Stewardship

GBCA Welcomes New Stewardship Coordinator

When I was on a trail crew, someone once told me, “You know Joelle, all of us have our lives during work, and then at the end of the week we go home and live our city life. But you, you just live the same life all the time.”

So hey, I’m Joelle and I spent most of my time in the forest. I grew up on a tree farm where I began to learn how to care for the natural areas and be a steward of the land. My dad inspired my love for all of the relations around me and helped to grow me into who I am today. I hope to spread his gentle and caring touch on the land to those in the Great Burn area.

If you don’t spot me among the trees, then I’m probably in the water. I recently graduated from Northern Michigan University which is right on the shores of Lake Superior, so whenever I needed a study break, I would go for a swim (yes spring, summer, fall, and winter)! My favorite places to hike are along rivers or to an alpine lake, so watch out, I’m known to jump in at any moment!

Those that are crazy enough, bundle up and surf the waves of the Lake in the winter.

I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s in Ecology and minor in Native American Studies. I published a regional field guide on Midwestern flora and fauna and I am in the works of a Northwestern wildflower guide. I believe that education is a huge part of caring for the land. When it comes down to it, most people aren’t trying to destroy the ecosystem, they just don’t know how to properly care for it.

Over the years, I have worked on four trail crews in Colorado, Michigan, and Idaho. I built mountain bike trails in Michigan, worked on desert trails in Colorado, and maintained miles of trails in Idaho. Last year, I was employed by the GBCA as part of their seasonal crew on the North Fork RD of the Clearwater National Forest. This will be my third year in this area and I just keep coming back for more!

I am very excited to be your new Stewardship Coordinator. I feel as though I will be able to combine my passion for backpacking, education, fauna and flora knowledge, my photography skills, and my excitement of sharing stories with others. This year, you will be able to find me in the backcountry doing patrols, wildlife inventories, scouting for weed problem areas, leading volunteer trips, and assisting on some trail crews.

Cheers and Happy Trails!

Joelle

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!

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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!

Update from the Field: Trail Crew

Hitch Report

Organizations: Great Burn Conservation Alliance and United States Forest Service

Hitch Report Dates: July 20-27, 2022

SCHEDULE AND EVENTS

July 20:

Excited for the work week, and knowing the hitch vobjectives, the crew packed up at the Pierce Work Center, and made their way to the Weitas Guard Station. After unpacking and settling into camp, the crew took lunch with the Youth Conservation Corps who were visiting for the day cleaning out open tops with Tim on the 555 Rd. 

After lunch, the crew all worked together to brush the trail starting downstream of the guard station. Dacotah and Colby ran the brushcutters while Kilynn, Joelle, and Leslie swamped. They made it 0.4 miles and hiked back to camp by 4:30pm. 

Kilynn is excited that the flavorful, yet tiny, wild strawberries are finally ripe!

July 21:

The crew split up today. Colby, Leslie and Dacotah headed down stream towards the trail head with saws. They made sure everything was cut to specification on the cuts made the previous hitch, and continued for another 0.4 miles of log out. 

Leslie worked to cut out old and new downfalls to specification on the downstream portion of the trail. 

Kilynn and Joelle headed upstream to the outfitter’s camp to work back towards the guard station with saws to recut downed trees to specifications. This was important as the previous week some cuts were not back to the eight foot clearing limit as the crew was focusing on making the trail passable. While logging out, Joelle worked with Kilynn to do the field portion of her chainsaw certification. As a Class B sawyer, Joelle can work on this with Kilynn, and Tim (class C sawyer) can review the evaluation and sign off as a second evaluator.  

Tim shuttled gas for the women, and worked to put up new signs on the upstream portion of the trail. He also shuttled a large five gallon tank of fuel to the downstream group as well for future brush cutting needs. 

July 22:

Colby, Leslie and Dacotah picked up where they left off the day before on the downstream portion of the trail. They worked hard, and hiked fast, and were able to make it to the junction of the Bugle Point trail at Johnny Creek which is about six miles from the Guard Station.  Here they tied into what the GAOA trail crew had done last year. They did about 1.2mi of fresh logging, and hiked a total of 12 mi. On the way out Colby and Dacotah got a head start on root wad removal and hacked the remaining roots off with a hatchet and then pushed and pulled as hard they could until it tumbled off of the trail. 

Meanwhile, Joelle and Kilynn completed the work of specification log out from the pack bridge to the Guard Station, with great timing of making it back by 4:30pm. They encountered 5 hikers and 3 bikers who were all out fishing and very grateful to have the trail logged out and passable. 

Kilynn and Joelle picked a beautiful wildflower bouquet in a salsa jar that happily decorated the kitchen table for the remainder of the hitch. 

