I felt privileged to be part of it in the first place, but now I feel borderline important.
A lot of pressure rides on every one of the crews, bio-techs and interns to take down data and keep it safe, because a lot of money and a lot of criticism is on the shoulders of us all. Believe it or not, but the locals in the area are not the biggest fans of bears, and some want them all gone. It hasn't been easy convincing these people that conserving a predator like the grizzly bear is an important part of not only their lives but future generations.
Kate spent the morning of the first day of training going over projects from the beginning that started in 1997 with the Greater Glacier Bear Project, where non-invasive techniques were first used to monitor bear populations to the current project. The Grizzly Bear DNA project is known world-wide as one of the state of the art research project ever initiated.
The rest of the day consisted of frisbee, free food, bear safety and bear spray. We even got kicked out early due to some folks who love god maybe a little too much. During Amy's final presentation, she was interrupted three times by three different people to warn us that the sunny weather outside is too iffy to hold mass outside in Apgar, so 100 worshipers came storming in as she gave her final words on field protocol.
I remain by my philosophy that I don't mind religion, but its believers are a bit oblivious of the world around them. Going to church is one thing, but another is being respectful to the people and world you coexist with. I'm not saying I'm the most virtuous individual in the world, but they need to take a look at themselves. Sir, in your SUV, if you don't have the patience to wait for me to tie my shoelaces before you pray to the force of nature, you don't deserve to be taken up by the rapture. Sorry to burst your dream bubble mang.
Anyways...Today I revitalized my excitement for this summer and my journalism project I want to complete. Throughout Kate's talk, I was writing vigorously, outlining my plan, my sources I want to talk to and the direction I want to take. If there's anything that will save the world or even a population of threatened animals, it will all come down to public opinion and their combined conscious. I'm starting to realize that this is what journalism is all about: opening up the minds of locals to an idea in a way that they will willingly partake in the cause. And if I can't be passionate about a cause as important and extensive as Kate Kendall's work with USGS then I don't deserve to be called an aspiring journalist.
The project might get their information published in science journals, but that is not going to get out to the people who need to hear it. Kate talked about her experience on Capital Hill in 2008, during the presidential campaigns, when John McCain called the project a waste of money right along with the "Bridge to Nowhere." He ended up changing his public opinion thanks to a Washington Post reporter who decided to talk to Kate and published a full spread feature in the Post. Those are the stories that get to people. I want that to be my job.
I've been slacking on my writing and blogging lately, because people have finally shown up, and goddamnit am I excited for this summer. The crew I'm part of is going to be awesome. I had the privilege to pick up all the interns. I had my doubts, but my pessimistic mind was trumped by my longing to meet new people and expand my horizons from my tiny bubble of Missoula, Mont. There's something about people who work with wildlife or even as simple as being passionate and wanting to work for little to no pay just to say they were part of something amazing.
June 12th.
It's beginning to feel like summer. Despite the scattered thunder storms over the past few days, the sun has been strong and tourists are starting to crowd the mercantile and the rest of West Glacier. I even had traffic, a string of 12 cars, on my way back to Coram.
I'm currently sipping a beer at the Stonefly happy hour to get a little break from the crowds and constant action that bear crew brought to camp. The Shins are playing lightly over the speakers, and locals are scattered around the bar and booths, chatting or using the only free wifi in the area. I'm starting to think that bars are an improvement to coffee shops in the free internet category.
Last night all 45-50 members of the bear crew met up at Kate's home in the Flathead Valley that sits on 60 acres or so right along the Flathead River. There was a point between the storms that I thought I was back in the rainforest of Australia, as the sun set cut through the misty rain clouds. If only the trees were palms instead of deciduous, and the water wasn't 38 degrees.
We drank beer and ate delicious food, played badminton, talked about the status of the world and of course bears and bear crew. Things may have become slightly fuzzy by the time we returned. But all in all it was a great night.
Training today was another classroom day, and I'm starting to get antsy to get out in the field again. There's only so much we can learn about field protocol and safety in a classroom setting. Although the things Amy and Kate are telling us will be important in the early hitches. The rivers are still huge and fast, and the snow is still increasing in the high country. Apparently, in the middle of the park there are a range of flat top mountains that are currently holding five feet worth of water in the snow pack, and those mountains are no where close to the highest peaks or have the most snow. It's going to be one hell of a summer, and I don't think any of us in the Glacier crew will understand until we experience it first hand.
Tomorrow's training session will be all about river and snow crossing. We get to go out in the field and prove we can handle what we've been learning in the slideshows.
Well, gotta go and return to the rest of the crew.
cheers,
June 13th
Bear Spray, River and Snow Crossings
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