Glacier Conversations
VIRTUAL EVENTS 2022
Upcoming Conversations
Check out our upcoming events!
February 8, 2022 at 6:30PM MST
Citizen Science with Jami Belt
Details: The Glacier National Park Citizen Science Program invites members of the public to assist in biological research. The program is coordinated by the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center (CCRLC), based in Glacier, and made possible by the generous supporters of the Glacier National Park Conservancy. Jami Belt, Biologist and Citizen Science Program Manager, will present highlights of what we have learned from Citizen Science efforts since the program began over a decade ago, what is happening in 2023 and how you can help the park by becoming a citizen scientist.
Join Executive Director, Doug Mitchell, on Zoom and have a discussion with biologist Jami Belt. Register now, space is limited!
Past Conversations
December 2022
Adventure Photography with Jordan Lefler
Details: Jordan Lefler is an adventure photographer and filmmaker who spends a lot of his time capturing the awe-inspiring beauty of Glacier. Jordan is a second descendant of the Salish tribe and has lived most his life on the Flathead Indian Reservation. He will share some of his favorite images, stories about those images including the influence of Native American culture on his photography and his passion to leave no trace as he photographs some of the most beautiful places in the world.
Watch the Zoom conversation here.
October 2022
Winold Reiss Exhibit Discussion
Details: A special fall Glacier Conversation about Winold Reiss to include Prof. Heather Caverhill (University of Alberta, Department of Art Design), Prof. Julie Levin Caro (a contributor to the recent Reiss book The Multiculturalism of Winold Reiss), and Marilyn Kushner (Curator, New York Historical Society Museum and Library, Curator of ‘The Art of Winold Reiss: An Immigrant Modernist’).
Watch the Zoom conversation here.
August 2022
Bighorn Sheep with Dr. Elizabeth Flesch
Details: Learn all about the amazing lives of bighorn sheep and how the changing landscape affects them. Join researcher Dr. Elizabeth Flesch while she discusses her fascinating work studying the region’s bighorn sheep populations.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Flesch here.
June 2022
Fire Lookouts with Writer Amy Grisak
Details: Learn all about fire lookouts and their history – plus their current role – in Glacier National Park. Join writer Amy Grisak while she discusses her fascinating work writing a book about fire lookouts.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Amy Grisak here.
April 2022
Cultural History of Bison in Glacier with Park Archeologist Brent Rowley
Details: Join Glacier National Park Archeologist Brent Rowley and learn about the complex relationship of bison and people from the end of the Pleistocene to the late 19th Century based on ongoing archeological research undertaken by the park’s Cultural Resources Program.
People often think of bison as being only a plains animal, but they inhabited the mountain environments of Glacier as well! Bison played a central role to the Indigenous cultures of the region, so where there were bison, there were people trying to hunt them. This project attempts to tell the story of interactions between people and bison in the high country of Glacier based on nearly 13,000 years of archeological evidence in the region.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Brent Rowley here.
February 2022
Under The Night Sky with Artist-In-Residence Imma Barrera
Details: The Under The Night Sky presentation will highlight Imma’s current project to raise awareness about the importance of nature conservation efforts, in particular, protecting the night sky from light pollution. Preserving the night environment helps support human health and heritage and preserve wildlife habitats. Night photography offers a chance to capture and document scenes that few people ever see nowadays due to artificial light and airglow pollution.
Born in Barcelona, Imma Barrera is a landscape and nature photographer based in New Jersey. She is a graduate of NY Institute of Photography and has won several awards and exhibited her photography in a number of galleries worldwide. She has published books about the night skies in NJ and the first book of her series “Photographing National Parks” about her experience as an Artist-in-Residence at Capitol Reef. Currently, she is working on the second book about her National Park series covering Glacier and another book about several US national parks at night.
To see her work, and to find more information about Imma’s dark skies presentation, please visit this link. you can also follow her on Instagram @imma.photo.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Imma Barrera here.
December 2021
Kay Knapton & Olivia Secord – “The Young Goat and Old Goat”
Details: Kay Knapton and her granddaughter, Olivia Secord, will join us to talk about their inspiring Climate Hike through Glacier National Park, where they volunteered to hike 50 miles in four days and raised over $9,000 for Glacier National Park.
Kay and her granddaughter Olivia Secord call themselves the Young Goat (age 11) and Old Goat (age 81). They were determined to take steps – 100,000 to be precise – to help address the effects of climate change, support conservation in Glacier National Park, and add another adventure to their bucket of shared experiences.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Kay & Olivia here.