July 23:

The whole crew went downstream to begin the heavy brushing of the trail. Colby brush cut, and Joelle and Kilynn took turns brush cutting. The mosquitoes and little black flies were relentless today and caused some crew members to cover up with bug head nets during breaks. Dacotah cut the brush that was too big or hard to reach on the uphill side with the chainsaw, and also cut down trees that the removal of the brush revealed. Leslie swamped and worked on tread. 

Two motorcyclists that Joelle and Kilynn had seen the previous day were encountered on the trail again today. They were in happy spirits and gave nice waves as they passed by.

July 24:

Starting at 6:00am, everyone headed downstream, however the crew soon broke into two sections. Dacotah and Kilynn headed past the brushcutters to some problem root wads to begin pulling, and repairing tread for the rest of the day. Fortunately, they were able to remove all four root wads and widen the trail in these sections by the end of the day.

One of the root wads and tread repairs that Kilynn and Dacotah worked to restore. 

Joelle and Leslie started on the brush cutters while Colby swamped and worked on a few sections of failing tread in the hot, sunny, and dry, side sloped part of the trail that runs through an old burn. He switched on to the brush cutter after lunch and Leslie swamped. Meeting back up with Kilynn and Dacotah on the trail, they hiked back as a whole crew and made it to camp by 4:30pm. Baths in the creek were a welcome occurrence after this very hot and very sunny day.  

July 25:

It was incredible to see the trail again after brushing and swamping out the densest sections.

Once again, packed with plenty of water and lots of snacks, the crew headed back out on the trail to continue brushing.  Colby started on the brush cutter along with Joelle while Dacotah, again, was on saw, and Leslie and Kilynn swamped.

July 26:

 With everyone feeling better in the morning, the whole crew started downstream for the final time. Feeling brave, and not letting the bees get the best of him, Colby began brush cutting with Dacotah brushed while the rest of the crew swamped. 

The crew was staying motivated through this last physical work day by cracking jokes and finally being set in a good routine of brushing, swamping, and lopping. 

After a hot afternoon break, Joelle and Kilynn headed back to the Guard Station. Kilynn was finally evaluated on felling trees and did a wonderful job. Staying determined, cutting clean face cuts, leaving a good amount of holding wood, and pounding wedges, she was able to fell her three required trees. 

After 2:30pm, the guys helped Leslie catch up, swamping to where they had stopped brush cutting. All in all, they made it 3.8 miles brushing downstream from the Guard Station. 

Happy that it was the final day on the trail, and feeling accomplished, the crew had some good bonding moments that night. At 10:30pm, Joelle woke everyone up for a “star viewing” party. They all laid on the grass, looking at the stars, wishing on shooting stars, telling stories, and laughing. A wonderful end to a hot, beautiful, and productive hitch. 

SUMMARY

Total Work Accomplished:

  1. 6 miles cut out down river to Bugle Point junction

  2. 3 miles cut out to Flying B outfitters camp

  3. 5 root wads cleared from the trail

  4. 3.8 miles brushed down stream

UNIQUE SIGHTINGS:

Flora and Fauna:

It was amazing to see just how much the flowers had changed in the matter of a couple weeks! By far, the most showy new plant was the Woodland pinedrop (Pterospora andromedea; left). These tall (1-2ft.) Plants are a bright pink, with white bell flowers, usually found in small quantities.  As the Merten’s coralroot from last hitch are going to seed, the Striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata; top right) is now making an appearance. Just blooming are the Shooting stars (Dodecatheon pulchellum; top middle) along the wet shores of Weitas Creek. The Deptford pinks (Dianthus armeria; bottom middle) are blooming on the dry side slopes of the trail. These are not native to the area, however they have become naturalized. And finally, the Mountainspray (Holodiscus dumosus; bottom right) is out in abundance and one of the major forms of brush found on the trail. 

There were no more bear disturbances on this trip, however, the crew did see some deer wandering around camp at night. The mosquitoes and horse flies were still out in bounds unfortunately, as well as the several unwanted encounters with ground bees. 

Update from the field: Kelly Creek Restoration Crew

During the last week of June, the GBCA backcountry restoration crew worked hard to treat sections of Kelly Creek Trail 567 for noxious weeds. They treated 4.5 miles of trail as well as additional acres in the drainage, and pulled 25 pounds of weeds. They also released 1,000 Chrysolina beetles provided by Nez Perce Biocontrol! Here are some highlights from the hitch:

The crew identified St. John’s wort, oxeye daisy, Canada thistle, tall buttercup, Kentucky bluegrass, meadow hawkweed, spotted knapweed, and houndstoungue in this area. Removal methods included hand pulling, spraying, and biocontrol to attack and prevent the further spread of these weeds.

The crew released 300 beetles into a dense area of St. John’s wort near Hansen Meadows. They released the remaining 700 beetles into patches of St. John’s wort around the middle portions of the glade in Bear Creek. Biocontrol is an effective weed removal strategy, especially in these areas with lush shrub, fern, and forb cover that make spraying difficult and unwarranted. 

