Dates: Saturday, September 9, & Wednesday, September 13 (sign up for one or the other)

Time: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Location: Miller Creek, via your personal vehicle (exact location will be conveyed closer to the date – dependent on participant number and parking availability)

Would you like to know the specifics behind the health of our treasured riparian areas? Our streams, creeks, and rivers support the majority of our state’s bird species and are crucial habitat for a multitude of other creatures from bears to mink to osprey to bull trout. Find out what makes a stream healthy, how they are restored, and the challenges they face.

During this citizen science program you will learn how to assess fish habitat and identify native vegetation and noxious weeds with the Clark Fork Collation’s Restoration Director Will McDowell and Project Manager Adam Switalski. Your newfound skills will be put into practice as you work with Will and Adam to assess a restoration site on Miller Creek.

No previous experience required. We will be walking through creek beds and ducking below trees, so water shoes and comfort with the physical requirements are necessary!

As a citizen scientist you will be collaborating with professional scientists and contributing valuable time to the projects they care about. Your work expands the capacity for data-driven restoration projects through hands-on learning and stewardship. If you are Montana Master Naturalist, this is a great way to log volunteer hours!

Instructors: 

Will McDowell heads up the Clark Fork Coalition’s integrated stream restoration projects in the Upper Clark Fork. He is dedicated to building partnerships with agricultural landowners, agencies, and other non-profits, so that restoration investments benefit both the rural community, and the fish and wildlife, from “ridge to river.” He has also worked in watershed restoration internationally, including Bolivia, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Panama, Armenia, and China.

Adam Switalski joined the Clark Fork Coalition in 2021 as a project manager focused on stream restoration in the Bitterroot basin. He brings 20 years of experience in restoration ecology, working both for nonprofits and in the private sector as an environmental consultant. Adam works collaboratively with state and federal agencies, private land owners, and conservation partners to develop and implement restoration projects across the Bitterroot watershed. His specialty is restoring aquatic habitat and reducing erosion associated with roads, stream crossings, and streambanks.

What to Bring:

• Lunch
• Water
• Clothes for changing Montana weather conditions, hat, sunscreen
• Water shoes

Cost: FREE

Registration: 

Register here for Saturday, September 9
Register here for Wednesday, September 13