Events

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David Meurer Memorial Fund Update

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GBCA had the opportunity to collaborate with TRIO-Upward Bound this summer to coordinate a day hike for their students in the Great Burn.  

TRIO-Upward Bound hosts an annual six-week residential program at the University of Montana for participating high school students. Enrollment in the program is based on financial need, with preference given to students who would be the first generation to attend college. During this program students live on campus, take courses to prepare them for the upcoming school year, and participate in a variety of fun activities. 

Through this collaboration, we were able to take forty-five high school students into the Great Burn on a hike to Heart Lake. This was a great opportunity to expose these students to the outdoors and connect them to public lands. Our main goal for the hike was to show students that places like this exist and that it is a public resource. 

Co-Executive Director Hayley and Volunteer Coordinator Kalyn were able to accompany the group and represent GBCA. Kalyn gave a trail head safety talk and covered some important Leave No Trace principles so that we could have a safe day at Heart Lake. Once the students got the go ahead to begin hiking, it was hard to keep up! 

Each group had some ambitious trail blazers that had trip leaders wondering how they were going to keep up! With the help of some walkie talkies and the amazing RAs at Upward bound, everyone was able to hike at a pace that was comfortable for them and make it to the lake in their own time. 

Most students agreed that the view at the lake made the three mile hike worth it! There were also quite a few who opted to take a brisk swim (can you tell they are from Montana?). It was great to see that the students were having a good time out in nature, even if that meant being disconnected from technology. Entertainment came in the form of filtering their own water and trying to discern if the white patches on the ridge were mountain goats or snow. 

We hope that we are able to make this an annual collaboration and possibly expand the educational component.Donations from the David Meurer Memorial Fund allowed GBCA to rent the vehicles that were used to transport the students from the University to the trail head. Students also received a hat and some other GBCA swag. WIthout the generosity of those who donated to the fund, GBCA would not have been able to make this trip possible. 

To learn more about the David Meurer Memorial Fund, or to make a donation, visit https://www.greatburn.org/meurer-fund.

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Mark your Calendars! October 6th

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Volunteer Appreciation Gathering 

October 6th 5-7pm
Highlander Beer-Missoula Taproom
200 International Drive

The Great Burn ecosystem is a special place, but what really makes it incredible are the people who love it and help keep it WILD.

In 2022, GBCA volunteers have contributed over 1400 hours to the Great Burn ecosystem! Volunteers have removed 85 pounds of trash, surveyed and maintained campsites at 8 backcountry lakes, and performed trail maintenance on 10 miles of trail. GBCA also hosted 16 Ambassadors at Heart Lake who educated over 250 users on how to safely interact with mountain goats and Leave No Trace.

Please join us at the outside pavilion on the banks of Grant Creek at Highlander Brewery October 6th, 5-7pm as we say "thank you!" for all your hard work. We will have small bites and drinks, plus a free beer ticket for all of our 2022 volunteers.


We can’t wait to see you!

Skye and Hayley

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Backpacking with Kids! Highlight Reel!

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We had an awesome time backcountry camping with our group of three families and six kids at Kid Lake! We designed our Backpacking with Kids trip to instill confidence in families with young children who are new to backpacking in Montana. Here are some of the highlights that made our trip extra fun and family friendly:

Building Backcountry Skills

Before we set off hiking, we all took time to think about and share what we felt especially excited about and nervous about going into this overnight adventure. We practiced important skills, like map reading, together as a group to help everyone understand where we were and where our destination was for the night. Along the way, when our trail crossed from Montana into Idaho, we pulled out our map again to check out how much we had hiked so far and how much longer we had to go. Even though the hike may have felt daunting at first, everyone made it out and back and felt proud of what they were able to accomplish!

Yummy Trail Rewards

Setting goals and completing them was a great way to help the hike go by quicker. For example, when we made it up to the top of a big hill, or when we hiked for a full 15 minutes, we stopped for a break. On our breaks, we liked to take our packs off to rest our bodies, rehydrate by drinking lots of water, and eat a piece of candy! Our favorite trail reward candies are Swedish fish, life savers, and hi chews!

Teamwork

There are some tasks in the backcountry that are easier done with a friend to help! One of those is hanging a bear bag. On our trip, we wandered around together to find the perfect tree branch. Then we took turns trying to throw our rock-tied-rope up and over the branch. Finally, we used our combined strength to hoist up our food out of reach of any big and small creatures! Working together helped everyone learn how to hang a bear bag and made it much more fun!

