Glacier National Park
Interpretive Program Outline
Interpreter: Patrick Hair
Program Location: Logan Pass
Program Type: Alpine Talk
Date of Outline: July 3, 2007
Revised: September 3, 2007
Program Title: Good-bye to the Glaciers
Primary Tangible Resource: Alpine Habitat at Logan Pass/Glaciers
Program Goals (defined in staff training):
 To help visitors understand the threats that anthropogenic global climate change poses to our
natural and cultural heritage at Logan Pass (and Glacier National Park).
 To provide visitors with awareness of what individuals can do to help ensure that Glacier’s
unique resources are not impaired or lost due to climate change
Intangible Meanings (underline universal concepts): Hope, peace, pride, adaptations, acclimation,
natural processes, extinction, loss, surprise, change, habitat, biodiversity, species composition, evolution,
rate of change, resilience, future, life, death, responsibility, blame, fault, time
Program Theme: With the loss of glaciers and measurable effects of climate change on the alpine habitat
in Glacier National Park, Logan Pass is an excellent location to initiate conversations about how the rapid
rate of global climate change will affect the way we experience Glacier National Park, how climate
change will affect the species that call the park home, climate change and the overall future of Glacier
National Park, along with what roles we play in climate change.
Props and Resources on site: Repeat photographs (tree lines, glaciers), Logan Pass habitat - alpine
meadows, glacially carved mountains, Clements Glacier (location visible, but no longer there), Little Gem
Glacier, waterfalls, snowpack on mountains; poster photos (pika, mountain goat, wolverine)
Pre-program Announcements:
 Introduce myself
 50th anniversary of the Student Conservation Association
 Use the 75th Anniversary of the International Peace Park to transition into the program (see
below)
Introduction:
This is a special summer for a number of reasons. I am going to throw out a few dates, and we’ll see if
anyone knows why they are significant to all of us together here at Glacier National Park.
First date is 1932 (see if anyone knows why the date is important – answers may include the completion
of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, or the 75th anniversary of the Peace Park – use this time to talk about the
Peace Park).
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The Peace Park is
the first International Peace Park in the world. As a naturalist here at Glacier National Park, I feel a lot of
pride that I can spend my summer at a place that holds peace as such an important concept – peace that
does not know boundaries between one country and the next. I hope you all feel pride in this as well. We
understand that the same way natural processes know no political boundaries, peace is something that
crosses boundaries as well.
Tangible/Intangibles: International Peace Park/ peace, pride, boundaries
Techniques and Methods: quizzing, testimony
Intellectual Opportunities: An opportunity for insight and awareness is provoked through the knowledge
that Waterton-Glacier is the first International Peace Park.
Emotional Opportunities: Opportunities to connect emotionally through pride and celebration are
evoked.
Transition: Let’s try another date. What does 2030 mean to you all? (Field answers.) 2030 is the date
that Glacier researchers believed we will no longer have glaciers present at Glacier National Park. This is
the date listed in most of the park’s literature. Recently we got word from researchers that the prediction
date is actually closer to 2020. So what does this mean for the park? What does this mean for our future
experiences in the park?
Tangible/Intangibles: Glaciers/ loss, future, consequences
Techniques and Methods: questioning
Intellectual Opportunities: Opportunities for reasoning and awareness are provoked through the
knowledge that the date the glaciers in the park will be gone is getting sooner.
Emotional Opportunities: Opportunities exist to connect emotionally to the prediction that glaciers in the
park will be gone in the near. Anger, astonishment, despair, disappointment, surprise, worry, and
remorse are some of the many possible emotions evoked.
Body:
Past Glaciers
Before we look into those questions, let’s look at how glaciers have affected this place in the past. As we
look around we can see evidence of glaciers, big glaciers. Where we are currently standing was once
covered in ice. Over a long period of time the ice eventually melted but the glaciers certainly left their
mark.
