Rick Graetz, a University of Montana geology and geography professor and the director of the Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone Initiative, will deliver a presentation on the Crown of the Continent Feb. 7 at the Swan Valley Community Hall at a potluck organized by Swan Valley Connections.
The nonprofit conservation and education organization invited Graetz and his wife, Susie, to discuss their intimate knowledge of the landscape, as well as their involvement in UM’s Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone Initiative.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the presentation at 6:30 p.m., followed by an open-mic style jam session. Members of the public are encouraged to bring their instruments.
Graetz is the author of multiple books about the natural history of Montana and has explored the state’s peaks for decades, charting glacial recession through his photography and conducting surveys about residents’ views on public lands and national parks.
The 2016 survey was meant to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the National Park Service, and found overwhelming bipartisan support for efforts to protect public lands and an appreciation of their role as an economic engine.