Montana Natural History Center E-Newsletter

Montana Natural History Center January 2007 E-mail Newsletter

www.MontanaNaturalist.org

The Montana Natural History Center is your Base Camp for Discovery
Note our 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.

Special Notice: The Montana Natural History Center is changing email addresses! Please take this time to change the email addresses you have for each staff member in your email browser. The new emails are listed in the About Us page of our website. The old emails will re-direct you only for a short time. The new email addresses are based on the position title, for instance office@MontanaNaturalist.org. learn more>>

There’s a Bat in My Briefcase: Stories from the Field Lecture Series
January 12, 7 pm, MNHC 120 Hickory Street
Small donation requested. The Montana Natural History Center presents another lecture in this entertaining series focusing on the adventures and misadventures of people who work in nature. The series will look at the miracles and miscalculations that scientists, researchers, wildlife filmmakers, authors, and artists encounter while working in the field.

Bears, great and small, black and white, grab our imagination and hold it hard like a spell. Join Dr. Jim Halfpenny to explore our fascination with large bruins: black, Spirit (Kermode), blue (Glacier), Kodiak brown, coastal brown, coastal grizzly, interior grizzzly, and polar bears.

Jim, a dedicated ursophile (bear lover), has studied all North American varieties of bears, up close and personal. His first-hand accounts of bear diversity will thrill and amaze you. His slide and video-illustrated lecture delves into sizes, behavior, adventures afield, fun with bears, and lessons people have learned from bears over time immemorial. Jim will share a fun time and stories for all ages.

Jim Halfpenny will also be leading a winter tracking workshop on Saturday, January 13. Call the Montana Natural History Center at 327-0405 to learn more about other upcoming lectures in this series. Lecture at MNHC 120 Hickory Street, followed by a field trip to the Nine Mile area. Details TBA, call 327-0405 to learn more. learn more>>

Saturday Kids Activities in January!
Join us each Saturday at 2 pm for exciting children’s programs at MNHC. 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.

January 6– Wintertime in the Wild: Adaptations
How do animals survive winters in Montana? Learn about the cool adaptations that get them through these cold months.
January 13 – Wintertime in the Wild: Hibernation
How does hibernation work? Learn about about hibernation through story telling, and make models of hibernating animals that you can take home.
January 20 – Wintertime in the Wild: Under the Water
What happens in the river during the winter months? We’ll learn about what goes on under the ice, and make river artwork.
January 27 – Let it Snow!
How do snowflakes form? Are there different kinds of snow? Why is snow important for people and for animals? We’ll read snow stories and create snow artwork.

January 3 – Visiting Naturalist in the Schools Volunteer Training
4-5 pm, MNHC 120 Hickory Street
Interested in volunteering to work with 4th and 5th grade classrooms in Missoula? Join us for our Visiting Naturalist in the Schools training for January classroom visits! This month’s theme is Winter Adaptations!

Becoming a Naturalist Class at the University of Montana
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 from 5-7 pm, and includes 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. You must register with MNHC with the non-refundable deposit - no exceptions, UM credit is available through Continuing Education. OPI credit also available.
Call 327-0405 and learn more>>

Community Watershed Education Class at the University of Montana
Gain experience teaching environmental education while you learn about our Clark Fork Watershed. In this class, you will connect with people and organizations doing environmental education in the Missoua valley and participate in the 13th annual Clark Fork Watershed Festival. This course will meet Wednesdays from 4 -7 pm beginning January 24. FREE and open to the community! UM credit available through Continuing Education.
Call 327-0405 and learn more>>

Nature Detectives Spring Break Camp
For students in 3rd - 5th grade, March 26 - 30, 9 - 4. Extended drop off hours from 8 - 9 and pick up from 4 - 5.
The Nature Detectives Spring Break Day Camp will have students exploring nature through games, arts and crafts, and activities in science! Students will study plants and animals native to our region and explore local natural areas under the guidance of our Visiting Naturalist in the Schools instructors. Space is limited so register early! $25 non refundable deposit is required for registration. Registration begins February 1, 2007. $180/ $150 MNHC Members.

MNHC is an independent non-profit organization entering its 16th year. 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.