As we look behind us (Mt Clements) we see a mountain that is in the shape of a horn. The ice from the
glaciers plucked off the rock from three sides of its peak (also visible is Mt Reynolds). If we look across
the road to our left we see evidence of an arête, the Garden Wall, where glaciers on each side of the wall
plucked off rock giving it the shape that it currently has today. All around us are U-shaped valleys that
are the calling cards of past glaciers. You will see these U-shape valleys everywhere as you are traveling
throughout the park. Below Mount Clements, along the Hidden Lake trail behind us, are piles of rocks
we call moraines. Moraines are formed when glaciers advance and recede. Glaciers act like giant
bulldozers pushing, scraping, lifting, and piling up rocks as they advance and recede.
The alpine glaciers today are remnants of past ice ages that grew to their size during the little ice age
which ended around 1850. Back then, what is now the park, had 150 of these alpine glaciers.
Current Glaciers
At the beginning of the summer there was uncertainty of what we should tell you folks about the number
of glaciers the park now has. Turns out, last year there were 27 and this year there is now only 26. This
melting of glaciers is something that is happening right now. In order for a glacier to be considered a
glacier and not just a snowfield, there has to be enough volume to create a pressure that melts and makes
the ice “elastic” under the glacier and creates a flow of water. This is what makes glaciers move. So in
order for a glacier to be a glacier, it has to be moving.
Tangible/Intangibles: Glaciers/ change, cause and effect, natural processes
Techniques and Methods: listing, examples, analogy
Intellectual Opportunities: Opportunities for insight, awareness, and discovery are provoked through the
recognition of the scenic results and impacts of the glaciers.
Emotional Opportunities: Opportunities for awe and amazement exist through the explanation of some of
the visual effects of glaciation in the park.
Transition: How many of you, when you planned on coming to Glacier National Park, had hoped that
you could see a glacier? Maybe even touch a glacier? Maybe even walk on a glacier?
Natural Cycles and Unnatural Change
At one point in the park’s history, this was very possible. Up until around 1938, right behind us at the
bottom of the peak of Mt Clements, there used to be Clements Glacier. (Show photo of a person walking
on Clements Glacier.) In 1938, Clements melted lost its status as a glacier and today, we only see
scattered snowfields.
Glaciers have been melting naturally for a long time. The earth has been going through natural cycles for
a very long time. There have been periods of warming and periods of cooling. So what is the big deal
with global warming? From research on ice cores, sediments, tree cores, etc. – scientists have been able
to determine that the warming we are facing today is like none we have faced for at least 650,000 years.
It is not the fact that the earth is warming that is a concern, it is the rate of temperature change that is of
concern. Over 2500 climate scientists from around 150 countries agree, we are playing a big role in the
rapid increase of current climate change. Our actions across the world influence the future character of
this park.
Tangibles/Intangibles: Glaciers, climate/loss, change, cause and effect, natural processes, responsibility
Techniques and Methods: photographs, research
Intellectual Opportunities: Opportunities for insight, awareness, and discovery are provoked through the
understanding that climate change today is unlike anything the earth has ever seen.
Emotional Opportunities: Opportunities for shame, regret, and sorrow exist through the understanding of
the today’s climate change as anthropogenic.
Transition: So what does that mean for the future of the park?
How We Experience the Park/Character of the Alpine
What are some reasons that you chose to come visit Glacier National Park? What did you hope to see?
What did you hope to experience?
For those of us who wanted to get up close and touch a glacier, this is no longer an easy task. The
glaciers that were once accessible by trails (ie: Grinnell Glacier) now have melted out of reach or are
melting to the point of inaccessibility – surrounded by melt water lakes.
How many of you have been enjoying the wildlife that this alpine habitat has to offer? With the current
climate change, many of these species are at risk. (Point out the tree line that is working its way up
Pollock Mountain, show repeat photographs of tree lines). The tree lines are getting higher and higher as
the climate warms. This is occurring faster and faster with the increased rate of warming. These tree
lines eventually encroach on alpine meadows like the ones we see behind us. These meadows are
important habitat to a number of alpine species (name some and show photos).
For example, pika need alpine meadows. As the tree line gets higher and higher, they have to move
higher and higher to find food. As you can see from the photo, they do not have wings. Pika are unable
to fly to other alpine territories to relocate. These are their mountains. As the tree line gets higher, they
eventually will be squeezed out. The rate of change does not allow them to adapt.
