Outdoor news
Wilderness talks
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation and the Montana Wilderness Association will host three free wilderness talks at the Flathead Valley Community College’s Arts and Technology Building, Room 139, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. On Feb. 5, Spotted Bear District Ranger Deb Mucklow will speak about “Wilderness Management 101” and management of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. On March 5, Steve Primm, director of People and Carnivores, will talk about “The Wild is consequential: Grizzlies, people and sharing the land,” using his experiences working on grizzly and wolf recovery around Yellowstone National Park. On April 2, Hungry Horse News photographer and reporter Chris Peterson will present a slide show about “A walk on the wild side, a 200-mile hike in the spirit of Bob Marshall,” completed last year in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.
Park snowshoeing
Glacier National Park will offer free two-hour, ranger-led snowshoe hikes on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. from Jan. 10, Winter Trails Day, through March 22. Snowshoes are available for rent at the Apgar Visitor Center, where the hikes will start and end. There is no group size limit, and reservations are not accepted. The snowshoe walks are suitable for varying ages and abilities, but are not recommended for children under age 6.
Winter walks
The Flathead-Kootenai Chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association will host 12 winter walks beginning with a snowshoe hike to Stanton Lake on Saturday, Jan. 10, to learn about winter ecology. Ellen Horowitz will lead participants over 1 1/2 miles to reach the wilderness boundary, looking for tracks and other wildlife signs while enjoying the snowy scenery. The group will meet at the junction of U.S. 2 and Highway 206. Other walks include an ecology walk on Jan. 24 with Brian Baxer in Kalispell, a snowshoe hike to Gary Lookout from West Glacier on Feb. 7, and a Valentine’s Day excursion for singles on Feb. 14 in Libby. For more information, visit online at www.wildmontana.org/walks or call 730-2006.
Living with wildlife
Flathead Audubon will host a free talk by Elke Duerr about coexistence among humans, wild animals and nature in the United Way Conference Room, Gateway Community Center, U.S. 2 West, in Kalispell, on Monday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. Duerr is a filmmaker, conservationist and founder and director of the nonprofit Web of Life Foundation. To learn more about Duerr’s work, visit online at www.weboflifefoundation.net.
Birding trip
Flathead Audubon will host its annual Mission Valley field trip on Sunday, Jan. 18. Participants will look for hawks, waterfowl and other winter birds and are advised to sign up early. Carpooling is encouraged as vehicle numbers will be limited. Meet trip leaders Leslie Kehoe and Bob Lee at 8 a.m. at the Somers Park ‘n’ Ride at the intersection of U.S. 93 and Highway 82. To sign up, call Leslie or Bob at 406-837-4467 after 5 p.m. All ages and birding abilities are welcome.
Winter lectures
The Glacier Institute will host three lectures about wildlife at the Conrad Mansion in Kalispell on three Thursdays starting at 6 p.m. World-renowned photographer Sumio Harada will speak about Glacier National Park’s goats on Jan. 22. Former Glacier Park ranger Dave Shea will talk about wildlife encountered by Lewis and Clark on their “Voyage of Discovery” on Feb. 26. Glacier Institute education director Justin Barth will talk about Glacier Park’s fire lookouts on March 19. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit online at conradmansion.com or call 755-2166.
Winter photos
The Burwell School of Photography will hold its 2015 Winter Wildlife Instructional Photography Workshop at the Triple D Game Farm in Kalispell on Jan. 23-26 featuring a minimum of eight photography sessions up close with big game, including cougars, lynx and even a snow leopard. For more information, visit online at www.bsop.ca or call 1-877-778-1745.
Winter classes
The Glacier Institute has added three new courses for the winter season: “North Fork Animal Tracking and Sign Interpretation” on Saturday, Jan. 10, with experienced tracker Brian Baxter, cost $65; and “Winter Birds of Prey” on Saturday, March 7, with rough-legged hawks, golden eagles and great gray owls during the winter months, cost $65. For more information, call 406-755-1211 or visit online at www.glacierinstitute.org.