Curious About Snagging Grizzly Bear Hairs At Glacier National Park? Attend This Talk

Strands of barbed wire are used to snag hair samples from bears in Glacier National Park. USGS photo.

If you've been wondering about the genetics of bear populations in Glacier National Park, and will be near the park next month, you should plan on attending a talk on the subject by Kate Kendall.

Ms. Kendall is an ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, and spends quite a bit of her time studying Glacier's bear populations, both black and grizzly. On March 10 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish, Montana, she'll be explaining what she's gleaned from her studies, which revolve in part around snagging hair samples from bears.

Her projects to date have provided valuable scientific data on individual bears and many important facets of the grizzly and black bear populations in the greater Glacier ecosystem. As leader of the Northern Divide Grizzly Bear Project, Ms. Kendall has deployed hundreds of technicians and volunteers throughout Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness to set barbed wire hair snares and collect bear hair.

The presentation is made possible in part by the Glacier National Park Fund, the non-profit fund-raising partner for the national park.

Cold beverage refreshments will be provided by Grouse Mountain Lodge. Coffee will be provided by Montana Coffee Traders in support of the Glacier National Park Fund. GML would also like to invite you to come early for their happy hour and dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. before the evening’s presentation.