www.montananaturalist.org

What’s happening outside
Ruffed grouse stay near aspens and cottonwoods for their food supply of buds. Snowshoe hares are changing from brown to white. White-tailed deer in rut.

The Montana Natural History Center is your base camp for discovery
Note new Fall/Winter Hours: Tuesday – Friday from noon – 5 pm and Saturdays noon - 4 pm. Bring your family to enjoy fun activities and natural history exploration each Saturday, and admission for MNHC Members is always free.

Saturday Kids Activities
Join us each Saturday at 2 pm for exciting children’s programs at MNHC, 120 Hickory Street. Free with admission! Great for children ages 5 and up; must be accompanied by an adult. Be prepared to go outside in any weather. Programs run about an hour and a half.
November 4 - Owls are Awesome
November 11 - Kids Naturalist Day
November 18 - Clean it Up!

November 3 - 30 Art Show
The Montana Natural History Center will exhibit the art of Rich Adams and Claire Emery, two Missoula artists inspired by nature. You’re invited to join Claire and Rich for their opening reception at the Montana Natural History Center during First Friday on November 3, from 5 – 7 pm at MNHC, 120 Hickory Street. The art exhibit will also be on display during MNHC’s public hours for the rest of the month.

Rich Adams combines graphite, charcoal, and colored pencil to render photorealistic drawings of wildlife, landscapes, and people. Naturalist, artist, and educator, Claire Emery strives to connect people with the beauties and mysteries of nature with woodcuts and illustrations. 

November 18 - Saturday Discovery Day
Botanical Illustration Workshop with Nancy Seiler
10 am - 4 pm, MNHC, 120 Hickory Street
$40/$35 MNHC Members (Students ages 16 and up)
Space is limited - Registration Required
In this one day class, Nancy Seiler will provide a general overview to the art of botanical illustration, breaking it down into manageable tips, tricks and techniques so that you can decide if you would like to pursue learning botanical illustration at more depth. This class is meant for students with very little drawing background or students who would like to see if botanical illustration is for them before they sign up for one of Nancy's in-depth classes.

November 30 - there's a bat in my briefcase: story from the field lecture
“Why You Should Never Wear Red Capes, Especially During a Full Moon: Wolf Recovery in the Northern Rocky Mountains,” with Ed Bangs.
7 pm, MNHC, 120 Hickory Street
Small donation requested
Perhaps no other animal in the world elicits as much mythology, symbolism, and human emotion as wolves.  While wolves don't make everyone's lives better- they always make them more interesting. Society eliminated wolves from the western U.S. by the 1930's.  Ed Bangs will give an overview of wolf restoration and all the human drama involved in the past 2 decades. Ed Bangs is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Gray Wolf Recovery Coordinator for the northwestern U.S.

The Montana Natural History Center presents “There’s a Bat in My Briefcase: Stories from the Field;” an entertaining lecture series focusing on the adventures and misadventures of people who work in nature. This series looks at the miracles and miscalculations that scientists, researchers, wildlife filmmakers, authors, and artists encounter while working in the field.

Becoming a Naturalist Class at the University of Montana – open to the community!
Our landscape is a manuscript written in trees, flowers and tracks. Learn how to read its story with a course on the basic skills and tools of a naturalist. Beginning January 23, class will meet Tuesdays throughout the Spring semester from 5– 7 pm, and will include two Saturday field trips in April (dates TBA). We’re pleased to have Paul Belanger teaching this course again. The class is $295, including a $50 non-refundable deposit. Although you must register for the class with MNHC with the non-refundable deposit, UM credit is available through Continuing Education. OPI credit is also available through MNHC. For more information or to register, call MNHC at 327-0405.

community Watershed Education Class at the University of Montana
This class is an opportunity to learn about the Clark Fork Watershed from an array of perspectives, and to share that knowledge in local 6th grade classrooms! In this class, you will connect with people and organizations doing environmental education in the Missoula valley and you will get to participate in the 13th annual Clark Fork Watershed Festival where over 600 sixth-graders come to learn and celebrate. This course will meet Wednesdays from 4:10-7:00 pm beginning January 24. FREE and open to the community! In exchange, you’ll be providing us with assistance at the Clark Fork Watershed Festival in April, 2007. 3 credits will be available through Continuing Education paid separately through the University. For more information or to register, call MNHC at 327-0405.

2006 Natural History Educator Award
The Montana Natural History Center annually honors an outstanding organization and individual in the field of natural history education. These awardees engage students of all ages with the natural world and inspire those of us in the field to even higher standards. The 2006 Award was presented to the Clark Fork School at the Born to be Wild Dinner and Auction October 28 in recognition of excellence in the field of natural history education.  The Clark Fork School is an independent parent-cooperative school with Preschool through fifth grade classrooms and embraces natural history education as part of their curriculum. Learn more about the Clark Fork School>>

Don’t miss our 4th annual Wild Gift Bazaar, Saturday December 9 from 10 am – 4 pm at MNHC, 120 Hickory Street! The MNHC Market will highlight a featured local vendor and sell autographed books by Clare Walker Leslie.

Membership supports educational programs and exhibits! Join our Membership Drive and give the gift of education. You can make your gift online at www.MontanaNaturalist.org. Help celebrate 15 years of MNHC discoveries!

MNHC is an independent non-profit organization celebrating its 15th Anniversary. Become a member and support MNHC’s mission of promoting and cultivating the appreciation, understanding and stewardship of nature through education. Members receive discounts on programs, special invitations, free admission to the MNHC Discovery Center, and the knowledge that they are supporting natural history education in local schools. MNHC is a proud member of Montana Shares.

Feel free to forward this to friends who might enjoy learning more about the Montana Natural History Center.
120 Hickory Street, Missoula, Montana 59801. 406.327.0405 www.MontanaNaturalist.org