Woke up to about 4 inches of snow! I'm hoping Big Sky and Snowbowl get some of that good stuff...Went to Helena to meet with fish biologists from other organizations to lay out a framework for partnerships. The people were great, and I learned a lot about what's going on out here. One really interesting dilemma is the trade off between keeping the cutthroat trout isolated with mini-dams (for example) so that imported species can't get to them, and giving the cutthroat access to streams that are currently blocked to them so they don't get wiped out if some tragedy were to befall their little stretch of stream. Even if that means exposing them to those pesky invasive fish.
http://fwp.mt.gov/fieldguide/detail_AFCHA02088.aspx
There are some interesting options, like catching pregnant cutthroats, hatching the eggs in ponds, then releasing the babies in auspicious places. One thing is certain: We have to make conditions favorable for the cutthroat from the ground up so their enclaves can sustain themselves.
The drive home was great. The valley to Helena has little farms along the Little Blackfoot River, and is surrounded by nice mountainous forest full of elk and hotsprings.
5 comments:
Hi Nick! Beautiful photos. And I like your tag, "secular humanist"....me too! :) Hugs from Durham, Kristina
Nick, can't believe you're in one of my favorite states... have you experienced the "Big Sky" on a clear night yet? As an avid flyfisherman and passionate preserver of native trout, I've alwyas believed we need to do as much as possible to sustain that population. I hope you enjoy Montana as much as I do each and every time my path leads me there. We'll have to meet up this winter near Quake Lake and fish the Madison for German Browns and Large Rainbows!!... Ya Buddy!!!
~Jon
Nick is the best! That is all.
Thanks Kristina! Wish I could have caught up with you before I left the E Coast. Keep kicking ass at Duke, and I'll see you back on the West Coast!
Ya Buddy! Can't wait for you to come up, Jon, so we can slay some trout! BTW, when are we all meeting up in Park City again?
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