Montana Natural History Center | Montana Natural History Center

Check out our FREE online educational resources!

Let us help you stay entertained and educated during this time of physical distancing for social solidarity. We’ve put together a great collection of educational resources to keep you curious, learning, and connecting with nature.

Find them here!

Give the Gift of Nature!

“If we are to preserve our natural world, the next generation of leaders must be inspired and involved.”

~Jackie Wedell, Master Naturalist & MNHC Volunteer

Watch our five-part webinar series: The Age of the Coronapocene

Our panel of experts answers some of the big questions: What are viruses? Where did COVID-19 come from? Why is social distancing so important? What does the science tell us?

Webinar recordings available here!

Join the Montana Natural History Center

Become a member today!

Summer Camps!

Join us for a summer of learning, exploration, and adventure!

Camp registration opens on March 12th. Learn more and sign up here!

Upcoming Events

Check out the great programs coming up at MNHC!

Come visit us!

Check out our exhibits, Naturalist Lab, Nature Adventure Playground, and more!

Visiting Naturalist in the Schools

70 classrooms, 1700 students. Learn more about our keystone program.

Montana Master Naturalist Course

Become a certified Master Naturalist!

2020 Virtual Luncheon

Purchase tickets here!

Thursday, May 28th, 12:00-1:00PM

Check Out Our Free Online Educational Resources!

The Age of the Coronapocene

Watch all five webinar recordings here.

Give the Gift of Nature: Donate to MNHC!

Volunteer at the Montana Natural History Center!

Field Notes from the Montana Natural History Center

A collection of 134 Field Notes in a beautiful book. Order here!

MNHC offers free admission for EBT card holders!

Join a global movement and another way to support MNHC.

MNHC is a member of the ASTC!

Check out all the museums and science centers you can visit for FREE with your MNHC membership!

Montana Naturalist Magazine

Field Notes on Montana Public Radio

Listen and learn about Montana’s flora, fauna, geology, ecology, and more.

Naturalist Blog

Get tips and tricks for outdoor explorations, learn about Montana’s flora and fauna, and read about fun happenings at MNHC!

Museum Field Trips

Bring your class or community group to MNHC for a guided program.

Check out our Annual Report! (It's really pretty.) (And informative.)

Follow us on Facebook!

Teacher Benefits Program

A FREE program for K-12 educators.

Science Shorts on YouTube

Check out our educational science videos!

mtnaturalhistorycenter

The joys of working from home! MNHC Executive Dire

The joys of working from home! MNHC Executive Director Thurston Elfstrom has turned his living room into a recording studio for our virtual luncheon today! No, he won’t be wearing the top hat, we’ll be drawing some amazing prizes out of the hat! See you at noon! Shoutout to our luncheon sponsors:
@eictch @hellgatehuntersandanglers @inkrealtygroup @lololiquorandwine @mackenzie_dixon_realtor @networthfinancial @physiotrekk @rhapsodymontana @theshirtshop_missoula @trailheadmontana @yamamountaingear #connectwithnature #getkidsoutside

Looking for a fun activity to do with your miniNat

Looking for a fun activity to do with your miniNaturalists? Go searching for fungi and make spore prints with your discoveries! All you need is a mushroom, a piece of paper, and a cup. See our stories for instructions! #naturalistmoment #mininaturalist #natureschool #sporeprint #fungi

Montana has many species of paintbrush (Castilleja

Montana has many species of paintbrush (Castilleja sp.). They're blooming now! Look for their varied colors, from red to orange to yellow, splashing brightly across our hills and meadows. Paintbrush is yet another plant whose colorful parts are not petals - in this case, it is the bracts, or modified leaves, that look as though they've been dipped in paint and give the plant its common name. Paintbrushes are semi-parasitic on other plants, and are thus very difficult to transplant. Fortunately, there are plenty of places to enjoy their vivid beauty right now. Let us know where you've seen them, and share your photos!
#wildflowerwednesday #montanawildflowers #montanaflowers #flowersofmontana #wildflowers #mnhc #nativeflowers #paintbrush #indianpaintbrush #castilleja #naturalistmoment #mtnaturalhistorycenter

Happy Tuesday, everyone— we’ve got some trivia

Happy Tuesday, everyone— we’ve got some trivia for you to ponder! 😉
This week’s #TriviaTuesday is about our state tree, the Ponderosa Pine. Ponderosa pines were named because of their sheer bulk— these magnificent trees can get BIG!
Our question for you: where can you find the largest Ponderosa Pine in Montana? (Bonus question: where can you find the largest Ponderosa Pine in the world?) Let us know what you think and check back here later for the answer!