Another potential alpine victim of the current climate change is the ptarmigan. (Show poster of
ptarmigan with different plumage). As a means of camouflage ptarmigan change the color of their
plumage to help avoid predators. It changes its plumage based on the length of the days. Though the
climate is changing, the amount of daylight, sunrise and sunset, is not. With climate change we are seeing
more rain and less snow, along with shorter winter seasons. What this means for the ptarmigan is that
during periods of the year when there once was snow and it had its white plumage, there will no longer be
white snow. A white bird on brown landscape is easy pickings for predators.
These are just a few examples.
How many of you enjoyed the color of the lakes, the amount of water falling from the cliffs? – this will
all change with climate change and the loss of the glaciers. (Explain why).
Tangibles/Intangibles: Glaciers, pika, ptarmigan/loss, change, cause and effect, natural processes,
responsibility
Techniques and Methods: research, predictions
Intellectual Opportunities: Opportunities for insight, awareness, and discovery are provoked through the
understanding of how climate change will affect how we experience the park in the future.
Emotional Opportunities: Opportunities for shame, regret, and sorrow exist through the understanding of
how today’s anthropogenic climate change will affect the future of the park.
Transition: With all of the changes that will most likely occur over such a short time, it is important that
you all get out and experience the park. Drive down the road and stop at the Jackson Glacier Overlook.
See the mountain goats and the bighorn sheep. In the not so distant future they may not be seen here at
Glacier.
The Park’s Future
This park is always going to be a spectacular place to visit. The glaciers of the past have done wonders to
the landscape that we see today and that won’t change any time soon. But the character of the alpine
region of the park is changing right now.
It is in agreement that it is most likely too late to stop the glaciers in the park from melting by 2020.
However, it is not too late to slow some of the changes that are occurring in and threatening this alpine
habitat.
Transition: We have all heard about some of the little things we can do to help conserve energy and our
resources. The little things do add up. (Let the visitors throw out a few things they know to do).
Conclusion:
One of the most important things we all can do is to start really talking about climate change and how we
play a role in it. You may have asked yourself – what is the park doing about climate change. This is the
first summer that we have had programs set up with the specific goal of talking with visitors about how
climate change is anthropogenic and how global climate change is affecting the park. That’s a pretty big
deal for us. Have any of you been to another park that has had a program or presentation that specifically
deals with climate change? (No one ever raises their hand). All summer we have been giving six to eight
of these talks each day to an average of around 30 or 40 people from various places around the country
and the world. Here at Glacier, we can reach a global audience. You all can take what you have
experienced here at Glacier home with you and start talking. Learn more and talk about this issue.
Climate scientists say we now have but a short window to slow this process - so quick action needs to
occur.
As I mentioned earlier we are the first international peace park. I am proud to be a part of 75 years of
peace here at Waterton-Glacier. Seventy-five years from today, I hope that a young ranger will stand on
this rock and give an alpine talk to your great great great grandchildren describing how he is not only
proud to be a part of 150 years of peace, but also proud to be a part of a place that helped start people
thinking and talking about global climate change.
Tangibles/Intangibles: Visitors/hope, change, loss, pride, responsibility, opportunities, experiences,
conversations, action, empowerment
Techniques and Methods: self-referencing, brainstorming, beginning and ending cohesion
Intellectual Opportunities: Opportunities for insight, awareness, and discovery are provoked through the
understanding of what the park is doing and what we can do to help protect the park.
Emotional Opportunities: Opportunities for shame, regret, sorrow, pride, hope, and responsibility exist
through the understanding of what is being done and what can be done to protect and preserve Glacier
Park in the midst of an anthropogenic global climate change.
References:
Climate change and biotic patterns. (2006). Crown of the Continent Research
Learning Center.
Climate change and the water cycle. (2006). Crown of the Continent Research
Learning Center.
Global climate change and melting glaciers. (2006). Crown of the Continent Research
Learning Center.
Climate change and impacts to resources in Glacier National Park. (2007). Crown of the Continent
Research Learning Center.