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. - Crown Jewels: 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. - No Park is an Island: The Long Reach of Federal Funding in the Glacier Ecosystem
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
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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!)