November 2021
Mapping Glacier’s Wilderness with Jillian McKenna
Details: Geographic Information System (GIS) Analyst, Jillian McKenna, will discuss her work in creating a base GIS layered map that shows installations and facilities in Glacier’s recommended wilderness – the first of its kind for Glacier National Park.
You can learn a little bit more about the project and Jillian’s work by checking out our Project Spotlight video from this year’s virtual Backpacker’s Ball!
Watch the Zoom conversation with Jillian McKenna here.
September 2021
Alex Schnee of Alex on the Map
Details: Alex is a professional writer and international travel blogger. Her work has been featured in USA Today, the Huffington Post, Travel + Leisure, Fodor’s, and many more. A Flathead native, she now runs her own international travel blog, Alex On The Map, where she shares her passions of cooking, photography, and traveling as a digital nomad, as well as encouraging conservation and respect for natural spaces – including Glacier. She has been to over 50 countries and has worked with brands such as National Geographic, Contiki, Gutsy Women Travel, The North Face, and many more.
You can check out Alex’s recent work in Fodor’s Travel, which features Glacier Conservancy Executive Director, Doug Mitchell. The article is titled, “Everyone Is Flocking to National Parks—But Should They? Is It a Bad Idea?“.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Alex Schnee here.
June 2021
Glacier’s Native Plant Nursery
Details: Join us virtually as we visit Glacier’s Native Plant Nursery, where hundreds of native plants are cultivated from a variety of habitats found within the park and used in various restoration efforts. Glacier Conservancy Executive Director, Doug Mitchell, will meet with with Glacier National Park’s Vegetation Program Manager, Dawn LaFleur.
Thanks to our event partner, Center for Native Plants, we’ll be giving away a $50 gift certificate, plus a shirt and hat to one participant during the event.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Dawn LaFleur here.
May 2021
The Last Glacier: Images of Our Changing Landscape at the Hockaday Museum of Art
Details: Join the Glacier Conservancy’s Executive Director, Doug Mitchell, and the Hockaday Museum of Art’s Executive Director, Alyssa Cordova, as well as featured artists as we explore the Hockaday’s new exhibition The Last Glacier: Images of Our Changing Landscape. The exhibition is currently on view to the public through June 19th and features the work of artists Bruce Crownover and Todd Anderson and photographer Ian van Coller. We’re incredibly honored to give you a sneak peek into the collection through this special virtual event.
For more information about the exhibition, please visit the Hockaday Museum of Art’s website.
Watch the Zoom conversation with the Hockaday Museum of Art’s Alyssa Cordova as well as featured artists Bruce Crownover, Todd Anderson, and Ian van Coller here.
April 2021
40 Years of Wolf Recovery in Montana
Details: Dr. Diane Boyd will talk about her work in wolf recovery from the first wolf to return to Montana in 1979 to the present population of approximately 850 wolves. This very successful recovery has had many bumps in the road, but wolves are resilient and here to stay.
Diane Boyd has worked with wolves for more than 40 years. She retired from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in December 2019, as the Wolf Specialist for northwestern Montana and now pursues other conservation avenues.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Diane Boyd here.
March 2021
Rangers Michael Faist & Andrew Smith
Details: Join Park Rangers Michael Faist and Andrew Smith for a conversation about Glacier’s new podcast, Headwaters. Michael and Andrew recorded, edited, and co-hosted the show. This brand new podcast, made possible thanks to your donations to the Glacier Conservancy, travels to every major region of Glacier to tell stories how nature and culture come together in unexpected ways.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Michael and Andrew here.
February 2021
Climate Ride: Caeli Quinn and Leticia Romero
Details: Climate Ride is a nonprofit organization that organizes life-changing charitable biking and hiking events to raise awareness and support sustainability, active transportation, and environmental causes, including the Glacier Climate Ride, which funds renewable energy projects in Glacier National Park. Join Co-Founder and Executive Director, Caeli Quinn, and climate runner and community activist, Leticia Romero, for a conversation about climate activism in Montana.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Caeli Quinn and Leticia Romero here.
January 2021
Sarah Williams
Details: Sarah Williams thru-hiked the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) in 2020 during the pandemic. The route through Glacier National Park changed this year due to closures on the east side of the park.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Sarah Williams here.
This event is sponsored by
December 2020
Team Onyx
Details: Team Onyx is the first all-Black team in expedition racing, representing the best qualities and strength that come from diversity. They are a mixture of gay and straight athletes in their 20s, 40s and 50s from around the world. Team Onyx was featured on Amazon’s World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji. Our event sponsor, Bedrock Sandals, will be giving away two free pairs of sandals to two participants during the event.
Watch the Zoom conversation with Captain Clifton Lyles here.
