The First Grizzly of the Season - Spring in Glacier National Park!

Glacier National Park News Release

March 23, 2009

For Immediate Release

Amy Vanderbilt 406 888-5838

NEWS09-07

Perennial Sign of Spring:  First Bear Sighting in Glacier National Park

Visitors reminded to be aware for emerging bears and other natural hazards

WEST GLACIER, MONT.  – The first sign of spring in northwest Montana is

arguably the return of the Varied Thrush to pine forests and the Western

Meadow Lark to the valley floors, but for many, the perennial sign of

spring is the first sighting of a bear.  With spring’s arrival, it is

fitting that two east side park employees observed a large, dark grizzly

bear Thursday, March 19, from a safe distance, as they walked along

Going-to-the-Sun Road near St. Mary Campground.   So, people aren’t the

only ones getting out and about.

The beginning of spring coincides with the first emergence of bears from

their dens, both grizzly and black bears.  Park Superintendent Chas

Cartwright remarked, “With this March sighting, park visitors are reminded

to be alert for bear activity and to be familiar with and comply with

safety regulations.”

Traditionally, males are the first to emerge, usually in mid-March; females

tend to emerge slightly later.  Once they emerge, bears roam widely in

search of food, such as winter-killed animal carcasses, and will

aggressively protect a food source. Females will also fiercely defend their

cubs.  In addition to grizzly bears, Glacier National Park is also home to

black bears.

Recreational visitors should travel in groups and make loud noise by

calling out and/or clapping their hands at frequent intervals, especially

near streams and at blind spots and curves on trails.  These actions will

help avoid surprise encounters.  Do not approach any wildlife; instead, use

binoculars, telescopes, or telephoto lenses to get closer looks.

Visitors are also reminded to keep food and other attractants stored in

hard-sided vehicles or bear-proof food storage boxes. Garbage must be

deposited into a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster.  These actions help

keep bears from becoming conditioned to human food, and help keep park

visitors and their personal property safe.

Cartwright noted, “Bear pepper spray has proven to be a good last line of

defense for visitors who have familiarized themselves with its operation

and keep it immediately accessible for ready use as a deterrent.  It is

critical that people do not develop a false sense of security by carrying

bear pepper spray.  Visitors need to continue to take precautions to avoid

an encounter.”

Visitors should report any bear sightings or signs of bear activity to the

nearest visitor center, ranger station or by calling 406-888-7800 as soon

as possible.  This information helps park rangers keep bears away from

unnatural food sources, as well as prevents bears from becoming habituated

to humans.

Cartwright further noted, “While feeding of any wildlife is illegal in

Glacier National Park, this recent bear sighting also serves as a reminder

to park neighbors that the winter practice of feeding birds should be

suspended, as emerging bears in the spring can be attracted to bird feeders

as a food source.”

Although safety recommendations for foot travel while in bear country tend

to receive more attention, there are other natural hazards that

recreational users should be aware of and be prepared for when they venture

outdoors.   Even though famed naturalist and conservationist John Muir once

said, "It is far safer to wander into God's woods than to travel on black

highways or to stay at home," Glacier National Park can be filled with many

potential dangers. “We want everyone to have a safe experience while they

visit and enjoy the park.”  Go to the park’s web page at

http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/yoursafety.htm for details about:

Bears, Water, Wildlife, Mountain Lions and Watch Your Step.

Whether in Glacier National Park or elsewhere in the wilds of Montana,

people need to be aware of potential risks and be prepared with knowledge,

proper equipment and common sense to have a safe and enjoyable experience.

Although grizzly bears tend to grab headlines, water-related accidents are

the number one cause of accidental death at Glacier such as falling into

water from a slippery rock on stream bank.  “These potential hazards are

not mentioned to scare people but rather to remind everyone to be prepared,

be familiar with their equipment and know their personal limitations.

Glacier National Park is a wonderland to explore and experience during each

of its many seasons, but we want park visitors to have a safe outing,”

concluded Cartwright.

                                  - NPS -

Geotourism

Geotourism and Destination Conservation 
Innovative Projects Honor Natural and Cultural Heritage at a Local Level

The National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations is teaming up with community leaders, non-profits, and other local stakeholders worldwide to help them promote their sense of place and prompt destination conservation.  The end product is a Geotourism MapGuide and or a website that is largely designed by local people.  It is unique because the people who know the places best get to share what makes their region special and ‘forms its essence’; residents identify the natural and cultural attractions that are featured.

The aim of these projects is to promote Geotourism, working directly with residents to preserve their unique cultural and natural heritage, build pride in their region and its communities, and inspire ongoing stewardship. Geotourism is defined as ‘tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place-its environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture and the well-being of its residents.’ Geotourism inherently incorporates the main tenet of sustainable tourism—protecting and preserving a destination’s character and environment. It also borrows the ecotourism concept that tourism revenue should promote conservation and contribute to the well-being of local residents. Geotourism, therefore, can be seen as an ‘umbrella concept’ that encompasses many tourism niches and approaches.

One example of a Geotourism project STI is helping to manage is in The Central Cascades of Oregon and Washington State. It involves working with residents throughout the region to create a MapGuide and interactive website to promote the area’s natural and cultural attractions, and foster a sense of pride in local communities. From an economic perspective, this project and others like it address the need to preserve environmental assets, help revitalize local economies—especially rural communities, and attract visitors who are seeking authentic experiences. To learn more about the Central Cascades Geotourism Project or to submit a nomination (through March 29, 2009), visit the website. 

