Distinctly Montana Magazine

80 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • FA L L 2 0 2 4 OPEN APRIL OCTOBER rough (OPEN IN NOVEMBER WEATHER PERMITTING) OPEN PURCHASE TICKETS AT WWW.MININGMUSEUM.ORG 155 MUSEUM WAY BUTTE, MT 59701 406-723-7211 TAKE AN UNDERGROUND TOUR IN THE ORPHAN GIRL MINE AND EXPLORE THE STREETS OF HELL ROARIN' GULCH B E S T C U LT U R A L M U S E U M B E S T M U S E U M F I N A L I S T B E S T H I S T O R Y M U S E U M F I N A L I S T 2022-24 of B E S T M O N TA N A A S V O T E D B Y R E A D E R S O F Y E A R S WO N W I N N E R ! Come Together EnjoyLewistown.com v (406) 535-5436 Funding Provided By Lewistown Hoteliers Tourism Business Improvement District 216 NE Main Lewistown, MT 406-535-5468 TrailsEndMotelMT.us 216 7th Avenue S Lewistown, MT 406-535-5411 TheCalvertHotel.com 520 E Main Lewistown, MT 406-535-5496 B-Bmotel.com 102 Wendell Lewistown, MT 406-707-4541 Super8.com 211 E Main Lewistown, MT 406-535-8721 YogoInn.com in Lewistown When asked what kind of tree it is, he smiles and says "an old one," releasing his wit again. Several ponds ring property with runs connecting them, a remnant of its hatchery days. This made it ideal for it to be transformed into a waterfowl produc- tion protectorate. Soon, the foundation became the epicenter for trumpeter swan recovery for the Salish-Kootenai Tribe. The tragic demise of a brooding swan created a need for its eggs to be incubated. They hatched, and those cygnets began an eighteen-year effort to restore swan populations in western Montana. Biologists for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Fish and Wildlife Services, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe joined the proj- ect until its completion in 2022. By then over 600 swans could be found in the area and far into Washington, Wyoming, and Can- ada. The last release was especially meaningful to John. That brood had come to him as three-day-old chicks the parents had abandoned. They required constant supervision and nurturing, including some time spent in the house with John. "They were hard to let go, but oh, I loved to watch them fly." The first group of schoolchildren soon followed the founda- tion's opening to be immersed in John's joviality and nature. A teacher from Ronan brought a couple of dozen students to be led on a walk through the different habitats and aviaries. John knew this was his calling. He recounted a story of his favorite mule, Katie, and the path he once followed. She was a buck- skin he broke while in the Sawtooth mountains and the last he ever kept. He wouldn't be in the packing business anymore, dis- appointing his dad somewhat. "But he was happy I was taking care of stock [meaning waterfowl]. And they don't hurt as much when they stomp on your foot." A classroom next to the ponds houses bird taxidermy, paper wasp nests, hatched swan eggs, and fan art from the students who have profited from his words. John has become a local celebrity after ushering nearly 10,000 students through his passion project. When walking into a bar recently a middle-aged man pointed a finger at him asking if he was the "bird guy." When in grade school the man had visited John and "goddamn we had fun there." John's smile was wid- er than his mustache. His impact has been wider still and this author would know. As an early teenager working to complete his Eagle Scout Award, he oversaw a service project to build a gazebo as a viewing station for one of the larger ponds. Thirty years later, it still stands. On a walk toward that same pond, we heard the chitter- ing song of a red-winged blackbird. John paused to enjoy it, as he had countless times before. He chuckled to himself and murmured, "Cheeky little guys. They sure as hell are." It flew off to find its own way and sing elsewhere. Reflecting on where he is now and wondering about the future of his foundation and waterfowl everywhere, he didn't focus on the worries, only the joys. "I've lived a really great life. I couldn't imagine being happier."

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