The Highest of Honors:
FLBS Director Jim Elser Elected to National Academy of Sciences
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FLBS Director Jim Elser is no stranger to prestigious recognition. The University of Montana Bierman Professor of Ecology has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is currently an elected foreign member of the Norwegian Academy of Arts and Sciences. He’s also received the G.E. Hutchinson Award from the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, which is the world’s largest scientific association dedicated to aquatic sciences.
But in May of 2019, Elser received an honor that transcends any that have come before: He has officially been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of his distinguished and continuing achievements in scientific research. This is the highest honor for an American scientist aside from a Nobel Prize.
“It is very exciting to join the ranks of the National Academy, as it is the home of so many scientific heroes of the past and present,” Elser said. “I hope that membership in the NAS can help in elevating the importance of protecting precious water resources like Flathead Lake from potential threats from nutrient pollution, invasive species and climate change.”
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FLBS Director Jim Elser's Election in the News
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2019 Mussel Walk Series:
Empowering the Next Generation in the Fight Against Invasive Mussels
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We have exciting news! After conducting extensive searches with local middle school students at varying locations around Flathead and Whitefish Lakes, we are happy to announce that no invasive mussels were found during the 2019 Mussel Walks!
We were inspired by the students, teachers and volunteers who came out and participated in this year’s Mussel Walks. They were not only a joy to be around, but also highly eager to learn. Students took part in hands-on learning at educational stations where they practiced cleaning aquatic recreational items, inspected boats for evidence of invasive mussels, and gained a better understanding of how quickly invasive mussels can spread. They also had the chance to see first-hand how effective mussel-sniffing dogs can be, and engaged in an intercultural curriculum that empowered them to use their knowledge and voice to help us protect and sustain our freshwater ecosystems for many years to come.
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Experience the sights and sounds of the 2019 Mussel Walk Series.
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Equally inspiring were our incredible partners. Thanks to the Flathead Lakers, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Montana State Parks, and the Whitefish Lake Institute, the 2019 Mussel Walk series reached over 400 students from five middle schools in the Mission and Flathead Valleys and covered four locations at Flathead Lake and two locations at Whitefish Lake. It was a massive effort from all parties involved, and stands as the finest example of what we can accomplish when we all work together.
As always, the future of our beloved freshwater remains uncertain. But if our experiences with this year’s Mussel Walks are any indication, we have plenty of reasons to believe that if we continue to work together we can Keep Our Waters Blue!
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2019 Mussel Walk Series Schedule
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May 1
Lakeside-Somers, Montana
Flathead Lake State Park: West Shore Unit
Somers Middle School
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May 2
Polson, Montana
Salish Point
Polson Middle School
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May 3
Flathead Lake Bio Station
Yellow Bay
Polson and Ronan Middle Schools
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May 17
Bigfork, Montana
Flathead Lake State Park: Wayfarers Unit
Bigfork Middle School
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May 24
Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish Lake State Park and City Beach
Whitefish Middle School
*with additional support from the Whitefish Lake Institute
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2019 Mussel Walk in the News
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Science on Tap: Tuesday, June 4
"Protecting Spirit of Place: Reconstructing Highways, Maintaining Habitat Connectivity, and Respecting Tribal Culture"
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Join us on June 4 at the Flathead Lake Brewing Company in Bigfork for our next Science on Tap-Flathead event!
Whisper Camel-Means, a Wildlife Biologist for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Natural Resource Department, will discuss wildlife crossings on US Hwy 93. This discussion will highlight where the wildlife crossings project is now, the monitoring efforts involved, and upcoming projects. Through these monitoring efforts, biologists are finding that numerous species are using the crossing structures, and some species are using them as regular travel corridors within their home ranges.
Presentation begins at 6pm
Doors to Imperial Room open at 5:45pm.
Your $5 tax deductible donation ticket reserves your seat in the Imperial Room. From 5 to 8pm the day of Science on Tap, $1.00 of every pint sold will be donated to the Flathead Lakers & the Flathead Lake Biological Station.
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A Lifetime for FLBS: Gary Gagermeier Knows the Science of Giving Back
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Gary Gagermeier, a long-time Bio Station friend and volunteer, works with FLBS Engineer Zane Lindstrom in the SensorSpace Lab.
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For some, dropping by the Bio Station can be the perfect way to spend an afternoon—take a tour of the facilities, walk through the sun-dappled pine trees, enjoy the sunshine out on the dock. For others, however, it’s the perfect way to spend a lifetime.
Take FLBS friend and volunteer Gary Gagermeier, for instance. His relationship with the Bio Station began in his childhood, when his father first brought him out to Yellow Bay for a visit. He got a job working in the kitchen as a teenager, and under the guidance of former FLBS Director Dick Solberg, pursued multiple science degrees from the University of Montana. He then began a career as a teacher, first at the middle school level, then at Hellgate High School in Missoula, where he mentored and inspired countless students.
But the Bio Station was always calling him back.
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During his time at the University of Montana, Gary Gagermeier (far left) often went on research expeditions into the Rocky Mountains of Glacier National Park.
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Gary started volunteering at FLBS after his retirement in 2014. He’s since become a fixture here, spending nearly 40 hours a week working alongside FLBS Technologist Cody Youngbull in the SensorSpace Lab. He’s funded scholarships to help students take summer classes at the Bio Station so that they might start building their own special relationships with FLBS, and has made a planned gift to the Bio Station in his will.
"The Bio Station gave me a tremendous amount,” Gary says. “My folks taught me that when you’re given something, you need to give back. I feel like I’ve done the right thing in the right place.”
Same here, Gary. We're incredibly grateful to have you by our side.
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Community Snapshot(s):
Making Career Day Connections at Polson High School
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Avast ye, mateys, and listen in: We have a tale to tell...
'Twas a fine day afore the First of May when we crossed the Narrows by, to take part in Career Connection Day in the land of Polson High.
We spoke of science and AIS, and even writing, too—all the many ways we strive to Keep Our Waters Blue! The students heard us, smart and kind, with sharp imaginations, so eager they were to understand our Flathead Bio Station.
No hatches needed battening down, our time was spent and well, singing chanteys of our best advice until that final bell. In the end, with anchor raised, we broke harbor from the shore, inspired by this magic place, where dreams of students soar.
Ahoy, me hearties! And coffer this, about the Polson realm: We sail toward bright and better skies with these Pirates at the helm!
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