Montana Natural History Center E-Newsletter

September 2006 at your Montana Natural History Center
www.MontanaNaturalist.org

What’s happening outside
Female and immature hummingbirds begin their southbound migration. Most adult males have already left.
Pronghorn antelopes breed later this month. Bull elk coming in rut and establishing harems. Black bears are roaming widely, storing up fat as red squirrels will be busy caching seeds and creating middens. Yellow pigment is already starting to show as our days grow shorter and our evenings cooler.

The Montana Natural History Center is your Base Camp for Discovery.
Visit us Tuesday – Friday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Saturdays noon to 4:00 pm. Bring your family to enjoy fun activities and natural history exploration each Saturday, and admission for MNHC Members is always free.

September 6- Volunteer Naturalist Training: Visiting Naturalist in the Schools Program
6:00 pm, MNHC 120 Hickory Street
Volunteer and learn more about how MNHC visits 31 classrooms at this informative orientation!
learn more>>

September 7 through 16- Inspirations from the Forest Traveling Exhibit
MNHC public hours Tuesday - Saturday
The Smithsonian Institute Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Endowment for the Arts presents “Inspirations from the Forest,” a traveling exhibit that interprets artistic reflections from all types of forest users. Many of the artists and writers featured in this exhibition have drawn from their experiences in the outdoors to transform natural materials into splendid objects of beauty.
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September 9– Saturday Discovery Days: Inspirations from the Forest Artists’ Open Studio
Noon – 4:00 pm
To augment the Inspirations from the Forest traveling exhibit, a number of local artists will be demonstrating their crafts and talking with visitors about how forests have inspired them and influenced their work. The Open Studio will include Missoula wood engraver Claire Emery and graphite artist Rich Adams, Ronan artist and cedar root basket weaver Eva Boyd, Helena wood carvers Ron and Lorna Davisson, and more. The Inspirations from the Forest Artists’ Open Studio is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
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September 12- Prairie Keepers Prairie Seed Collecting Workshop
7:00 pm, Nature Adventure Garden Fort Missoula
Learn to collect seeds from wildflowers and native bunch grasses. Great activity for families and kids!
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September 16- RiverFest 2006!
11:00 am – 4:00 pm, FREE and for all ages! MNHC, 120 Hickory Street
8th annual RiverFest, celebrating natural history education, is brought to you by the Montana Natural History Center and the Missoula County Weed District. RiverFest is in conjunction with the River City Roots Festival.
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September 30– Saturday Discovery Days: Glacial Lake Missoula Field Trip -
High Tide in Montana, Missoula to Flathead Lake
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Registration Required by September 16. Call 327.0405 for details. Join the Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute and Marc Hendrix, Professor of Geology with the University of Montana, for this exciting field trip to learn about the giant floods and see for yourself how they changed our landscape.

September 30- Prairie Keepers National Public Lands Day
11:00 am - Meet at the M trail on Mt. Sentinel. Contribute to your public lands and restore native plants.
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September 30- Volunteer Open House
Noon - 4:00 pm, MNHC 120 Hickory Street
Cheers to volunteers!
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Save the Date! October 28- Born to be Wild Fundraiser Auction
Harley Davidson off I-90 in Missoula
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Membership supports educational programs and exhibits!
Did you know the MNHC visits 31 classrooms monthly the entire school year? The Visiting Naturalist in the Schools program is growing and directly impacts over 700 students in the Missoula area EACH MONTH! That kind of education needs your support! Join our Membership Drive and give the gift of education. Help celebrate 15 years of MNHC discoveries!

Visit New West for the latest scoop on the Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies Conference October 5 and 6 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Missoula, Montana.

Community at the Confluence will be held at the Picnic Shelter by the Milltown Dam on Sunday, September 17 from 12:30 – 4:30. Join in the creation of the Community at the Confluence mural. Sponsored by the Friends of Two Rivers, the Milltown Superfund Site Redevelopment Working Group, and Bonner School.
Learn more at http://www.friendsof2rivers.org/

The Montana Natural History Center 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 discounts on items in the MNHC Market.

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