological relationships. This experiential education strengthens both a sense of place and the confidence, curiosity, and attention needed to respect and conserve diverse ecosystems.
Course Dates:
May 3rd & 4th, 2025
July 19th & 20th, 2025
October 11th & 12th, 2025
January 17th & 18th, 2026
This course is based out of Bigfork, Montana.
Learn more on our Montana Master Naturalist page
*Actual start times will be communicated via email before the course begins
Connecting People & Place in the Swan Watershed
A gathering to engage with your community and landscape
Wildlife Tracks & Sign
Spend a day honing your senses to the subtle signs left by wildlife on the landscape.One week prior to our field day we will send out a link to an informational lecture and overview of tracking techniques. We will then apply these techniques in the field during our time together. You’ll become familiar with gait patterns and how to measure the stride (length) and straddle (width) between tracks, you’ll learn of signs, other than tracks, to be on the lookout for, and you’ll gain knowledge of some of the common behaviors of our wild neighbors.
Enrich your future walks through the woods and deepen your connection to the natural world around you!
$100 per person
Limited to 10 participants.
Snowshoes available if needed.
Spring Programs Scholarship App Deadline
Spring Programs (start date between March 1 -May 15) Scholarship App Deadline
Applicants will be notified about the status of their scholarship application within 2 weeks of the application deadline.
To apply for a SVC scholarship, please answer the questions on the form linked below. If you have difficulty completing the form, have questions, or need clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact Sara Lamar.
Scholarship recipients will be asked to write a testimonial once they complete their SVC program.
Bubble Cap Orders Open
Purchase pheromone packets to protect your trees from bark beetle infestation.
ORDERS CLOSE FRIDAY, MARCH 14th
Quarterly Potluck: Harlequin Ducks
Kick the new year off with us at our first quarterly community potluck & presentation of 2025: Harlequin Ducks with UM master’s student Holli Holmes
Swan Valley Community Hall, Hwy 83, mm 42.5, Condon
5:30 pm - Doors Open • 6:00 pm - Potluck Dinner • 6:30 pm - Presentation
Harlequin Ducks (HADU) may be one of the toughest species out there.
Wintering along rocky coastal shorelines up into the artic and breeding in whitewater streams in the mountains, studies have shown they have more broken bones than any other species, and adults often live with multiple healed fractures. However, despite being incredibly tough, biologists and land managers across the HADU breeding range in the Northern Rockies (Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Alberta) have struggled to understand the state and trends in breeding populations and are concerned about their status.
For her master’s research, Holli Holmes worked with land managers and biologists across the N. Rockies to identify two main research needs:
are there better ways to detect HADU?
where might they be that we are not looking but may potentially be important?
Holli evaluated non-invasive sampling techniques, which included ground-based foot surveys, environmental DNA, and game cameras. She is now working on building a predictive occupancy model of HADU in the region as a tool for identifying potentially important breeding streams. Holli’s work is focused on laying the foundation for improving a monitoring program for HADU across the Northern Rockies that aims to identify and address the drivers of population declines of this iconic mountain species.
About the presenter:
Holli Holmes is currently a master’s student at the University of Montana. Holli grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where she first found her passion for the outdoors and for wildlife conservation. She graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology in 2019. Eager to gain different experiences, she worked for 4 years doing various wildlife jobs for different federal agencies in the intermountain west, although a majority of that time was spent in Glacier National Park.
Her experiences and education impassioned a strong ethic for community-based conservation, and this passion has led her to working collaboratively with biologists across the state of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Alberta, also leading her to her master's research on HADU.
Winter Wildlife Tracks & Sign Course
Spend a week in the field with us, earn two credits through the University of Montana (WILD 291), and gain your Wildlife Tracks & Sign Certification through CyberTracker North America!
Not exclusive to college students & does not need to be taken for credit - all are welcome!
Cost: $1,450 + $155 University of montana credit fee
10% non-refundable fee due at registration
(Includes: food, lodging, transportation around the Swan Valley, and pick-up from Missoula)
*See email for actual start and end times
Christmas Bird Count Potluck & Tally
The Upper Swan Valley Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will take place on December 21st, 2024.
This will be the 125th year the National Audubon Society has sponsored this event, and you can contribute to this impressive dataset by counting all the birds you see or hear (by numbers and species within our count circle) on Saturday, December 21 from 12 am to 11:59 pm.
To tally our results, we will gather for a light potluck at the Swan Valley Connections office on Monday, December 23rd from 5 pm-6:30 pm, hosted by Taylor Tewksbury. A virtual Zoom option is also available (link below).
