October 26, 2009

Crunch time!
by Cori Stanek

Boots are caked in mud, fingers are flying on keyboards, and minds are sparking with inspiration and realization as CCRP barrels its way onto the L&L scene.

The independent Community Conservation Research Project presentations are tomorrow and both excitement and tensions are high here at the Homestead. We’ve got some incredible projects coming together, here’s the breakdown:

Fencing and Wildlife
PATE BARNES

Pate has spent the past week working on an electric, livestock fencing project for a local landowner in the Valley as a component of his practical skill development, while also researching the methods and ethics behind wildlife friendly fencing for rural landscapes.

Picture the Swan: Historical Perceptions
SAM BERRY

Sam’s project is a tri-fold look into the development of sense of place through the intersection of community, history, and art. Jumping off from the oral history and photo archives compiled by the Swan Ecosystem Center, Sam has collected his own oral histories of a few local residents and plans to turn their photos and stories into lithographic prints.

Wolf Ecology and Community Perceptions
LEAH SWARTZ

Leah in the field learning to use radio telemetry. Photo by Colleen Ferris.

Leah has enthusiastically jumped into the complexities and politics surrounding wolf management in northwest Montana. She’s spent the past week in the field developing her own skills using radio telemetry and collecting interviews on local perceptions of wolf management. As a final product to her research, Leah will be presenting a realistic, local glimpse into community engagement with wolves in the region.

Invasions of Riparian Areas by Reed Canary Grass
BROOKE STALLINGS

For her CCRP project, Brooke chose to build on her interests in invasive species management and learn more about Reed Canary Grass and its affects on wetland habitat. She’s spent her week researching weed management and riparian restoration strategies while mapping out patches of Canary Grass on the Beck Homestead.

Phenomenal Women: The Trials and Tribulations of Women Homesteaders
ASHA BIENKOWSKI

Paralleling Sam’s exploration of local history, Asha has pioneered a project collecting the stories of influential women in the Swan Valley. From homesteaders to outfitters, Asha has been interviewing, reading, and inquiring about these women’s lives and legacies. Her work culminates in a beautifully written article for the Swan Valley Historical Society’s latest newsletter.

Lynx Ecology in the Seeley-Swan
EMILY GAMM

Emily tracking a radio signal at the Morrell Mountain look-out.

After a storied attempt to develop a project researching the distribution of Northern Bog Lemmings in Swan Valley wetlands, Emily amenably shifted gears to focus her field studies on Canadian Lynx and their distribution in the Seeley-Swan. She too spent a few long days in the field tracking down radio collars of Lynx that are a part of a larger study being conducted in the intermountian west.

Road Surveying & Mapping on MLP Lands
WILL BENNINGTON

Will also put in long days in the field as a part of his project to conduct baseline road surveys on a few newly acquired Montana Legacy Project lands. Will is taking the data he collected and exploring the advantages and disadvantages of road closings and obliteration as a management tool on public land.

Beck Stream Restoration Proposal
AMELIA O’CONNOR

Like Brooke, Amelia has also dug her heels into the riparian areas around the Homestead. Amelia’s project aimed to employ Rosgen Stream Typing methods to collect data on a small creek that runs parallel to the Barn. She then took the information she collected and synthesized it into a cohesive report and restoration/management proposal for submission to Northwest Connections.

Grizzly Bear Monitoring: Invasive & Non-invasive Methods
COLLEEN FERRIS

Colleen collecting bear hair from a DNA study bear rub.

Continuing the stronghold of field research projects, Colleen partnered with Mark Ruby, Tim Manley, and Swan Valley Bear Resources to learn about methods of monitoring bear populations in the Seeley-Swan. Her studies focused on two main studies: Bear DNA work, done through a non-invasive method of hair collection on naturally occurring bear-rubs; and active trapping and radio collaring of bears in the region.

Autumn Impressions: Children’s Natural History Education
CELESTE MASCARI

For her CCRP project Celeste worked in collaboration with the Swan Valley School and developed a lesson plan that brought natural history into the kindergarten and first grade classrooms—or rather, brought the kids outside. Building off of their studies on the five senses, Celeste helped the kids experience fall in the Swan through their eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hands.

Wildwoods Wisdom of the Swan: Past and Present
TYLER LAVENBURG

Also interested in education, Tyler took to learning from local herbalists in the Valley—deciphering which species are used locally and methods or making tinctures and salves. As a part of his project, Tyler developed an activity for the Swan Ecosystem Center’s after school program to teach kids how to identify, collect, and use their own medicinal herbs.

Workforce Housing in the Swan Valley
DAN MURPHY

Arguably one of the more overwhelming social topics to tackle in a CCRP project, Dan elected to lead the charge on potential workforce housing development in Condon. Workforce housing has been in the periphery of community discussions over the past year, and has moved into the forefront as community land is acquired as a part of the Montana Legacy Project. In an effort to get the ball rolling on this community project, Dan researched a number of case studies of development in rural communities, toured proposed sites of housing, and compiled a system of next steps for the Swan Ecosystem Center.