2008 CALENDAR |
$60 MNHC Members/$100-Non
Members
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Movin’ and Groovin’ with the Animals - June 23rd-27th
We’ll learn about animals by mimicking their movement and sounds. We’ll listen to and learn to identify different animal sounds, sing along to songs about nature, practice movement and dances that are inspired by the amazing displays animals make and create our own musical instruments to mimic what we hear outside. |
Water Skippers - July 7th-11th
Explore the wonders of our water habitats through stories, creative play and by visiting riverside habitat near by. Through stories, crafts, and going on exploration walks, we’ll learn about the plants and animals that like watery homes. We’ll even make a habitat in our classroom to observe some our aquatic friends! |
My
Big Backyard - July
28th-August 1st - FULL - 2 on wait list
An adventure begins when you walk out your door! Spend
the week looking for animal signs, searching for insects,
watching for birds and peeking at plants. Using tools
fo naturalists we'll explore natural areas in Missoula,
following our curiosity and adventurous spirit! |
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Grades
1-3
Full Day Camps $150 MNHC Members/$190 Non-Members |
Pond
Life - June 9th-13th
Explore life in ponds and wetlands from waddling waterfowl to crawling caddisflies! We’ll spend the week investigating ponds and wetlands nearby, using nets to catch aquatic insects and searching for animal tracks and signs along the pond’s edge. We’ll even create an indoor pond in a fish tank as we build a laboratory for learning! |
Frogs, Fish and Fun - June 16th-20th - FULL - 1 on wait list
Join us for a week of amphibious adventures as we dive into an exploration of wetlands, rivers and streams. We’ll learn about Montana’s frogs, use nets to collect and observe aquatic creatures, explore food chain connections, discover other fun facts about aquatic habitats and go on a few frog finding expeditions—if we’re lucky, we’ll get to see some frogs in their native habitat! |
Moose Tracks and Mice Trails - June 16th-20th - 4 spots left!
Learn how to read the signs that animals and insects leave behind! We’ll learn to identify tracks, how to identify different animal homes, how to use clues left by animals to tell their stories, and create our own plaster animal track and tracking guides to keep. |
Feathered Friends - June 23rd-27th - 1 spot left!
From ravens to raptors and hummingbirds to herons we’ll investigate the bird world to learn about their beaks and feet, feathers and wings, nests and eggs, songs and food through exploration, stories, art, and by using binoculars to observe birds in the field. |
Nature Art - June 30th-July 3rd - FULL- 1 on wait list
Special 4-day camp (July 4th off) $120/members, $150/non members
We’ll use crayons, paint, sculpture, and even elements from nature to create our own works of art! We’ll learn about different habitats from forests to grasslands and explore lots of different mediums from drawing to watercolor to printmaking as we create nature-inspired work. We’ll host an art opening at the end of the week to show off our creations! |
Wild Woodlands - July 7th-11th - FULL
We’ll spend the week exploring forests around Missoula from Pattee Canyon to Blue Mountain and beyond, searching for the treasures that make our forests so special. We’ll learn to catch and study insects, observe birds with binoculars, identify common trees and flowers, and we’ll read stories and create some of our own! |
Wildlife Wizardry - July 14th-18th- 1 spot left!
Animals can do some pretty mysterious things like change color with the seasons, move without feet and nearly freeze solid during the winter! We’ll explore unique animal adaptations through exploration in the field, experiments, games, stories and art projects. We’ll take daily field trips to explore different habitats to learn why animals have such wild adaptations! |
Junior Nature Detectives - July 14th-18th- FULL
Solve mysteries from clues left behind by Montana’s wildlife. Student detectives will make their own nature detective kits, study animal skulls, learn to identify animal tracks and signs, and explore the neighborhood and local natural areas to learn more about the wild animals in Montana. |
Garden Safari - July 21st-25th
From vegetables to flowers to the insects that crawl underneath, gardens are full of discoveries. We’ll learn how plants grow, how we can grow our own plants for food, set up some plant experiments, learn what animals or insects plants need for survival, and we’ll save lots of time to look for insects and animal signs, make plant crafts, and prepare healthy snacks from our harvest! |
Bats to Bears - July 28th-August 1st- FULL- 2 on wait list
Montana’s magnificent mammals will amaze you as you discover their characteristics. Learn what makes a mammal a mammal as you examine study skins and skulls, read stories, play games, explore the habitats of your favorite critters, and take a trip up to the Bison Range to see some of Montana’s largest mammals! |
Folklore, Fantasy, and Fables - August 4th-8th - only 3 spots left!!
