Many of the features left behind by the ice age floods are not apparent to the average visitor to areas where the floods were relatively shallow, such as the Bitterroot River valley south of Missoula, Montana. The Bitterroot Valley has erratics and subtle strandlines in several locations. J.T. Pardee, the Montana geologist who in the early 1900’s identified the source of the water for Bretz’s flood, published a paper and sketches specifically about the Bitterroot valley, where he was living at the time.
These features can be used to tell the Ice Age Floods story if put together in a useable format. That is just what happened this summer when Jessica Dufresne, a local elementary school librarian, was selected to develop a curriculum aimed at 4th-8th grades under the National Park Service’s Teacher Ranger Teacher program. The program is aimed at linking to lesser known park units such as the Ice Age Floods National Geographic Trail to underserved student populations and offers professionals the opportunity to learn about the resources and educational materials available through the National Park Service.
Dufresne, daughter of Glacial Lake Missoula chapter vice president Lynne Dickman, grew up with geology and always found it interesting. Now she can share that enthusiasm with other teachers and young learners. Other partners in the grant were the Montana Natural History Center and the Bitterroot Cultural Heritage trust. The Glacial Lake Missoula chapter also assisted in locating these features and plans to add them to its field trips and its map and guide.