Instagram post 17868103303798761

Instagram post 17868103303798761

#MontanaMonday Montana's second state gemstone is

#MontanaMonday Montana's second state gemstone is the sapphire. Most of the sapphire found or mined in North America comes from Montana, including the famous Yogo sapphires which are mined from the Yogo Gulch area in central Montana, also in the photos. Both of these images and lots more information can be found at https://gemgallery.com/. Sapphires are one of the gem forms of the mineral corundum, which is a type of aluminum oxide that crystalizes from slow cooling magma with low concentrations of silica or when metamorphic forces like pressure or heat remelt igneous rock and it is allowed to slowly cool over millions of years. The slower the molten rock cools, the larger the crystals that can develop. The pure form of corundum is clear and colorless, but isn't usually found in nature. The blue color that is so valued in sapphires comes from trace amounts of titanium and iron replacing some of the aluminum in the crystal structure. Do you know what the other gem form of cordundum is?

Weekend Naturalist Challenge: find something in na

Weekend Naturalist Challenge: find something in nature that fascinates you! The rain drops on these lupine leaves 🌱stopped me in my tracks today! #naturalistmoment

Even in the rain, there is so much for you and you

Even in the rain, there is so much for you and your miniNaturalist to explore right outside your door. Look for budding plants and talk about how the rain will help them grow. Look for swallows diving for bugs above ponds. Find a worm on the sidewalk. And don’t forget to jump in a puddle! #naturalistmoment

This Wildflower Wednesday, look for a lovely purpl

This Wildflower Wednesday, look for a lovely purple-flowered vine twining up and around and over the shrubs and trees: purple clematis (Clematis occidentalis), also known as virgin's bower. A member of the buttercup family, clematis is widespread across western and central Montana; you'll find its purply beauty in open, mixed forests and rocky plateaus. This is another one of those plants that tricks you: clematis flowers have no petals, just four purply-blue sepals clustered around yellow stamens. Later in the season, look for the pearly, ephemeral globes created by the seeds and their feathery tails. Clematis can be absolutely riotous, a burst of dozens (or hundreds!) of periwinkle blossoms amongst the greens and browns of the understory. Where have you encountered it this spring? Let us know, and share your photos!
#wildflowerwednesday #montanawildflowers #montanaflowers #flowersofmontana #wildflowers #mnhc #nativeflowers #clematis #virginsbower #naturalistmoment #mtnaturalhistorycenter

#montanamonday Montana has not one, but two state

#montanamonday Montana has not one, but two state gemstones, and Montana agate is one of them. Agate is a type of quartz, a microcrystalline quartz, which means the crystals are so small they aren't visible to the naked eye. Agates usually form in the airpockets in igneous rock and our Montana agates formed in rocks produced by the volcanic activity centered around Yellowstone National Park. The agates themselves form from silica-rich water seeping into the airpockets and eventually crystalizing in layers at the bottom of the airpocket or in rings around the edges of the airpockets, gradually building upward or inward in layers. Montana agates are found in alluvial gravel deposits across southern and eastern Montana, meaning weathering processes freed them from the rocks where they formed and scattered them with other gravel across historic floodplains. The Montana moss agate pictured is from the collection of Brooks Britt and was found in Custer County on the Yellowstone River. Have you ever looked for or found Montana agate? #mnhc #discovernature

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Upcoming Events

Thu 28

Field Notes Writing Workshop, 6-Part Class

May 28 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am

Thu 28

Montana Natural History Center’s  2020 Virtual Luncheon 

May 28 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm