EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES Self-Guided Field Trips Service Learning - Stewardship Projects Youth Mentor Programs Conservation Education Opportunities at The TellerThe Teller, situated on 1,200 acres in the Bitterroot River corridor, provides a unique setting for hands-on, outdoor learning activities. Through self-guided field trips and conservation projects, visitors engage in learning that fosters outdoor knowledge and skills. Visitors include schools, youth groups, volunteers and conservation organizations. Be sure to come by our office and check out our Education Resource room for conservation education materials, kits, activities and notebooks! Call Lauren at (406) 961-3507 for more details.
Self-Guided Field Trips at The Teller • The Teller is set up for teacher-initiated field trips. Field trip requests may be made for the Woodside field site which is alongside the Teller Trail.
• Themes/Topics: The Woodside field site is located in a riparian area that includes mixed riparian woodlands, a pond, and the Bitterroot River. Teachers generally plan themes based on classroom studies to provide for an outdoor extension of classroom learning.
• Schedule: During the spring season, field trip requests can be made for any weekday, subject to availability. We recommend contacting The Teller well in advance to reserve a date, and visiting the site ahead of time to plan your learning day. Field trip requests must be made on The Teller Field Trip Request Form (pdf) and contact Lauren Ghiloni at 961-3507 or lauren@tellerwildlife.org.
• Small Group, Hands-on Learning: We recommend one class per trip to minimize the impact on The Teller and to provide for a quality learning experience. Occasional exceptions are made for special requests.
• Maps, Buses, First Aid, & Logistics: The Teller can provide a map and directions to field sites. We suggest that the bus remain at the site. If the bus must leave, we require a cell phone at the site. All trips must be equipped with first aid kits and adequate field gear. There is no drinking water available at Woodside; there is an outhouse located in the parking lot. Field Trips at Teller (pdf)
Low Impact Guidelines (pdf)
Field Trip Request Form (pdf)
Service Learning - Stewardship ProjectsTeachers and youth group leaders can contact The Teller to learn about participating in conservation stewardship projects. Depending on time of year, ongoing projects, and group objectives, projects may include weed management, planting native plants, stream or wetland projects, and wildlife habitat projects. If you are considering involvement in a stewardship project, we recommend you contact us well in advance. This will allow for project planning, coordination, funding, volunteers, and professional resources. For information, contact Lauren Ghiloni at (406) 961-3507 or email lauren@tellerwildlife.org. Top of Page
Youth Mentor Programs The Teller places an emphasis on perpetuating our conservation heritage through special opportunities for youth, and through youth hunting and angling mentorship programs, in partnership with Bitterroot Ducks Unlimited Greenwing Chapter and Bitterroot Trout Unlimited youth programs.
Landowner Riparian WorkshopAssessing Proper Functioning Condition of Riparian Areas
In August 2007, 30 participants gathered at The Teller for a two-day workshop to learn methodologies for determining proper functioning condition (PFC) of riparian areas. Sponsors of the event included the Bitterroot Water Forum and the Bitterroot Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Instructors from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Bureau of Land Management provided the information to a diverse group, ranging from resource planners and administrators to private landowners and university students. The PFC method for assessing a riparian system covers hydrology, vegetation, soils and landscapes. Participants attended a day of classroom instruction followed by a field day, where they assessed the condition of The Teller's Gird Creek. The tools for assessing PFCs were developed in the late 1980s as federal land management agencies were mandated to ensure that riparian areas within their jurisdictions were considered properly functioning systems. Those systems with degraded conditions such as erosion, lack of vegetation, and deep cut channels were targeted for management actions. The assessment of Gird Creek identified the system as properly functioning and thus likely able to handle normal high water events. Fisheries enhancement efforts on properly functioning systems are more likely to be successful in these healthy riparian areas. As a result of the workshop, participating private landowners will be able to better assess their systems and the necessity for management actions. The workshop leaders hope to return to The Teller next spring to hold a similar workshop on assessing the functionality of wetlands. Top of Page |