Another related initiative, celebrating the distinct destinations of the world, is the “Geotourism Challenge 2009: Power of Place—Sustaining the Future of Destinations”. Join National Geographic and Ashoka’s Changemakers in the global search for innovative ideas in tourism that celebrate the distinct destinations of the world by honoring culture, cherishing history and enhancing the environment. Their collaborative competition was launched February 18, 2009 on Changemakers.net, and they are looking for savvy travelers and consumers to nominate places that exemplify the concept of Geotourism and real world practitioners working to sustain or enhance the geographical character of a place. Visit the Ashoka’s Changemakers website to read about the 2008 Geotourism Challenge winners, or to submit a nomination for this year’s Geotourism Challenge (entry deadline is May 20, 2009).

To see the geotourism map guide of Montana check out  http://www.crownofthecontinent.net.

Bill Hayden's Blog on Glacier National Park

NPS PHOTO Varied Thrush So Long to the Snowmen Hello Spring March 5, 2009 NOTE: When I started writing this, this morning it was just snowing lightly. It looks like a full on winter storm outside right now, but I decided to post this anyway. Maybe this is just temporary...maybe! You probably have noticed by now that the "Snowball Cam" has been replaced by a second Headquarters Cam. Snowball and friends have melted into the background for the remainder of the winter. They were fun while they were here and a HUGE hit with everyone that visited the site. I even had some great emails regarding the appropriate use of the name snowman vs snowpeople, etc... Many of them were just down-right funny and I wish I could share them here...but for many reasons, I can't. Let's just say that the anonymous nature of the Internet allows for tremendous freedom of speech. Thank you all for the comments, and thanks for your overwhelming support of our little friends outside the building. Now that it's getting into March their habitat needs have changed enough to make their continued survival here precarious. Speaking of habitat changes, people here have been hearing the haunting call of the Varied Thrush for the last couple of days. It's one of the sure signs of Spring, although I imagine the thrushes are wondering if they didn't get here a couple of days early, considering today's weather outside. The song is a melodic whistle of varying pitches (hence the name) and very beautiful to hear. Do an Internet search for them and you can find a lot of sites about them, some of which have audio files of their calls. One that came up for me in my search was the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. These robin sized birds spend the winter a bit further south in California and west of here in Washington and a bit of northern Idaho. In summer they migrate a bit further east to the Rockies of Montana and Idaho and up into Canada and Alaska. I haven't heard one yet, but I hope to soon. I always know when Spring is just around the corner when I can wake up to the Varied Thrush in the backyard, singing.

Latest news from Glacier National Park

 No More Glaciers in Glacier National Park by 2020?

Anne Minard
National Geographic News

March 2, 2009

It's an oft-repeated statistic that the glaciers at Montana's Glacier National Park will disappear by the year 2030.

But Daniel Fagre, a U.S. Geological Survey ecologist who works at Glacier, says the park's namesakes will be gone about ten years ahead of schedule, endangering the region's plants and animals.

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• Alps Glaciers Gone by 2050, Expert Says
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The 2030 date, he said, was based on a 2003 USGS study, along with 1992 temperature predictions by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

"Temperature rise in our area was twice as great as what we put into the [1992] model," Fagre said. "What we've been saying now is 2020."

The 2020 estimate is based on aerial surveys and photography Fagre and his team have been conducting at Glacier since the early 1980s. A more standardized measure of what's happening to a glacier comes from arduous documentation of its mass, which requires—among other techniques—multiple core samples.

Fagre said the 2020 estimate could be slightly revised after his team conducts the mass measurements—hopefully this year—and their computer models are retooled with current temperatures.

Nonpolar ice is disappearing all over the globe, Fagre said. Major glaciers have entirely disappeared from the Andes, and the Himalaya have lost a third of their snow. (Seevideo of Alpine glaciers melting.)

Animals at Risk as Glaciers Melt

Fagre is concerned about ecological implications of glacier melt.

"A lot of our sensitive and rare plants are associated with the edges of glaciers," he said.

At first, retreating glaciers will expose more growing area for plants. But eventually plants will crowd the area, and reduced water could cause drying and die-offs.

And as glaciers retreat, the streams they feed can become intermittent, he added. 

"For some aquatic species, that's a threshold event," he said. "You only have to dry up once and you're history."

Not Cut-and-Dried Enlarge Photo  Printer Friendly Email to a Friend What's This? SHARE DiggStumbleUponReddit RELATED VIDEO: Iceland Glaciers Melting Fast Alps Glaciers Gone by 2050, Expert Says Hundreds of Glaciers Melting Faster in Antarctica Andrew Fountain, a Portland State University professor of geography and geology, acknowledged that the glaciers of Glacier National Park shrank by 67 percent in the past hundred years. "As a group, that is the fastest recession of any glaciated region in the lower 48 states" in the U.S., Fountain said. But he's cautious about predicting the demise of any glacier. In some situations, local topography can balance out climate change, he said. "Take the Colorado Front Range, for example," he said. "There is no reason for glaciers to inhabit Rocky Mountain National Park, climatically speaking. If it were not for … the drifting snow from the high plateau into the cirque basins"—valleys hollowed out by past glacial erosion—"you would not have glaciers there. But they are holding on fine."