To sign up for this year's count, please email Taylor at taylor@svconnections.org, or call our office (406-754-3137).
Optional Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87503954062?pwd=apTTJPwixy4pLXj4ovQ1cBEnn02sRh.1
Here are a few notes to keep in mind:
Please also report any new bird species seen three days before or after December 21. You just need new species (not numbers) for these "count week" birds. If you do get more "count week" birds after our Zoom tally, or if you are not available for the tally, please send your results by email to taylor@svconnections.org.
Please be prepared to report your hours, miles, weather, and means of birding (driving, skiing, walking, window-watching, etc.) while counting on December 21st.
Bears will increasingly move towards hibernation over the next month, but right now the bears are still out, so bird feeders are not advised.
125th Annual Christmas Bird Count
The Upper Swan Valley Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will take place on December 21st, 2024.
This will be the 125th year the National Audubon Society has sponsored this event, and you can contribute to this impressive dataset by counting all the birds you see or hear (by numbers and species within our count circle) on Saturday, December 21 from 12 am to 11:59 pm.
To tally our results, we will gather for a light potluck at the Swan Valley Connections office on Monday, December 23rd from 5 pm-6:30 pm, hosted by Taylor Tewksbury. A virtual Zoom option is also available (link below).
To sign up for this year's count, please email Taylor at taylor@svconnections.org, or call our office (406-754-3137).
Optional Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87503954062?pwd=apTTJPwixy4pLXj4ovQ1cBEnn02sRh.1
Here are a few notes to keep in mind:
Please also report any new bird species seen three days before or after December 21. You just need new species (not numbers) for these "count week" birds. If you do get more "count week" birds after our Zoom tally, or if you are not available for the tally, please send your results by email to taylor@svconnections.org.
Please be prepared to report your hours, miles, weather, and means of birding (driving, skiing, walking, window-watching, etc.) while counting on December 21st.
Bears will increasingly move towards hibernation over the next month, but right now the bears are still out, so bird feeders are not advised.
Wildlife Tracks & Sign *CANCELED*
Spend a day honing your senses to the subtle signs left by wildlife on the landscape.One week prior to our field day we will send out a link to an informational lecture and overview of tracking techniques. We will then apply these techniques in the field during our time together. You’ll become familiar with gait patterns and how to measure the stride (length) and straddle (width) between tracks, you’ll learn of signs, other than tracks, to be on the lookout for, and you’ll gain knowledge of some of the common behaviors of our wild neighbors.
Enrich your future walks through the woods and deepen your connection to the natural world around you!
$100 per person
Limited to 10 participants.
Snowshoes available if needed.
Winter Programs Scholarship App Deadline
Winter Programs (start date between Jan 1-Feb 28) Scholarship App Deadline
Applicants will be notified about the status of their scholarship application within 2 weeks of the application deadline.
To apply for a SVC scholarship, please answer the questions on the form linked below. If you have difficulty completing the form, have questions, or need clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact Sara Lamar.
Scholarship recipients will be asked to write a testimonial once they complete their SVC program.
Becoming Little Shell: Book Reading with Chris La Tray
Join us and Montana Poet Laureate Chris La Tray for a reading of his latest book, Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home, at the Swan Valley Community Hall, as part of the Alpine Artisan’s Open Book Club Series!
This event is free and open to the public.
Refreshments provided
Trail Camera Movie Night at the Hungry Bear!
Join us as we celebrate our Wild for Wildlife campaign with a Trail Camera Movie Night at the Hungry Bear Bar & Grill in Condon!
We’ll be playing some of our best footage from the past year.
Trivia at A-Bar
We’re taking over two rounds of trivia at A-Bar in Bigfork! Test your bear and Swan Valley knowledge for the chance to win some fun prizes.
Trivia starts at 6:30PM
11032 MT State Highway 83 Bigfork, MT 59911
Community Firewood Day
Join us for our annual Community Firewood Day!
We’ll be splitting, delivering, and stacking for a full list of people in need in the community.
*Meet at the Swan Valley Connections office at 9AM for a mandatory safety meeting
Please bring your own lunch/snacks, ear and eye protection, and gloves
Volunteer BBQ to follow sponsored by Mannix Family Grass-Finished Beef!
If you’d like to donate wood, or if you have a splitter to lend for the day, please contact Mike Mayernik at 406-754-3137 or mike@svconnections.org!
Quarterly Potluck: Rare Carnivore Monitoring Project
Swan Valley Community Hall, Hwy 83, mm 42.5, Condon
5:30 pm - Doors Open • 6:00 pm - Potluck Dinner • 6:30 pm - Presentation
Join us for our quarterly community potluck, featuring a presentation by SVC’s Luke Lamar and Mike Mayernik, who will both be discussing the results from 10 years (2012-2022) of wolverine and Canada lynx monitoring in the Southwest Crown of the Continent.
