Community briefs May 30

Gallery Nights

The Whitefish art community hosts an evening of featured artist exhibitions the first Thursday of the month.

The next Whitefish Gallery Night is June 7. Events take place at 13 participating galleries from 6-9 p.m.

The participating galleries include: Dick Idol Signature Gallery, Frame of Reference Fine Art, Going To The Sun Gallery, Group B Galleries, McGough & Company, Nancy Cawdrey Studios & Gallery, Stephen Isley Jewelry, Stumptown Art Studio, Sunti World Art Gallery, The Purple Pomegranate, The Walking Man Frame Shop & Gallery, Underscore Art and Whitefish Pottery & Stillwater Gallery.

Gallery Nights occur through October. For more information, visit www.whitefishgallerynights.org or on Facebook at Whitefish Gallery Nights-First Thursdays.

Bakke Nature Reserve

A grand opening for the city of Whitefish’s James R. Bakke Nature Reserve is Friday, June 1 at 5:30 p.m. beginning with a ceremony followed by a walk through of the reserve. The reserve is at 611 W. 7th Street. The reserve was deeded to the city by James Bakke to provide open space for the benefit of the citizens of the Whitefish community. The reserve includes an interpretive trail, parking and picnic tables. The Rotary Club of Whitefish raised the majority of funds for this project through the Whitefish Community Foundation’s Great Fish Challenge and has also dedicated many hours of community service. This project was also made possible due to contributions from the Stumptown Historical Society, Forestoration, Front Desk Design, Inc., Arborvitae and Donna Hopkins. The city reminds folks that dogs must be on a leash when visiting the reserve to protect the many species that call it home. Off-leash dogs scare and chase wildlife, causing wild animals to avoid natural spaces.

Bird hike

Ornithologist Jennifer Runnels will be leading a free bird watching hike on behalf of Montana Wilderness Association to Smith Lake outside of Whitefish on Sunday, June 3. The hike will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Swift Creek Whitefish Trail Trailhead, 8.5 miles north of Whitefish on East Lakeshore Drive.

Together, the group will search for birds throughout several habitat types along the 5-mile round trip hike to Smith Lake. Walking at an easy pace, the hike passes through several habitat types including old growth forest, riparian areas, and open forest — sure to attract several bird species. This hike is FREE and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. All ages are welcome. Hikers are asked to bring binoculars and a bird guide if you have them, as well as water, snacks and appropriate layers for the weather.

For more information or to sign up, please contact Grete Gansauer at ggansauer@wildmontana.org or visit wildmontana.org/walks

Audubon

Join the Flathead Audubon Society and refuge wildlife biologist Beverly Skinner on Sunday, June 3, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. to tour the incredible wetlands and grasslands of this hidden jewel west of Kalispell. See restored Dahl Lake with nesting Trumpeter Swans and an abundance of shorebirds and waterfowl species. The group will also spend time looking for bird species associated with Palouse prairie, riparian/wetland, and larch/pine forest habitats of the 9,000+ acre Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge northwest of Marion. The group will drive and walk along some of the refuge’s closed roads with short hikes to the best viewing sites. For more information about the refuge, go to http://www.fws.gov/refuge/lost_trail/. To sign up for the field trip or get more information about the trip contact Beverly at 406-858-2286 or beverly_skinner@fws.gov. This event is free and open to the public. The trip is limited to 15 participants. For more information, visit the Flathead Audubon website: www.flatheadaudubon.org

Viking Creek

The Montana Native Plant Society Flathead Chapter will hold a field trip on Wednesday, May 30 to tour the Viking Creek Trail and wetlands restoration.

Whitefish Lake Institute acquired management of the area to prevent it from being drained for development. Mike Koopal will tell the wetland’s story and talk about Whitefish Lake

Institute’s efforts to protect water quality of Whitefish Lake. Next, stroll through the adjacent 200-acre property that is protected by a Nature Conservancy conservation easement. It also has wonderful plants and an interesting story. Information will be shared about how Forestoration and the Center for Native Plants cleaned up and restored with native plants a severely impacted utility corridor. Meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Super 1 parking lot in Whitefish, area south of McDonald’s and close to Hwy. 93, for carpool as parking is limited at both sites. Return around 8 p.m. For information, contact Andrew Beltz at 406-471-7752 or andrew@forestoration.com.

FVCC

Flathead Valley Community College President Jane Karas will hold her annual Community Conversations across northwest Montana in June to share information about current issues and activities affecting the college and receive feedback from community members. The event in Whitefish is Wednesday, June 13 from noon-1 p.m. at Grouse Mountain Lodge. All members of the community are invited to attend. Reservations are required to ensure adequate seating and food. For more information or to make a reservation, go to www.fvcc.edu/community-conversations or call Monica Settles at 756-3801.

Gear Swap

The Flathead Adventure Gear Swap at the Flathead County Fairgrounds is Saturday, June 2 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. This is a unique opportunity for buyers and sellers alike. Sellers will pay a flat fee of just $20 for a booth space and keep all of their profits. Buyers will pay $3 at the door or $5 for a family of four which includes entry for a door prize. The Dragonflies will be holding a raffle on the day and have representatives available to talk about dragon boating in the Flathead.

Picnic

On Friday, June 15 the Agency on Aging will host the 40th Annual Older Americans’ Picnic at the Flathead County Fairgrounds Expo Building. Folks aged 60 and over are invited to attend this free picnic. Doors open at 10 a.m. with lunch served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This year’s theme is “A Salute to Senior Centers.” Come enjoy great food, entertainment, information tables and door prizes. Sponsors include: Gold Level Sponsors — Bailey Insurance Services and Glacier Bank. Other sponsors include: Frontier Hospice, Loyal Care, Humana, United Way, A Plus Healthcare, and Montana Coffee Traders.

For more information, please call 758-5730. Or to participate as a sponsor, call 758-2471.

Glacier Challenge

Volunteers are needed for the Glacier Challenge and Whitefish Lake Run on June 30. Volunteers from local businesses, churches, fitness centers, sports teams, scout groups, or individuals/families are needed for a variety of jobs including course marshaling, aid stations and sweep. The Glacier Challenge is a fundraiser for the Flathead Youth Home in Kalispell. It has a 5K or 8-mile run, as well as the relay of the Glacier Challenge, which is running, kayaking, road biking, mountain biking, and canoeing. Individuals, partners or teams can compete in the relay.

For more detailed information about the volunteer needs, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/MT/Whitefish/TheGlacierChallenge. For more information on the race,

visit http://theglacierchallenge.com/.