Outdoor news
Wilderness talks
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation and the Flathead Chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association will host the second annual Wilderness Speaker Series at the Flathead Valley Community College’s Arts & Technology Building, Room 139, on Thursdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The theme of the free talks is “50 Years of Wilderness: What Will The Next 50 Years Look Like?” Next up is Bob Keane, from the U.S. Forest Service’s Missoula Fire Research Station, who will talk about “Climate Change Effects on Landscapes and Ecosystems of Western Montana” on Feb. 13.
Wilderness snowshoeing
The Flathead-Kootenai Chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association will host a 4-mile round-trip snowshoe hike to Stanton Lake in the Great Bear Wilderness on Saturday, Feb. 8. The walk will be led by Ellen Horowitz, an outdoor educator, writer and naturalist at the Glacier Institute and Flathead Valley Community College. Hikers will meet at the West Glacier Post Office at 9:30 a.m. and carpool to the trailhead. Space is limited for this free, open to the public outdoor experience so register early by contacting Amy Robinson at 406-730-2006 or arobinson@wildmontana.org.
Hunter education
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will offer a free hunter education class at the Columbia Falls High School on April 10, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22 and 24 from 7-9 p.m. with a field course on Saturday April 26, and test night on April 28. Online registration will take place from Feb. 1 through March 24 at http://fwp.mt.gov, click on “Education.” All students must register online and must attend a mandatory orientation at the Columbia Falls Fire Hall on Tuesday, March 25, between 6 to 8 p.m. Students must bring their permission slip with them at that time, and they will receive their manuals and assignments. By state law, anyone born after Jan. 1, 1985, must have completed the Hunter Education Course to buy a hunting license in Montana. To attend class and become certified, students must be at least 11 years old. For more information, call lead instructor Ray Garth at 862-9100.
Audubon owls
Doug MacCarter and other volunteers with the Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center will talk about owls at the Flathead Audubon’s meeting in the United Way Conference Room at the Gateway Community Center on Monday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. They will also introduce some of the owls that have been rehabilitated but cannot be released back into the wild. MacCarter is an educator and wildlife biologist who has been involved with birds of prey all his life. He and his twin brother are noted for their osprey studies on Flathead Lake. For more information, call Paula Smith at 406-837-0181.
DREAM fundraiser
DREAM Adaptive Recreation will host their annual dinner, dance and auction fundraiser at the Hilton Garden Inn, in Kalispell, on Friday, Feb. 14, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:15 p.m. The Swingin’ On High band led by BJ Lupton will provide Big Band dance music. DREAM provides year-round outdoor recreation opportunities to people with disabilities. Tickets are $50 each, available at Snappys Sport Senter. For more information or tickets, call 406-862-1817 or visit online at www.DreamAdaptive.org.
Wilderness artists
Applications for the 2014 Artist-Wilderness-Connection Program are due Feb. 28. In 2003, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, Flathead National Forest, Hockaday Museum of Art and the Swan Ecosystem Center joined forces to create the program, which includes an artist residency in the wilderness for up to 14 days. The artist benefits from having a remote setting to focus on their art, and the community benefits from presentations the artists offer from their experience. For more information, contact the Hockaday Museum of Art, in Kalispell, at 406-755-5268 or e-mail communications@hockadaymuseum.org.
Alaska fishing
Flathead Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited will present a program on planning a self-guided fishing trip to Alaska by chapter president Larry Timchak in the public meeting room at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks offices, 490 North Meridian Road, in Kalispell, on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. Timchak will share his knowledge and experience fishing for salmon and trout in Alaska’s immense backcountry. Refreshments will be served, and door prizes will be awarded. For more information, call Timchak at 250-7473.