Distinctly Montana Magazine

60 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 5 The riparian area is a different story when it comes to man- agement. "We let the river do its thing," says Dan. "One of my favorite things is to bring people to Teller and float the river. You drive around the valley and see houses and broken up land- scape, then you get on the Bitterroot and you feel like you're the only one around. I use that landscape to show folks what it can be like here." Opening up this landscape to the community is a major goal at Teller. The staff works hard to build connections in the sur- rounding communities by hosting the Corvallis High School FFA chapter for barn dances and welcoming Bitterroot Bird Alli- ance for the annual Christmas Bird Count. The Summer Speak- er Series brings people to the refuge to hear fascinating talks on subjects ranging from the history of the Salish in the valley to Karelian bear dogs. Anyone is welcome to hike the Teller Trail, a 1.5-mile loop located off Woodside Cutoff Road for a chance to see coyote pursuing a herd of deer through a maze of cotton- woods and moose feeding in the river bottoms. The education component of Teller's mission is important to all the staff, but it is a special passion for Nicole Ballard. Each fall, she holds hunting clinics for women, youth, and col- lege-aged students introducing everyone to the wonders of Teller. Each summer, the refuge is abuzz with Nature Connec- tions Camp where kids happily roam the refuge playing games, creating art, and even snorkeling in Gird Creek. Nicole says, "We use place-based learning on the refuge to connect people to their local environment. Whether someone has 10,000 acres or a small backyard, our hope is that they take these concepts and values and implement them in their own lives. It's also a great way to bring community together." Conservation in the Classroom is an exciting new educa- tion initiative that Teller has implemented in partnership with We let the river do its thing... YOU DRIVE AROUND THE VALLEY AND SEE HOUSES AND BROKEN UP LANDSCAPE, THEN YOU GET ON THE BITTERROOT AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE AROUND. CHARLES MANN

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