Community Briefs

Community Invited to Celebrate Seeley Lake Fire Department’s Newest Honorary Member Addy Trevino, April 29

SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Fire Department formally invites the entire Seeley Lake Community to join them in making Seeley Lake’s Addy Boo Trevino an honorary member of the Seeley Lake Rural Fire District. On Sunday, April 29 at 1 p.m. they will be officially welcoming Addy as our newest member and presenting her with her uniform, badge and turnout gear.

“We hope you will come join us for the ceremony followed by snacks, cocoa and coffee,” said the members of the Department.

Swan Valley AARP Meeting, May 1

Swan Valley - The Swan Valley AARP will meet Tuesday, May 1 at noon at the Swan Valley Community Hall. A potluck lunch hosted by Barb and Joe Raible will begin at 12:30 p.m. After lunch, Betsy Spettigue will talk about her summers spent at a fishing lodge on the coast of Alaska. The public is invited.

Community Potluck Dinner, May 2

Swan Valley - Swan Valley Connections’ May Community Potluck Dinner Wednesday, May 2 will feature a presentation by Matt Bell of Montana Land Reliance on amphibians and reptiles. Live ambassador animals will be there!

Swan Valley Connections monthly potlucks are held on the first Wednesday of every month at the Swan Valley Community Hall. This is a time for all community members to come together, share food, learn from one another and enjoy live music!

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., potluck dinner at 6 p.m., presentation at 6:30 p.m. and open mic style live music at 7:15 p.m. - bring your instruments! Free. Everyone is welcome. 

Contact Rebecca at 754 -3137or rebecca@svconnections.org for more information or if to present at future potlucks.

Change Your Pace Mandatory Meeting May 3

SEELEY LAKE - Change Your Pace is just around the corner! Together with 18 organizations the Seeley Lake Community Foundation raised more than $81,000 in 2017 and with 14 organizations the Foundation raised more than $113,000 in 2016. The Foundation is looking forward to making the third year of CYP bigger and better than ever before.

The 2018 fundraising period will be held between May 24 – Aug. 3. The mandatory meeting will be held May 3 at 5:30 p.m. in the Great Hall at Double Arrow. 

This year, the Foundation would like to celebrate the community’s success Aug. 26. They hope to have a party/ice cream social/games for kids/booths etc. and want everyone’s help to pull this off. There will be a brainstorm session at the May 3 mandatory meeting so bring ideas.

Save the Dates:

• May 3-Mandatory CYP Challenge Meeting at Double Arrow

• May 24-August 3 CYP Fundraising Period

• Aug. 12- SLCF Annual Banquet at Double Arrow 

• Aug. 26-CYP Celebration

Swan Valley Bird Count, May 12

Swan Valley - Join Swan Valley Connections (SVC) in celebrating the 25th Anniversary of World Migratory Bird Day with a day-long bird count on Saturday, May 12. Birders from the Swan Valley have been part of this event from its start in 1993.

The goal for the count will be to record all birds in the Swan Valley – by number and species – that one sees through the morning Saturday, May 12th. For emerging birders, or those who wish to count with others, SVC staff will offer an Introduction to Bird Identification presentation at 8:30 a.m. at the Condon Work Center (6887 MT Hwy 83), followed by a group field count in the Elk Creek Conservation Area from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Carpooling will be coordinated.

Then, whether one has counted independently or with a group, SVC invites participants to bring their count and a picnic lunch to the Condon Work Center at 12 p.m., where the bird counts will be tallied and stories shared from the sightings. 

RSVPs are needed by Monday, May 7 for those wishing to attend the Elk Creek Conservation Area group field count. Space is limited. SVC Aquatic Programs Coordinator Rob Rich will be glad to help answer any questions at rob@svconnections.org or 754-3137.

For more information on the World Migratory Bird Day visit http://www.migratorybirdday.org/

Seeley Lake Library News

SEELEY LAKE - Those interested in learning how to download eBooks may attend a class at the Seeley Lake Library on Wednesday, May 2 from 1:30-3 p.m. The instructor will cover how to use various eReaders to access the library’s collection. Attendees are encouraged to bring their eReaders, cords and applicable passwords. For more information or to sign up call 677-8995.

The Seeley Lake Library Book Club will discuss Caitlin Doughty’s “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” Wednesday, May 23 at 11 a.m. In this memoir, Doughty, a licensed mortician, describes various cultures’ relationships with death. Her book has been described as sincere, hilarious ... [and] a must read for anyone who plans on dying.

Books are available at the checkout desk. All are invited to join in the discussion.

The Seeley Lake Library is a branch of Missoula Public Library located at Seeley-Swan High School. The library is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. -3:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation Seeks Volunteers for 2018 Field Season 2018

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, a grassroots organization that formed in Montana over twenty years ago, has opened their volunteer calendar for 2018.

The BMWF provides stewardship for Montana’s 1.5 million acre Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, the crown jewel of the Wilderness system.

Registration for BMWF Volunteer Adventures is available online and over thirty trips to places worth protecting are being offered. Currently, over 50 volunteers are needed to help clear trails and do other conservation projects that benefit recreationalists and wildlife in the Bob.

Trips range from three- to nine-days in length and are rated easy, moderate, or strenuous to fit every physical level. All projects are dedicated to keeping trails open, managing invasive weeds, protecting wildlife habitat, and offer a positive, wilderness immersions with the power to change lives and instill a land ethic.

The BMWF provides safety gear, work tools, a trained Crew Leader, food for the trip, and the opportunity for a quality wilderness experience that provides a stronger connection to the landscape to ensure more stewards for wild places in the future.

For more information, please contact Program Director Rebecca Powell at programs@bmwf.org, 406-387-3808, or visit http://www.bmwf.org/volunteer2018/