MCC Fellow End of Term Reflection
In 2022, GBCA hosted it’s first Montana Conservation Corps Fellow. The position was in place from May-September, and helped organize and lead many of GBCA’s volunteer stewardship trips. Here are some final reflections from a successful first season.
Hi again! I cannot believe it is already the end of September! As my Montana Conservation Corps term comes to an end, I wanted to share some of my experiences and what I have learned from my work at GBCA with you all.
Right from the start, I was welcomed with open arms onto the GBCA team. At GBCA, I worked closely alongside Hayley, who taught me so much about how to organize and coordinate stewardship projects at a nonprofit, and Rory, who co-led volunteer trips with me and shared his immeasurable knowledge about the Great Burn.
I was also able to get to know other members of the GBCA team, including Skye, Laura, Matthew, and some of our board members, particularly Bert Lindler, Elise Watts, and Daphne Herling. I learned valuable skills from these people that I will carry with me into my career as a conservationist.
As I focused on outreach in Missoula and Mineral counties, I met lots of people from western Montana communities that use the Great Burn or are involved with the management of the land in one way or another. I often tabled at farmers markets in Missoula, Frenchtown, and Alberton, where I interacted with locals who ranged from never having heard about GBCA before to those who were Great Burn regulars and long time supporters of the work that we do.
Photo by Bert Lindler!
Missoula Farmer’s Market Setup!
And through attending natural resource-oriented meetings in Missoula, Superior, and in the Great Burn, I was able to learn about how GBCA values partners and stakeholders in conversations and collaboration.
My favorite part of this job was getting out into the place we work for with our volunteer groups. The Great Burn, as anyone who has experienced it knows, is remote and stunning. And each one of our volunteer trips attracted a collection of unique and inspiring individuals. In addition to working alongside amazing volunteers, I also learned how to do and teach various types of conservation projects, such as trail brushing, campsite naturalization, and noxious weed management. I have such a heightened appreciation for the strenuous work that goes into maintaining beautiful trails and clean campsites now!
The Heart Lake basin is a popular and special place in the Burn, and I had the pleasure of going there many times to work with different teams on various projects. Coming from Pomona College, understanding and mitigating human-wildlife interactions was one of my biggest passions. At Heart Lake, I had the opportunity to experience how human use of this area often results in close-up encounters with mountain goats.
The potentially dangerous outcomes of these encounters is something GBCA, US Forest Service, and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks take very seriously, and our implementation of the Heart Lake Ambassador program aims to reduce negative interactions and improve our understanding of how increased human activity is impacting this native herd. I loved contributing to this program as well as installing new signage, brushing the trail with a Superior-based youth crew, and conducting wildlife surveys.
Can you spot the goat in the background?
Although I am sad to be leaving GBCA, I am so grateful for my time here and how it has prepared me for my next steps. Going forward, I want to continue to advocate for wildlife habitat, landscape connectivity, human access and recreation, and social, economic, and environmental impacts of conservation policy on rural communities. In the spring I will start my Masters of Science at WSU Pullman, where I will research climate and fire resiliency in the PNW. My work at GBCA has emphasized how different dimensions of conservation work (including science, policy, and on the ground stewardship) are necessary to make the best and most informed conservation decisions that benefit human communities and the environment. I hope to stay involved with GBCA, and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in the coming years!
Mark your Calendars! October 6th
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
GBCA welcomes Montana Conservation Corps Fellow
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!
