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Chapter Activities

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER ACTIVITIES: 

Our chapter activities focus on four main areas:
1) Hosting Regional Meetings
2) Commenting on Public Policy
3) Sponsoring Film and Speaker Events
4) Developing Educational Programs

Hosting Regional Meetings

 We have hosted two annual regional meetings. The meetings are organized around the theme of applying science to real world conservation problems, policy decisions, and educational outreach. These meetings are a great opportunity to share research findings and learn about cutting edge conservation science in Montana and the U.S. Northern Rockies / Transboundary region. We encourage everyone to attend our annual symposium to learn about the newest developments in conservation biology in our region.  

Commenting on Public Policy

We are applying the principles of conservation biology to address public policy related to the conservation and restoration of endangered species.  For example, we developed and submitted comments on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal to remove Rocky Mountain gray wolves from the list of species protected by the Endangered Species Act. 

 download comments here, or view summary here

Sponsoring Film and Speaker Events

Every year, we host a number of public meetings, at which we either screen films or invite guest speakers to present on topics of interest to the Society. These are designed to foster discussion on conservation issues of interest and raise awareness of the role of science in regional conservation.

We have hosted two film events at the Roxy Theater in downtown Missoula, and have hosted speakers presenting on priorities for conservation biology, mollusk diversity in Montana, de-listing of gray wolves, and diverse other topics. We are planning two events for this spring, with details forthcoming.

Developing Educational Programs

We have developed curriculum for college and grade school-level students to foster knowledge, appreciation, and awareness of the natural environment.  We created a course entitled, “Conservation Education Through Natural History,” that was offered jointly through the Wildlife Biology Program and the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Montana. 

In this course, UM students gain the skills to use natural resources to teach ecological awareness guided by the principles of conservation biology.  Through this course, we have developed an “In-Reach Program” which is a long-term educational resource for elementary schools available though MTSCB.