Glacier Institute nears fundraising goal to restore Big Creek facility
TAYLOR INMAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 12 months AGO
Glacier Institute's Big Creek Outdoor Education Center, located along the North Fork of the Flathead River. (photo provided)
REPORTER AND PODCAST HOST Taylor Inman covers Bigfork and the north shore of Flathead Lake for the Bigfork Eagle and the Daily Inter Lake. Her reporting focuses on local government, community issues and the people who shape life in Northwest Montana. Inman began her journalism career at Murray State University’s public radio newsroom and later reported for WKMS, where her work aired on National Public Radio. In addition to reporting, she hosts and contributes to Daily Inter Lake podcasts including News Now. Her work connects listeners and readers with the stories shaping communities across the Flathead Valley. IMPACT: Taylor’s work expands local journalism through both traditional reporting and digital storytelling. | August 7, 2023 12:00 AM
The Glacier Institute is $200,000 away from reaching its $1.7 million goal to restore the Big Creek Outdoor Education Center.
The Glacier Institute is the educational partner of Glacier National Park and the Flathead National Forest. The organization’s Big Creek Outdoor Education Center, also a historic Flathead National Forest Ranger Station, is located along the North Fork of the Flathead River near the Camas entrance of the park.
An email from Executive Director Anthony Nelson said the institute is expecting to move into Phase 2 of their restoration project in October.
According to the Glacier Institute’s website, personnel have spent years "making do" with piecemeal renovations and ad hoc repairs that have cost more time and money. The goal is to restore original hardwood floors, the structural soundness of the buildings’ foundations, remove aging and decaying asbestos flooring, install family style restrooms with ADA accessibility, and install modern plumbing and new insulation, among other repairs.
For more information about the Big Creek Outdoor Education Center restoration project, contact Nelson at 406-755-1211.
Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4433 or by emailing [email protected].
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