September 27, 2010

1st Annual Crown of the Continent Roundtable
by Melanie Parker

Chief Mountain

Over 200 people traveled to Waterton National Park this past week. The event was predicated on the idea that "people are connected to the land in the Crown, but people are not connected with each other." Place-based collaborative groups, conservation groups, scientists, teachers, landowners, tribes, state and federal agencies, concerned citizens all attended.

Tom and I took the kids and traveled up through oceans of brilliant gold aspen on the eastern edge of the Rockies, bent north around Chief Mountain, and settled into one of the worlds most beautiful places, Waterton Lakes.

Several tribal members from First Nations around the Alberta, British Columbia and Montana portions of the Crown began the events with prayer and speeches, and offered a deep perspective on the interplay between land and culture, and the value of both beyond our contemporary understanding. Also enlightening was a presentation by Jack Nisbet, author of Sources of the River, who has read all of the primary journals of first contact between the early explorers and indigenous people in the region.

The conversations went from there into the current work and future condition of the Crown of the Continent, and into how we can leverage all of our efforts to provide an international example of transboundary cooperation to safegard the place we call home. Unlike most large scale conservation events, this one seemed to place a premium on the central role that place-based collaborative conservation and local sustainable development efforts must play moving ahead. It felt very much to me like the story line for conservation in North America has finally made the shift.

Back at home, the Landscape and Livelihood students were.....

L&L Update
by Ashton Fink

The last couple of weeks have been very full for the L&L semester 2010! We are welcoming the fall colors in the leaves as we are soaking in the last rays of the late summer. We have been out examining the forests and learning how to diagnose a forest with Melanie. Andrea has us all dressed up in our waders sloshing around in wetlands and streams. We also went snorkeling in the river at night! We have been out with Adam and Steve learning more about the plants and animals and how to use our field skills. This weekend we had the chance to split firewood with other members of the community to help keep the Swan Valley warm through the winter.

The crew examining a forest stand near the homestead.
Brian with a bag of fungus to bring back to the barn and identify – we have seen so many mushrooms!.	Eric is taking a reading on the clinometer to determine the slope of the streambed on Pony Creek.
The crew, approaching the barn after a walk in the woods with Melanie. Here we are in our very first Fen examining the peat moss and finding that the depth of this water-body is well beyond the length of our probe!
We found the perfect spot for a lunch break in our waders!
Eric, Kaitlyn and Sean are suited up to go for a dip in the Swan River, and yes, it is dark out. We went night snorkeling to spot the fish in their habitats when they are docile.
Krista’s winding up for a solid split on the first swing!	“Michael chopped enough wood to build himself a log cabin” – Adam Lieberg

In our spare time we have been cooking great meals, celebrating the equinox, building a sweat lodge (more to come on this next blog) and enjoying how beautiful the weather has been the last few days!