Aug the Frog

We had a great time playing at Kid Lake. From the minute we arrived to the minute we left, the kids were always looking for new places to explore and new plants and animals to investigate. We even brought bug microscopes from the Montana Natural History Center to look at cool rocks and wildlife up close. When we reflected on what our favorite part of the trip was, the kids agreed that finding frogs in the water was the highlight! We named the star of the show (the biggest frog in the lake) Aug. We are excited to hike back to Kid Lake to see what Aug and the other frogs are up to next year!

We had an awesome group of families and kids on our trip. Everyone gained new skills and accomplished something new out in the Great Burn. We hope to make Backpacking with Kids a yearly trip, so reach out to us with any questions or ideas for next season!

Here are some more pictures from our trip. Check them out!

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GBCA welcomes Montana Conservation Corps Fellow

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Hello, my name is Kat, and I am just finishing up my first week as a Montana Conservation Corps Fellow at the Great Burn Conservation Alliance! I am participating in the MCC Individual Placement Program, one of MCC’s four signature programs that partners Americorps members with nonprofits and other community-based conservation organizations. I chose this program because I want to expand my knowledge of conservation beyond scientific research, which was my main focus as an undergrad. I hope to use this opportunity to not only learn about the ecology of the Great Burn, but also to learn about the stewardship and policy dimensions of conservation work by surrounding myself with passionate people and large national forests. This is my first term serving as an Americorps member, and I feel excited to be working with both MCC and GBCA for the next four months!

This week has already been packed with meeting a lot of new people, diving into the intricacies of nonprofit conservation work, and seeing the Great Burn for the first time. My experiences so far have revealed how busy and awesome the rest of the summer will be!

Over the next several months, I will be working closely with Hayley and Skye, the two co-executive directors of the Great Burn. Hayley has been providing me with copious amounts of resources to help me understand the mission of GBCA and its partner organizations, get connected with community members, and get oriented in Missoula (this is my first time in Montana ever - so far I am loving it!).

On Tuesday, I attended Skye’s wilderness policy lecture for Professor Eva Maggi’s Wilderness Policy and Packing course offered through University of Montana, where I also heard a lecture by the executive director of the Blackfoot Challenge, Seth Wilson. Throughout my undergrad (I just finished my degree in Biology and Music less than two weeks ago!), I have become interested in human-wildlife interactions and using science to mitigate negative interactions. I loved learning about how GBCA’s mission relates to habitat connectivity and about another organization that develops and tests mitigating solutions for grizzly bear-human conflict. 

I also met GBCA staff Rory, Chris, Jory, a few GBCA board members, and the seasonal backcountry staff members at our GBCA orientation. On Thursday, Rory (and his dog Kelly) took me out to see the Montana side of the Great Burn Proposed Wilderness, specifically Fish Creek. Later this summer, we will be co-leading volunteer trips in the Great Burn, and part of our preparation for these trips will include visiting the trails in advance to check on conditions and for me to get my bearings in the area. These volunteer trips are what I am most looking forward to this summer! My first trip will be the “Clearwater Crossing Biodiversity Blitz” on the second weekend of July. I hope to see some of you there!

Until July, I will be working around Missoula and starting to get out on day hikes in the Great Burn. I feel lucky to be working with MCC and GBCA this summer, and I can’t wait to share my experiences with you!

Save the (new) Date: Fifty Wild Years, October 16-17

This summer marks the 50th anniversary of our work in the Great Burn! We had originally planned to celebrate with a weekend of events at French Conservation Camp in August.

Given the extreme fire conditions this year, we have decided to move our Fifty Wild Years celebration to October 16-17.

By then, the air quality should be healthier for an outdoor gathering. Additionally, we'd like to celebrate with our dedicated Forest Service partners and local community members who we know are currently managing the wildfires in the region. We hope that by postponing until the fall, we'll all be able to come together to celebrate this special place.

Our October weekend will continue to have the same great line-up of events at French Conservation Camp (formerly Hole-in-the-Wall Ranch), including:

  • self-guided naturalist programming,

  • a barbecue dinner with live music by Caroline Keys and friends,

  • group hikes to some of our favorite destinations, and

  • volunteer stewardship opportunities.

Come for a little or stay for all — we can’t wait to see you! Learn more and RSVP here.

Best regards,
Skye

Backpacking with kids: A family's 80 mile trip across the Great Burn

In the summer of 2020, Elise Watts set off with her son and daughter, 6 year old twins, for 3.5 weeks navigating the windswept ridgetops of the Great Burn Proposed Wilderness. They covered nearly 80 miles, visited 16 lakes, had numerous wildlife encounters and made lasting memories. No small feat for an adult, but truly incredible for a family with small children.
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Check out the presentation recording. If you're interested in their route, make sure to grab a Great Burn map by Carin Cartographics!