They’ll also be sharing how this project has led to additional research efforts.
Montana Master Naturalist
During six days of experiential, field-based education, participants learn to identify species, interpret behaviors, and affirm ecological relationships. Upon completing the course, you’ll earn your Montana Master Naturalist Certification! (This course can also be taken for college credit)
The Montana Master Naturalist Program is designed for adults who want to stoke their curiosity, deepen their knowledge of the natural world, and give back to their communities in new ways.
Forest Stewardship Class- MSU Extension
ACQUIRE FOREST MANAGEMENT SKILLS TO CONSERVE YOUR FOREST
Learn about your forest, what species do you have, how are they growing, how old are your trees, what animals share your forest? Establish your own objectives for your forest, inventory your forest, and write a plan to help you reach your goals and may qualify your forest land for cost share opportunities. Receive a personalized site visit with a natural resource professional.
FIND DETAILS ON COURSE HERE.
DATES: SEPT. 5TH, 6TH & 13TH, 2024
Sign up ASAP as spots fill quickly and there is only room enough for 20 ownerships!
Forest Stewardship Class- MSU Extension
ACQUIRE FOREST MANAGEMENT SKILLS TO CONSERVE YOUR FOREST
Learn about your forest, what species do you have, how are they growing, how old are your trees, what animals share your forest? Establish your own objectives for your forest, inventory your forest, and write a plan to help you reach your goals and may qualify your forest land for cost share opportunities. Receive a personalized site visit with a natural resource professional.
FIND DETAILS ON COURSE HERE.
DATES: SEPT. 5TH, 6TH & 13TH, 2024
Sign up ASAP as spots fill quickly and there is only room enough for 20 ownerships!
Soirée Online Auction Closes!
This year marks our fifth-annual Summer Soirée in the Swan, an event during which we celebrate this special place and raise funds for the programs, services, knowledge, and experiences that Swan Valley Connections continues to offer.
Bid on beautiful getaways, one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry, stunning artwork, and more, all while supporting our conservation & stewardship projects and our experiential education programs. Our Soirée online auction runs from August 12th-26th!
Summer Soirée in the Swan
Join us for our fifth-annual Summer Soirée in the Swan fundraising celebration, which will be ON the Swan at the beautiful The Nest on Swan River in Bigfork!
Sunday, August 25, 2024
3PM - 6:30PM
• Appetizers from Forage Catering
• Hosted Bar with spirits from Glacier Distilling
• Live music by Jessie Thoreson and the Crown Fire
• Silent and Online Auctions (Online auction runs from 8/12/24-8/26/24)
Thank you to our event sponsors:
Soirée Online Auction Opens!
This year marks our fifth-annual Summer Soirée in the Swan, an event during which we celebrate this special place and raise funds for the programs, services, knowledge, and experiences that Swan Valley Connections continues to offer.
Bid on beautiful getaways, one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry, stunning artwork, and more, all while supporting our conservation & stewardship projects and our experiential education programs. Our Soirée online auction runs from August 12th-26th!
Summer Wildlife Tracks & Sign Course
Spend a week in the field with us, earn two credits through the University of Montana (WILD 291), and gain your Wildlife Tracks & Sign Certification through CyberTracker North America!
Not exclusive to college students & does not need to be taken for credit - all are welcome!
Cost: $1,300 + $155 University of montana credit fee
(Includes: food, lodging, transportation around the Swan Valley, and pick-up from Missoula)
*See email for actual start and end times
Quarterly Potluck: ORI Great Gray Owl Project
Swan Valley Community Hall, Hwy 83, mm 42.5, Condon
5:30 pm - Doors Open • 6:00 pm - Potluck Dinner • 6:30 pm - Presentation
Join us for our quarterly community potluck & presentation, featuring a presentation by Beth Mendhelson from the Owl Research Institute (ORI).
Beth will share about ORI’s Great Gray Owl study, which is in its sixth year, and includes long-term monitoring of nest sites, surveys of new areas, and learning about nest needs. The Swan Valley was one of those new areas, surveyed this year in partnership with Swan Valley Connections and a team of citizen scientists!
Come hear more about the project, the findings so far, and hear about our volunteers’ experiences this past winter while helping to collect this important data!
Living with Beavers Presentation
Join us at the SVC office for a presentation on beaver ecology and coexistence strategies by MT FWP Nongame Wildlife Biologist Torrey Ritter!
