ECO Mid-Summer Update Round 3

The summer internship program braved excessive heat and continued to do their part on a campion project over the 4th of July week. Now that the campion is mowed, their focus has moved on to seed collection and houndstongue removal.

Last summer, the internship program removed an impressive amount of houndstongue from Davis Creek. We hope that by returning this summer to the same areas and working to eradicate the new plants that we will have effectively controlled the population.

Interns also spent time in the field with Lauren and Prairie, who are MPG biologists and botanists. These staff members took time with the students to pass along instruction on plant identification and seed collection methods. The students are off this week, but will begin another month long hitch at MPG on July 22.

On Tuesday July 9th, the Missoula Writing Collaborative brought 32 students and 10 staff to MPG for a day of exploration, inspiration, and creative writing. The theme for the visit was ‘migration’. We discussed the movement of wildlife on the ranch and MPG’s efforts to improve habitat connectivity between bioregions. We also covered the ranch’s role in the greater context of larger migration patterns that span from Alaska to Central America. As per usual, students then explored the Northern Floodplain. We hiked to the river and dedicated the rest of the afternoon to the creative process. Students spread out in the shade of the cottonwood grove and wrote from the prompts that their instructors provided.

On Thursday July 11th, the Rocky Mountain School of Photography visited MPG for a tour. They brought several staff, and we explored the property with the hope to connect RMSP’s classes to the beautiful landscape and abundant wildlife on Mt Baldy and it’s surroundings.