Montana Chapter of The Wildlife Society

Workshop - Science-based Self-care
2025-03-04 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Denver) | Billings Hotel and Convention Center, 1223 Mullowney Lane, Billings, MT, 59101, United States
Science-based self-care: How modern neuroscience informs whole-health practices to balance work, life, and relationships that won’t burn you out!
Anna Rapson
Tuesday, March 4th 3pm – 5pm
Cost: $25 regular/ $10 student & retiree; Max capacity: 50

Learning to manage our stress and care for ourselves is essential to staying engaged with what we value and care about. Yet, how do we do so when there’s already so much to fit in? Sustaining a work-life balance can be difficult, and managing stress healthily can be even more challenging.
Since we can’t always change what’s happening around us, we can learn to change how we relate to what’s happening inside us. Our thoughts, emotions, and sensations are data for how we respond (or react!) to external circumstances.
Neuroplasticity confirms we can adjust maladaptive patterns and rewire our brains in a way that best serves our physical, emotional, and mental health. Adaptive strategies can replace problematic or unhelpful patterns with repetitive practice. Psychoneuroimmunology and interpersonal neurobiology emphasize the importance of paying mindful attention to the inner workings of how we move through pleasant, neutral and unpleasant experiences.
This workshop will incorporate modern neuroscience and the science of mindfulness to inform practical, evidence-based applications for managing stress, creating time for worthwhile self-care, and improving intra- and interpersonal relating. In it, we will cover:

“Psychological safety” – what it is, why it’s essential, and how to create it for a functional (vs. dysfunctional) workplace
How to cope in the midst of feeling anxious, or even powerless, over what’s outside of your control
What are mind states and what is essence?
Renouncing “judging, comparing, and fixing” mind states
Attending to your well-being from the inside out
Revisiting imposter syndrome – how to work with self-doubt and/or comparative judgement
Relational health in tense settings
Identifying, interrupting, and changing patterns that contribute to frustration or unease

No annoying or awkward icebreakers included! Ultimately, the purpose of this workshop is to empower you to experience greater satisfaction in the interconnection of your professional and personal lives.
Anna Rapson is credentialed as a Clinical Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist, as well as a Certified Mindfulness Teacher. She’s worked in mental health for 25 years, and as a clinician for 20. She says her true passion has been to accompany people through the thick trenches of life’s inevitable struggles, but optional suffering, in our shared humanity. In her own version of work-life balance, Anna currently works in private practice with adults, couples and small groups, and as an adjunct instructor at Miles Community College in Miles City, MT. She also presents on wellness topics in professional and community settings. Additionally, as a mother to a young adult and teen daughters, sustainable self-care measures are a must! Anna is an avid practitioner and proponent for evidence-based practices that enhance a sense of purpose, fulfillment, joy and ease.

Workshop - Conservation Policy
2025-03-05 08:00 - 12:00 | Billings Hotel and Convention Center, 1223 Mullowney Lane, Billings, MT, 59101, United States
Conservation Policy
Charlie Booher and Hannah Downey
Wednesday, March 5th 8am – 12pm
Cost: $35 regular/$15 students; Max capacity: 30
Many wildlife students still don’t have an opportunity to take a policy class at all. Those who do have the opportunity typically experience either a recitation of agency structure, enabling legislation, and treaties, or a collection of stories from folks who have worked in the business of wildlife policy for some time. While both are valuable, we aim to offer guidance on how to understand and influence formal and informal policy in all its forms (private, public, local, corporate, state, federal, etc.).
Charlie Booher is a consultant at Watershed Results LLC who specializes in natural resource conflict resolution. Hannah Downey is the Director of Policy at the Property and Environmental Research Center.

Workshop - Montana's 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan: Partner Input on Threats and Conservation Actions
2025-03-05 09:00 - 12:00 | Billings Hotel and Convention Center, 1223 Mullowney Lane, Billings, MT, 59101, United States
Montana’s 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan: Partner Input on Threats and Conservation Actions
Kimberly Szcodronski and Kristina Smucker
Wednesday, March 5th 9am – 12pm
Cost: $10; Max Capacity: 50
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is leading efforts to revise Montana’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), which is due to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in October 2025. SWAPs identify Species of Greatest Conservation Need and their habitats, describe threats that impact those species and habitats, and identify conservation actions to address those threats. We are striving for Montana’s SWAP to be a collaborative effort that helps to inform conservation work for all partners who work on wildlife and habitat conservation in Montana. To accomplish that, we are engaging with our conservation partners between December 2024 and August 2025 by providing draft SWAP products that are ready for review and feedback. We would like to use the Montana Chapter of The Wildlife Society conference as an opportunity to meet in-person with our partners. In this workshop, we will: 1) update partners on our progress on the SWAP revision, 2) provide an overview of threats and conservation actions in the SWAP, and 3) form breakout groups to review and update the threats and conservation actions.

Kimberly Szcodronski is the State Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Kristina Smucker is the Nongame Wildlife Bureau Chief for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

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2025-12-25 - 2025-12-26 | MT
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2026 MT TWS Annual Conference
2026-02-24 | Holiday Inn Downtown, 200 S Pattee St, Missoula, MT, 59802, United States
Montana Chapter Annual Conference: Coordination and Collaboration in Conservation
February 23-27th, 2026
Holiday Inn Downtown, Missoula, MT
We all know that wildlife don’t follow jurisdictional boundaries. We’ve watched the effects of Climate Change impact the environment, regardless of whether the land is Tribal; State; Federally; or Privately owned. And while seeking food, a bear may be looking for a loaded serviceberry bush, but we know they won’t pass up on a household garbage can or an unsecured chicken coop.
In the wildlife and habitat conservation field, the issues we face are often complex and the scope lies beyond any single management boundary. We rely on effective coordination with one another, across jurisdictions and legal boundary lines, to make the greatest impact on wildlife and their habitats. By working together, we can pool resources, expertise, and funding to have a larger impact than any one entity could, alone. For example, regional research and monitoring efforts on Threatened and Endangered species like the North American Wolverine, or Canada Lynx. Data collected across a larger landscape, supplied by multiple State; Tribal; Federal; and Non-Profit agencies, can help researchers model more accurately and provide important insights into species recovery and conservation.
Coordinating habitat management between agencies can also improve landscape consistency. Coordinated burning schedules and water delivery, even weed spraying can increase the impact of any single effort. Wildlife agencies working with non-profit organizations have also helped to secure important habitats through conservation easements. This can help protect larger landscapes, by protecting important travel corridors and connecting already protected habitat complexes.
Another element of this collaboration that we can’t forget to highlight, are the wonderful people in the communities that we live in! They are the stakeholders that share the landscape with wildlife, who also enjoy a healthy ecosystem. They recreate, and are also the volunteers that help count birds and collect important data for programs like the Montana Bee Atlas! We know that our work doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and it takes careful coordination and collaboration to conserve wild spaces and their inhabitants.
In 2026, our Annual Conference of the Montana Chapter of The Wildlife Society will seek to honor one another and celebrate the incredible partnerships we have that enable us to achieve the great work that we all do! Keep up the great work!

Full conference registration for members, non-members, students, and retirees includes:

Welcome Reception – food and refreshments (Tuesday night)
Student/Professional Mixer – food and refreshments (Wednesday night)
Lunch – Thursday
Awards Banquet Dinner – plated meal and refreshments (Thursday night)
Note: breakfast will not be provided but there is a grocery store (Albertson’s) as well as restaurants and coffee shops within walking distance from the hotel.

Early bird registration includes discounted rate and TWS swag. The first 200 registrations will also include a stainless steal cup. All swag will feature new art from the talented John Kuntz!

To renew your MT TWS membership, CLICK HERE!

