Marine biologist is new chief of interpretation

Tracy Ammerman, Gla-cier National Park's new chief of interpretation and partnerships, won't be doing much scuba diving here, but that doesn't mean she doesn't like winter recreation.

Ammerman is a marine biologist by training and moved to the Park in mid-December from Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, north of Hawaii, the single largest conservation area under U.S. flag, larger than all the country's national parks combined. Created by presidential proclamation in 2006, Papahanaumokuakea contains about 140,000 square miles of small islands and open ocean, including Midway Island, the epicenter of one of the most important battles in World War II.

While shunning cold-water diving, Ammerman said she enjoyed recreating this past winter - downhill skiing at Big Mountain and snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in the Park and on nearby Forest Service lands.

"My husband and I used to say that we worked by the ocean and vacationed in the mountains," she explained. "Now it's reversed."

She also likes mountain and road biking and recently pedaled up the Going-to-the-Sun Road past the Loop. She also took a flyfishing course at Flathead Valley Community College in May and looks forward to doing some flat-water kayaking.

"I can't wait to get my sea kayak out on Lake McDonald," she said.

With a marine biology degree from Millersville University, in Pennsylvania, and a master's in resource interpretation from Stephen F. Austin State University, in Texas, Ammerman started her Park Service career at Assateague Island National Seashore, in Maryland, from 1990 to 2006. She also spent two years at Glacier Bay National Park, in Alaska, before heading out to the Pacific in 2008.

Ammerman said she knew about Glacier Park from earlier visits and personal and professional friends in the area. She also knew about the Park's reputation.

"The Park has a phenomenal interpretation program," she said.

The program's last chief was Sheri Forbes. The Division of Interpretation and Education has 11 permanent positions, with some current vacancies, and 30-35 seasonal paid and volunteer staff.

"The staff gets to do all the fun stuff," Ammerman notes.

Interpretive staff man the Park's three visitor centers - at Apgar, Logan Pass and St. Mary - and lead hikes from those locations. They also put out flyers, bulletins and newspapers; develop "social media," including the Park's Web site, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr; and design exhibits for roadside pullouts and visitor centers.

Some staff also are located at Two Medicine and Many Glacier and occasionally board tour boats. Ammerman suggests visitors check out ahead of time online what's available and when.

All Park employees are "ambassadors" and will try to answer visitors' questions, she said, but the interpretive staff are trained to present information on the geology, wildlife, culture, history and wildlife management in the Park. They also work with local schools for curriculum-based education programs.

While some of the division's staff are new this year, others have been Park interpreters for decades. Ammerman said she has no immediate plans for big changes in the program.

"I'm just getting my feet under me," she said. "I need to take some time before making any suggestions."

There is one program that's new and important to the Park, however, and it fits in nicely with Ammerman's marine biology training - the Park's effort to address aquatic invasive species, especially zebra mussels, which can completely destroy lake ecosystems.

"Once introduced here, there's no going back," Ammerman said. "We have to rely on monitoring and education, and we need to be very diligent."