Nature the focus of annual Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates speaker series

Learn about beavers, Monarch butterflies, and innovation inspired by nature during the Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates upcoming 2026 Winter Speaker Series. 

All talks are held at the Northwest Montana History Museum, 124 Second Ave. E., Kalispell, and are free. Talks are Jan. 26, Feb. 23 and March 23.  

Torrey Ritter, nongame wildlife biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, will speak on the beaver-modified landscape on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. Learn about the impacts of beavers on habitats for fish and wildlife and about the ways to resolve beaver conflicts.  

After working on a wide range of species and habitats, beavers really captured Ritter’s interest when he observed how many different species benefit from their activities on the landscape. He did his master's research on beaver dispersal and site selection and now works to restore beavers to areas of their former range and help people with beaver conflicts. 

Three speakers will present on monarch butterflies in the Flathead on Feb. 23.  

Monarchs are large butterflies with a wingspan of 3.5 to 5 inches and have wings that are orange with black veins and white spots on the margin. Their large size and distinctive coloration make them one of the most well-known butterflies in the U.S. 

Glenn Marangelo, development director and founder of the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium; Jessie Walthers, conservation program manager for the Flathead Conservation District; and Kathy Ross, a Flathead Valley naturalist, will speak.  

Monarch butterflies are considered a native species of concern in Montana and have undergone severe declines in the past decades. It faces threats from pesticide use and habitat alteration, and impacts to migration, according to the Montana Field Guide.  

The final talk on March 23 looks at biomimicry, or innovation inspired by nature. Learn how spider webs inspired bird-friendly windows and other ways designers have learned from nature during a talk with Sherry Ritter, a wildlife ecologist consultant for the Biomimicry Institute.  

After working as a wildlife biologist for Wyoming, Idaho and the U.S. Forest Service, Ritter switched paths to become a biologist at the Design Table for Biomimicry 3.8 and the Biomimicry Institute. After retiring in 2013, she continued to teach biomimicry workshops and as a consultant gathering knowledge about nature’s genius.  

The Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates is the park’s only all-volunteer nonprofit partner. 

For more information, visit gnpva.org.