Workshops this year include:

Modeling Animal Aggregation to Inform Disease Risk: Tools and Applications. Will Janousek, Gavin Cotterill, and Tabitha Graves, Tuesday Feb 24th, 9 AM – Noon. Click here to register!
Cost: Professional $35, student $15. Attendance limit: 25

Overview of Structured Decision Making. Sarah Sells, Hannah Sipe, and Justin Gude, Tuesday Feb 24th, 1 PM – 5 PM. Click here to register!
Cost: Professional $35, student $15. Attendance limit: 30

Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium Tour. Wednesday February 25th, 10 AM – Noon. Transportation on your own (there is free public transit). Click here to register!
Cost: $10. Attendance limit: 20

Boone & Crockett Club Tour. Tuesday Feb 24th, 9 AM – Noon. Transportation on your own (<0.5 mi walk from hotel). Click here to register!
Cost: Free! Attendance limit: 20

Workshop 2026 - Modeling Animal Aggregation to Inform Disease Risk: Tools and Applications
2026-02-24 09:00 - 12:00 | Holiday Inn Downtown, 200 S Pattee St, Missoula, MT, 59802, United States
Modeling Animal Aggregation to Inform Disease Risk: Tools and Applications

Presenters: Will Janousek1*, Gavin Cotterill1, Tabitha Graves1

U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, West Glacier, MT, USA.

Date: Tuesday February 24th, 9 AM – Noon
Cost: Professional $35, Student $15

Understanding how animal aggregation influences disease dynamics is essential for effective wildlife management. This workshop covers a suite of tools developed by USGS and partners that provide managers with flexible approaches to analyzing patterns and changes in aggregation. While the primary focus is on informing key components of chronic wasting disease (CWD) spread, these tools are applicable to other scenarios, such as human-wildlife conflict. The workshop will begin with a presentation by Dr. Janousek providing a conceptual overview of animal aggregation modeling, its relevance to disease ecology, and specific case study examples. This will be followed by approximately two hours of hands-on data exploration using common wildlife data types. Participants will engage with tools designed to analyze spatial and temporal patterns of animal behavior that may contribute to disease transmission. A working knowledge of program R (e.g., loading data, basic syntax) is recommended for full participation, though observers are welcome. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Human activities and weather drive contact rates of wintering elk – Janousek – 2021 – Journal of Applied Ecology – Wiley Online Library

Eyes on the herd: Quantifying ungulate density from satellite, unmanned aerial systems, and GPScollar data – Graves – 2022 – Ecological Applications – Wiley Online Library

Elk personality and anthropogenic food subsidy: Managing conflict and migration loss – Cotterill – 2025 – Ecosphere – Wiley Online Library

Workshop 2026 - Overview of Structured Decision Making
2026-02-24 13:00 - 17:00 | Holiday Inn Downtown, 200 S Pattee St, Missoula, MT, 59802, United States
Overview of Structured Decision Making

Presenters: Sarah Sells¹, Hannah Sipe¹, and Justin Gude²
¹U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States of America
² Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Date: Tuesday February 24th, 1 PM – 5 PM
Cost: Professional $35, Student $15

This half-day workshop will introduce participants to the field of Structured Decision Making (SDM). SDM is a formal process for making decisions and is used widely in the field of wildlife management. Participants will learn the basic steps of the SDM process and hear about several case studies of its application in Montana.

Workshop 2026 - Boone & Crockett Club Tour
2026-02-24 14:00 - 15:30 | Boone and Crockett Club HQ, 250 Station Dr, Missoula, MT, 59801
Boone & Crockett Club Tour
Date: Tuesday February 24th, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Cost: Free
Within walking distance from the conference venue (less than a half mile), Boone & Crocket staff will guide participants through their visitor’s Center gallery, as well as provide an overview of the Boone & Crockett Club! Come and learn about some of the great pioneers of conservation, and how they’ve been at the forefront of conservation in America.

Workshop 2026 - Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium Tour
2026-02-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Missoula Butterfly House, 1075 South Ave W, Missoula, MT, 59801
Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium Tour
Date: Tuesday February 25th, 10:00 AM – Noon
Cost: $10
Join a guided tour through the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium, which includes a tropical greenhouse filled with butterflies from across the world, as well as an exhibit area featuring a wide array of insects, arachnids, millipedes, centipedes, and crustaceans. The Missoula Butterfly House provides a truly unique experience. Come get your bug on! You will need to provide your own transportation, free public transpiration is available