The presentation will be about 45 minutes long, with time for questions and discussion afterwards.
SVBR Annual Bear Fair (Ferndale)
SWAN VALLEY BEAR RESOURCES ANNUAL BEAR FAIR
Come learn about living in bear country from bear management experts, local professionals, and bear-related organizations. Practice with inert bear spray and learn about the resources available to you to prevent human-bear conflicts. We will have local food trucks present to accompany the fair!
Enjoy presentations from MT Fish Wildlife and Parks Lion and Bear Manager, Erik Wenum, and Black Bear Monitoring Biologist, Colby Anton! Presentations will start at 1pm.
The event is from 12pm - 4pm at the Swan River Community Hall on Swan River Rd in Ferndale.
LGBTQA Wildlife Field Skills Course
This is a five-day course led by Queer Nature that introduces students to common research tools and techniques for terrestrial mammal research. This course aims to help fill a need for supportive spaces for new or continuing learners in the conservation biology space.
We are proud to be co-hosts for this course along with Home Range Wildlife Research
This course will introduce participants to common field techniques used in mammalian wildlife research, including:
Accurately collecting and recording data
Deploying remote cameras
Using radio (VHF) telemetry
Interpreting wildlife track and sign
Performing wildlife field necropsies
Collecting biological samples
Investigating mortality sites
This course provides 30.5 Continuing Education Credits (CEU's) in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist®/Professional Development Certificate Program through The Wildlife Society.
Insects & Disease Workshop with MT DNRC
Join us for a Forest Insects & Disease Workshop led by Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC)’s Amy Gannon (Forest Pest Management Program Manager) and Jake Chadwell (Forest Pest Management Specialist).
The first part of the day will be spent in the SVC conference room, where we’ll cover:
How to identify tree damage
Overview of diseases
Overview of insects
How to use a key for I.D.
For the second part of the day, we’ll head out into the field to
Assess tree vigor and damage patterns
Identify some insects and diseases
Practice using the same key for I.D.
Please register below, bring a lunch, and be prepared to be outside for half of the day!
Samples, brochures, and field guides (keys) will be provided.
Free & open to all!
20 Years of Artist Wilderness Connection Exhibit - Opening Reception
Join us June 27 from 4 to 7pm at the Hockaday Museum of Art for a FREE opening reception, that previews wilderness inspired art showcased in a retrospective exhibit June 28 through October 26.
We invite you to celebrate 20 years of our unique wilderness residency through an exhibition highlighting all past selected artist residents, their artwork, music, and stories, and the history of the Artist Wilderness Connection.
Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/events/957040406071963/
The residency program is a partnership between Flathead National Forest, Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, Hockaday Museum of Art and Swan Valley Connections.
Colt Fire Public Tour
Last summer the Colt Fire burned several thousand acres northwest of Seeley Lake. The Forest Service, Southwestern Crown Collaborative partners, and Clearwater Resource Council are planning a public tour to view the fire area and learn about recovery efforts.
Event details:
Wednesday, June 26th
11AM-4:30PM
*meet at the Seeley Lake Ranger Station and bring a lunch or snacks
water and beverages provided
SCHEDULE
11:00 – 11:15 Introductions (Jim Burchfield and Jon Haufler, Co-chairs, SWCC)
11:15 – 11:40 Overview of the Colt-Summit Project (Jim Burchfield, Tim Love, Scott Tomson) Interactive presentation on the development, challenges, and eventual implementation on this restoration and fuels reduction project.
11:40 – 12:15 Recap of Fire Suppression on the 2023 Colt Fire (Brent Olson, FS and Kristin Baker-Dickenson, DNRC) Hear about the strategies and tactics applied in the Colt Fire suppression efforts and the effects of the completed Colt-Summit Project on decisions related to suppression
12:15 – 12:45 Lunch at Ranger Station (Participants bring their own sack lunches – cold drinks will be provided)
12:45 – 2:45 Field Stop #1: Colt Summit Project and edge of the Colt Fire (Various presenters) Participants will walk on a closed Forest Service road to observe several treatments within the Colt-Summit Project, simultaneously seeing the adjacent fire scars and hearing of suppression tactics.
2:45 – 4:00 Field Stop #2; Beaver Creek Project (Chris Dowling and Others) Driving up the Beaver Creek drainage on the Flathead National Forest, the group will make two stops, observing restoration and fuels reduction treatments to improve forest resilience.
4:00 – 4:30 Return to Seeley Lake Ranger Station and Adjourn
Questions and RSVPs, please contact Scott Tomson at scott.tomson@crcmt.org.