Elizabeth Covelli Metcalf, Dean of the WA Franke College of Forestry and Conservation

“Welcome and Introductions”

Elizabeth Covelli Metcalf is the Franke Professor and Dean of the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana. She also serves as Director of the Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station. Libby’s leadership marks the first time a woman has led the college in its 112-year history. A respected scholar in the human dimensions of natural resource management, her research explores complex socio-ecological systems, outdoor recreation, and wildlife management. She is deeply committed to student success, field-based education, and collaborative solutions for environmental and conservation challenges. Libby holds a dual Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University.

Emily Platt, Forest Supervisor of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

“Land Management Challenges and Opportunities”

Emily Platt is the Forest Supervisor of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest where she is responsible for managing roughly 2.9 million acres of land that include large wilderness areas, national forestlands in and around Helena, and remote island mountain ranges. Emily also has experience in forest planning and as a district ranger in Southwest Washington. Emily earned her PhD in forest resources at Oregon State University’s College of Forestry where she studied Forest Service governance and landscape management for wildfire resilience. Emily also has over a decade of experience working for non-governmental organizations and initiating and supporting collaborative groups.

Jason Parke, Forester for Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks

“Forest Restoration Examples from Montana Wildlife Management Areas”

As Montana’s FWP’s first and only forester, Jason Parke oversees forest management on wildlife management areas (WMAs), state parks, and fishing access sites. He designs and implements prescriptive timber harvests to improve the condition of wildlife habitat and enhance resiliency of landscapes to fire, insects, and disease. Although wildlife habitat is the main lens he uses to view silviculture, he also considers fuel reduction adjacent to homes, and how timber harvest can offset costs of habitat enhancement. Parke holds a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Montana. He was recognized as a Fellow of the Society of American Foresters in 2024.

Mike Durglo, Climate Change Coordinator, Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes

Mike received his BS in Environmental Science from Salish Kootenai College in 2002. He is currently the Climate Change Coordinator for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. He has worked for the Tribes for over 41 years.

Mike Durglo has been a leader in climate change work for nearly a decade.   He facilitated the development of a Flathead Reservation Climate Change Strategic Plan for the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes.  He has shared his experience and knowledge of climate adaptation planning at workshops and seminars throughout the US and Canada.  After completing the plan, he continued to build on the work by diving deep into the perspectives of the elders and integrating traditional knowledge into the plan.

In 2016, Mike received the White House Champion of Change award and in 2017, Mike also received the Climate Leadership Award for Natural Resources from the National Adaptation Forum.

Barbara Bentz, USDA Forest Service Emeritus Scientist

“Great Basin Bristlecone Pine Adaptive Capacity: Cascading Effects in a Changing Environment”

Barbara Bentz is currently an Emeritus Scientist with the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station. Over her 40+ year career as a Research Entomologist she studied insect-tree interactions, including bark beetle population dynamics and climate effects across multiple ecosystems and landscapes. Barbara earned forestry degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University (BS) and University of Idaho (MS) and a PhD in Entomology from Virgina Tech.

Levi Thane, Missoula/Kalispell Market Lead

“Bridging Forests and Architecture: The Promise of Wood-Based Design”

Levi is a fifth-generation Montanan and licensed architect with A&E + SMA Design. Growing up surrounded by Montana’s working forests shaped his interest in how natural systems and the built environment intersect. For more than 15 years, his professional work has focused on the innovative use of engineered wood products—particularly mass timber—to translate the value of healthy forests into meaningful places for people. Through his projects, he explores how biophilic design and wood-based construction can support occupant health, reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, and strengthen resilient forest-based economies across the Mountain West.

Mark Kreider, ORISE Research Fellow

“Integrating Art and Science in Forest Research”

Mark Kreider is a post-doctoral researcher with the Forest Service. His research explores the natural role of wildfire, how ecosystems and societies respond to disturbance, and how to make public lands accessible to all. Mark is passionate about linking art and science to communicate science in accessible and engaging ways. 

Julia Galloway, University of Montana Regents professor

“Making the Unseen, Seen – Artwork that brings attention to struggling species”

Julia Galloway is a Regents professor at the University of Montana and maintains an active studio practice here in Missoula. She is currently 5 years into an 8-year project, carving an urn for each endangered Species in the United States. Though trained as a traditional functional pottery, through using metaphor and the power visual impact of large scale art installation, Julia hopes to being attention and education to the relationship between people and the natural world. Julia’s artwork is in more than 25 museums, she has received the individual Artist Award from Arts! Missoula and was named artist of the year in 2023 by the Ceramics Arts Network.