Flathead CORE

January 20, 2015

Carla Belski, Kim Corette, Steph Paidas, Pati Mason, Melissa Sladek, Tom Bansak, Heidi Sedivy, Sheena Pate, Amy Grout, Mary Jo Gardener, Kari Musgrove, Joyce Baltz, Kathy Martin, Laura Law, Teresa Wenum, Melissa Sladek, Amy Grout

1. Winter Trails Day, January 10, 2015 – Whitefish Legacy, 170 people; Audubon worked with Swan Ranger District and had a small group; Glacier NP had 40 on the afternoon hike and 20 in the morning; Lone Pine, had good turnout and good snow conditions. Unfortunately, Swan Ecosystem Center had to cancel their event. Thanks Teresa! Glacier Cyclery was helping with Grouse Mountain lodge to do an event that same day. Should we consider having multiple events next year spread out over January? Let’s discuss this next fall when planning for 2016.

2. Project Learning Tree – eight teachers participated. Kari and Holly would like to try to advertise in fall 2015 for spring 2016 to get more people. This a joint project done by the Flathead Conservation District with Women and Timber and PLT.

3. Trunk Workshop – Also had about 8-9 teachers but lots of enthusiasm. Check out the updated trunk list on the CORE website. In the spring, we will coordinate to figure out when the 2015 trunk workshop will be- either at the end of August or again on the PIR days in October. New trunks to watch for: Lone Pine is working with Audubon on a raptor trunk, and Audubon is also finishing the owl trunk.

4. Watershed Sourcebook Curriculum – no new updates at this time.

5. MEEA – is looking for a treasurer to join the MEEA Board. Contact Heidi Sedivy or any of the MEEA Board members if you are interested.

6. MEEA Conference, March 19-20 – in Polson this year. MEEA Board and Heidi are working out the nitty gritty for registration on the website which should be ready this week. Location is Kwataqnuk Flathead Lake and they are still working on keynote speaker. MEEA is also looking for sponsorships for the conference- to print programs or to pay stipends for travel, $500 or so. They are great on volunteers but still looking for silent auction items. Business membership is $100 and means your employees get $20 off on conference costs. Check with the MEEA conference website to confirm prices and get the details.

a. Keynote and breakout sessions - $30/$35 with lunch

b. The first day is all day workshops – 1) MT Watercourse is doing water quality monitoring at Flathead Lake Biological Station- MT Watercourse – participants pay $15 members/$20 non-members for lunch. 2) Rebecca Johns will do a leadership and coaching session which will be an extra cost; 3) GIS – 20 members/$25 nonmembers- GIS workshop with Hans Bodenhammer.

c. The second day will be 12 concurrent sessions. There is an informal meeting at McKenzie River Pizza tonight for anyone interested in learning more about these and finalizing that schedule.

d. Earth Day – Sheena will follow-up and send us details; one idea is to incorporate that 2015 is the “international year of the soil”. The Soil Science Society of America had NSTA travel grants, new lesson plans and much more. There is a new movie “Symphony of the Soil” that was streaming for free but now needs to be purchased ($300 to show for public). Kari and Sheena will work together to see if this could be an option/topic to partner on for Earth Day. It certainly can lend itself to a new “Featured Article” for Flathead CORE website.

7. Round Robin-

a. Forestry Expo, May 4-9, 2015; May 10 – Family Event

b. Science Fair - information about the West Valley and the Flathead County Science Fairs is posted on the CORE website (thanks Sheena!).

c. Service Saturday – March 14 – 3-4 hours, 10-15 college students able and willing and excited to volunteer for community events. Contact Teresa Wenum if you have a project and want to get in touch with this group.

d. March 24, Kathy Hill , science teacher at Bissel School is looking for a speaker for their science fair. Lincoln Electric was the speaker last year. They are looking for sessions for K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8 about conservation. It could be different people doing different sessions or just one person doing them all. The event runs from 9:30 – 2 pm.

Round Robin

· Space isn’t just a Place, Hockaday – 2015 Children’s Art Exhibit – March; collecting art all of February.

· Whitefish Trail Learning Pavilion is constructed – had one 6^th grade class to study snow science. Half mile in from Lion Mtn. Trailhead.

o Grand opening planned for late May

o Gearing up for busy year and increasing educ. outreach

o Three guided hikes this winter Feb. 1- snow science for families; Wings Recovery Center; Animal Tracking March 15. All Sunday afternoons.

o Planning guided hikes this summer and mini-camp at end of summer. They will partner with Whitefish parks to bring summer camp students out. They will be using a lot of trunks!

o Also have plans to do a speaker series this fall in September and Health & Fitness sessions for next fall.

· Flathead Audubon has FVCC course, Birds of NW MT and the Backyard Bird Count coming up in February.

· Sheena –for the CoC Geotourism she gets email at [email protected]. The new map is out and available and can be see on their website. Crown Geotourism – needs info. From organizations to include on their website.

· Sheena is also working with informal group called “Seasons of Change “– they are looking to do 4 programs starting Feb. 2015 around Earth Day themes. They also plan to do something with NPS Centennial for 2016.

· Steph Paidas, Road Scholar – Still looking for workers/naturalists for summer. She is hiring for summer staff for experience educators Candidates need experience leading groups in Glacier and naturalist background. Road scholar started intergenerational program with grand parents bringing grandchildren. They have partnership with Audubon. They want to expand as people are interested in the greater CoC, not just Glacier. So they are looking for ideas for 2015 and beyond. National Road Scholar has idea for “my home town.” They are looking to expand into winter months and expanding programs for 2016.

· Lone Pine – Amy is the ranger highlighted on the front page of the state park website!. Sadly, she is moving on to bigger and better things. She will have a new position in charge of the state parks region that includes many of the parks around Flathead Lake. Thanks Amy for all your support and participating in CORE. We wish you lots of luck! Come have pizza at McKenzie River after the meeting to chat with Amy about her new job. Lone Pine program info. Is out. – Raptor Day, Sept. 12, 2015. Becoming an Outdoors Woman, ice fishing class upcoming and have to pre-register; Amy is going to manage state parks down on Flathead Lake, her office will be at Wayfarers SP this summer.

· Glacier NP – CCRLC – MTN Goat research project with Google Earth fly-in map and Graduate student wrote great article. www.crownscience.org and look for featured articles on the side. Folks visiting park will see goats with collars so good information about why.

· UM Flathead Lake Biological Station – Tom Bansak – they re-did website and it’s live today. Tom will be doing a new course for the UM MT Lifelong Learning Institute – Freshwater Ecology of the Flathead Watershed. Check out their website for more information about the course, upcoming events, and more!

· Flathead Basin Commission - International Cinema Fest- Google boat launch trivia to see Heidi’s movie.

· Speaking of movies, USFS film on “Untrammeled” for celebrating Wilderness Act, is also available to watch on-line and at the cinema fest.

· Flathead Lakers Event– Sunday, July 12 - any human propelled vessel going island to island and getting cards and best hands win – poker run.

· Mary Jo is keeping up with Eliza at NW MT Educational Coop to make sure there is link for teachers.

· Flathead Conservation District has 2 upcoming small landowner weed workshop (2 times on March 4 and March 11). Also education grants will open with the District in March and closes in June. There is even opportunity for college money for students.

Next Meeting at same location:

March 4, 2015

May 13, 2015