Crown of the Continent Institute

October 5-10, 2025
Western Montana


Sunday, October 5

4:15 p.m. - Fellows gather in the lobby of the Residence Inn, downtown Missoula

4:30 p.m. - Opening Session: The 30,000-foot View of Conservation in Western Montana

Tracy Stone-Manning

President, The Wilderness Society; Former Director, Bureau of Land Management

 

6 p.m. - Dinner

Overnight at Residence Inn, Missoula


Monday, October 6

6 - 7 a.m. - Breakfast at hotel

7:30 - 10 a.m. - Why Did the Wildlife Cross the Road? Road Ecology and Habitat Connectivity

Ryan Chapin

Montana field manager, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Shane Talley

State wildlife biologist, Montana Department of Transportation

Kylie Paul

Road ecologist, Center for Large Landscape Conservation

Pat Sweeney

Nine Mile Wildlife Workgroup, retired wildlife biologist, U.S. Forest Service

Ian Varley

Planner, Missoula County

10 a.m. - Bus heads north to the Flathead Reservation

10:30 a.m. - Over, Under, Around and Through: Wildlife Crossings on the Landscape

Tess McEnroe

Manager of media relations. Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative

Marcel Huijser

Research ecologist, Western Transportation Institute

Laurel Angell

Director of government relations & policy, Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative

Daniel Anderson

Senior wildlife passage outreach specialist, Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative

1 - 1:30 p.m. - Lunch on the bus while en route to Se̓liš Ksanka Ql̓ispe̓ Dam overlook

1:30 - 3 p.m. - Troubled Waters: Lake Levels, Climate Change, and Managing Demands

*Additional speakers to be announced

Brian Lipscomb

CEO, Energy Keepers

 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. - Tending to the Land: An Afternoon with Members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe’s Natural Resources Team

*Additional speakers to be announced

Whisper Camel-Means

Wildlife biologist, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

Tom McDonald

Vice Chairman; Fish and Wildlife Division Manager, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

Bob McDonald

Communications director, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

 

5:30 p.m. - Bus departs for Flathead Lake Biological Station

6:30 p.m. - Dinner at FLBS

Overnight at FLBS, Polson


Tuesday, October 7

7 - 8:30 a.m. - Breakfast at FLBS

9 a.m. - Something In the Water: Transboundary Mining and Downstream Impacts

Tom Bansak

Associate director, Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana

Erin Sexton

Senior scientist, Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana

Danie Frevola

Research associate, Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana

 

Lunch at the station

1 - 3 p.m. - Indicator Species: What Some of the Food Web's Smallest Members Can Tell Us about Aquatic Pollution

Joe Giersch

Aquatic entomologist, Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana

 

3 p.m. - Telling Environment Stories Better - Western Montana Edition

6:30 p.m. - Dinner

Overnight at FLBS


Wednesday, October 8

6 - 7 a.m. - Breakfast at station

7 a.m. - Bus departs for Columbia Falls

8 a.m. - “The Best Idea We Ever Had”: The Keystone Role of National Parks in Wild Ecosystems

Sarah Lundstrum

Glacier program manager, National Parks Conservation Association

Sheena Pate

Executive director, Flathead Rivers Alliance

Kate Kendall

Research ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey (retired)

Jeff Mow

Former Superintendent, Glacier National Park

Tim Manley

Grizzly bear management specialist, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (retired)

9:30 a.m. - Depart for Glacier Park Tour

1:30 p.m. - Lunch with members of FAST Blackfeet

2:30 p.m. - You Are What You Eat: Food Sovereignty, Security and Sustainability within the Blackfeet Nation

* Additional speakers to be announced

Danielle Antelope

Founder and Director, FAST Blackfeet

Iris Sharp

Assistant director, FAST Blackfeet

Emmette Dustybull

Shield Keeper, Blackfeet ECO Knowledge

Helen Augare Carlson

Division Chair, Piikani Studies, Blackfeet Community College

6 p.m. - Dinner

Overnight at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch, Dupuyer


Thursday, October 9

6:30 a.m. - Breakfast at the ranch

7:30 a.m - Conservation on the Range: The Role of Private Property in an Wild Ecosystem

Tony Schoonen

CEO, Boone & Crockett Club

Jennifer Schoonen

Communications & development director, Blackfoot Challenge

 

9:30 a.m. - Bus departs for Ovando

11:30 a.m. - Lunch

Speakers for the afternoon include:

Seth Wilson

Executive Director, Blackfoot Challenge
.

Rebecca Reeves

Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Greg Neudecker

State Coordinator, Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Leigh and Kyle Kelley

Managers, Paws Up Ranch

Randy Gazda

Vice-Chair, Blackfoot Challenge; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (retired)

Cindy Super

Forestry and Prescribed Fire Coordinator, Blackfoot Challenge

Molly McDevitt

Science director, Blackfoot Challenge

12 a.m. - 1 p.m. - A Radical Collaboration: The History of the Blackfoot Challenge

1 - 1:10 p.m. - Travel to Rolling Stone Ranch

1:10 - 2:10 p.m. - Can’t We All Just Get Along? Landowner Partnerships, Private Land Tools, and Wildlife Conflict Management in Ranching Country

2:10 - 2:30 p.m. - Travel to Paws Up Ranch

2:30 - 3:30 p.m. - Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Range Riding, “Vence”, and Other Strategies

3:30 - 3:45 p.m. - Travel to Lubrecht Experimental Forest

3:45 - 4:45 - Bringing Fire Back: Cross-Boundary Partnerships for Forest Resilience

4:45 - Bus departs for Missoula

6 p.m. - Closing night dinner and highly emotional awards ceremony

Overnight at Residence Inn, Missoula (except for locals - you can go home!)