Stories are springboards of discovery and they can teach us a lot about nature. We’ll begin each day by reading stories that will guide our explorations and our imaginations. We’ll learn about the importance of animals in different cultures by exploring different kinds of stories and art. And we’ll use our nets, hand lenses, and our own creativity to discover what kinds of stories are unfolding before our eyes! |
Naturally Spooky! - August 4th-8th -FULL- 3 on wait list
From snakes to bats to stink bugs we’ll explore the animals in Montana that most people try to avoid! We’ll learn all about their natural habitats, what they really eat, and we’ll hear stories and folklore as we learn why people are afraid of these animals and discover the real truth that makes them…not so scary! |
Bugs to Slugs - August 11th-15th -FULL- 3 on wait list
Crawl behind an ant! Hop with a grasshopper! Slide with a slug! We’ll spend the week looking for incredible invertebrates, using nets, hand lenses, and microscopes to discover who they are, where they live, what they do, and how they add to the amazing diversity all around us.
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Grades 3-5
Full Day Camps $150 MNHC Members/$190 Non-Members |
Nature Detectives - June 9th-13th
Solve the mysteries of nature as we spend the week uncovering secrets about some wild animals! Learn animal tracking, how to identify a bird by its song, more about animals by studying skulls and use nets to catch and study insects . We’ll even get to see some of the tools real biologists use to study wildlife! |
Nature of Flight - June 16th-20th -2 spots left!
This week will “fly by” as we learn about winged animals. We’ll explore the world of flight from insects to birds to mammals that fly. We’ll learn about how wing shape and size affects bird flight and we’ll make our own paper airplanes as we learn about the science of flight and the unique adaptations that make flying possible. |
Wade into Wetlands - June 23rd-27th - FULL
Get your feet wet exploring local wetlands. We’ll use waders, nets, and hand lenses to observe aquatic insects, reptiles, amphibians or fish we might find. We’ll learn to identify a few wetland birds and why wetlands are important places for plants, animals and people! |
Survivor! June 30-July 3- FULL - 2 on wait list
Special 4-day camp (July 4th off) $120/members, $150/non members
Do you think you have what it takes to make it in the wild? Spend 4 days learning some techniques for basic survival, including fire and shelter building, orienteering, animal track identification, and even how to predict the weather! We’ll also learn some tips for how to stay safe…and not get lost…while exploring! |
Birds of Prey - July 7th-11th - only 2 spots left!!
Raptors are an amazing group of birds with adaptations specifically for capturing prey. We’ll study eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, osprey, and other birds of prey to learn more about these adaptations, and where different raptors can be found. We’ll also study pellets to see what they eat, and use binoculars to observe them in the field. |
Predators and Prey - July 14th-18th
From prehistoric times to the present, animals have depended on each other for survival. Predators make their living on other creatures, while the populations of predators and prey stay roughly in balance. Come with us to explore predators and their prey, past and present from meat-eating dinosaurs to wolves and mountain lions today. |
Beetles and Butterflies - July 21st-25th
Insects make up the largest group of animals on the earth! Who dominates the sky? Who patrols the forest floor? Learn about the basic structure of creepy crawlies that inhabit our region, their amazing adaptations and what they need to survive by using insect nets, creating insectariums, and observing insects in their natural habitat. |
Naturalist Explorers - July 28th-August 1st
We’ll hit the trail as modern-day explorers, making discoveries along the way. We’ll learn how to use compasses and maps, read field guides, practice basic survival, and carry naturalist tools to guide our journey through local forests, wetlands and river beds. We’ll also learn about tools used by real naturalists in the field and hear their stories of working in the most amazing parts of Montana! |
Super Tracker - August 4th-8th- FULL
Learn how to identify animal tracks and signs, explore tools used by professionals for studying animals and learn basic skills for exploration in the outdoors. We’ll practice our tracking skills in the field, create plaster tracks of our favorite Montana mammals, make our own tracking books, and through lots of games, test our own super tracker skills! |
Art and Nature Adventures - August 11th-15th - 2 spots left!
Inspiration often comes from the natural world. What better way to celebrate our natural wonders than through art. Explore the plants and animals outside using different mediums including sketching, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and even some natural materials. We’ll host an art opening at the end of the week to show off our creations! |
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Grade
5 - 8
Full Day Camps $150 MNHC Members/$190 Non-Members |
Adventures in Science - July 21st-25th
Spend a week learning what scientists really do. Practice techniques for studying wildlife, learn from the real work of scientists, get out in the field, and learn how to do lots of simple experiments as we see how adventurous science can really be. |
Map Your World - August 11th-15th
Learn basic map reading skills, how to create your own maps, how to use compasses on an orienteering course and with a map to figure out where you are. We’ll learn some introductory skills for using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and try our hand at Geocaching! |
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Teens ages 14-17 may volunteer for a Leader in Training position and gain experience in child care and summer camp instruction by assisting camp instructors with programs. Students must commit to 2 days of training at the start of the summer and must participate in at least one full week of camp as a junior instructor. Contact MNHC for application instructions and more information!
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