This summer has brought many weather extremes for the weeds crew to work through, from snow to storms to heat. The crew dealt with all three on this last hitch. Because Hoodoo Pass was still closed due to snowpack, the crew drove from Missoula out to Pierce and Road 250 to get to the Kelly Trailhead. They began most of their field days very early in the morning to avoid hot afternoon temperatures in the 80s and 90s.

“A short break under a lodgepole treated us to a viewing of a rainbow arcing over Hanson Meadows. Yet another example of the serenity that you can experience when immersed in an area ”
— GBCA Backcountry Resotration crew members Chris Prange and Matthew Gomez


The crew spotted a pileated woodpecker, a cow moose, a group of elk and deer, and a young whitetail deer fawn on their hitch. They were excited to also spot Chrysolina beetles already on St. John’s wort plants in the Great Burn, particularly on the first mile of Trail 567 and below the Bear Creek outfitter camp.

The crew will be in the field until September. If you happen to find yourself in Kelly Creek, make sure to stop by and say “hi”!

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Species Highlight: Native Mountain Goat

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So what makes the Great Burn so great? Three herds of native mountain goats have given their stamp of approval. The Great Burn ecosystem provides high quality habitat for this species that faces unique challenges in the western lower 48.

Why do we care about native mountain goats at GBCA?

In Montana, mountain goats primarily live on the western side of the state in the steep, rugged terrain of the Rockies. Interestingly, the majority of mountain goats that reside in Montana are not native to the area. A 2017 Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks report indicates stark differences between the vitality of native mountain goat herds and introduced populations. Studies in Montana regions outside of Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks show not only a decline in native goat numbers but also patterns of low numbers and genetic isolation among remaining herds. Alternatively, introduced goats are prospering. New research into why native mountain goats are declining is investigating how reintroductions, predator density fluctuations, and changing guidelines in human recreation could positively affect native mountain goat vitality in the Rockies.

Where are they in the Great Burn ecosystem?

The Great Burn ecosystem supports at least three native mountain goat herds. Hikers who visit Heart Lake, one of the Great Burn’s most popular areas, are often lucky enough to see one of them! At Blacklead Mountain, a high elevation area where few other mammals reside, GBCA surveys have identified at least ten goats. In the past, Blacklead supported a larger herd, but in the last decade Idaho Fish and Game documented a significant drop in population numbers during a year of historic snowpack and increased snowmobiling. Finally, Mallard Larkins Pioneer Area visitors often see these curious animals near trails and on mountain faces.

Why is the Great Burn ecosystem an attractive habitat?
Goats rely on mountains and their unmatched climbing abilities to escape predation and to forage. Winter is this species’ most difficult season, when their habitat is limited to wind-swept mountain faces with exposed vegetation for food. During the winter, these goats are highly susceptible to motorized vehicle use, which has been documented to displace them from high quality habitat and put their survival and reproduction at risk. Limited motorized vehicles in the Hoodoo Proposed Wilderness and Mallard Larkins Proposed Wilderness help sustain an ideal wintering ground for mountain goats. As biologists continue to investigate factors that pose the greatest risks to the remaining native herds, it is necessary to preserve the Great Burn for their protection and persistence. 

How does GBCA protect our native mountain goat herds?

Great Burn visitors are lucky to have the chance to view native mountain goats. However, goats, like other wildlife, can pose danger to humans if they get habituated to an area. Goats are curious animals who are attracted to salt, and there are documented cases in other recreational areas of goats hurting people when visitors become relaxed in letting goats get up close to campsites, outhouses, picnics, and other salty areas. 

In order to keep both our visitors and goats safe, we created our Heart Lake Ambassador Program last summer. We are grateful for our first round of Heart Lake Ambassadors, who helped educate last season’s Great Burn visitors on mountain goat ecology and safety practices. This summer we are running the same program again! Help us minimize our human impact on this native goat herd by becoming an Ambassador or spreading the word about our program!

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Flora from the Field: Mallard Larkins

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Another very exciting hitch with many different types of flowers seen along the way. With all of the sun, the flowers seemed even more vibrant than before. Right away, on the first day, Leslie (top middle) was proud to be pulling up houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale), found along Black Mountain #396. This is an invasive plant in the area that is toxic to livestock. The most abundant flower by far was seen on #396 trail, lining the hike. This starflower (Trientalis borealis; top right) is rather short, but very showy. The Down River #297 trail was just beginning to enjoy the blooms of the Clarkia (Clarkia pulchella; bottom left). This is a native to the area, and will often cover hillsides in its vibrant pink color. At Goat Ridge, on the Smith Ridge #240 trail, spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa) was covering the ridge in all shades of purple and white (top left). And finally, the most exciting sighting of the hitch was the phantom orchid (Cephalanthera austiniae; bottom right), originally spotted on the #396 trail, but an individual was also later found on #297. This orchid is completely white and native to the area, although only growing in specific areas.