Date: April 23-26 (You can register for a one-day event, or join us for the full workshop.)
Location: Holiday Inn Downtown Missoula + Field Trips
Cost: Day price: $175. Week price: $350 for members, $425 for non-members
Price includes all food, experiences, materials, transportation, swag, a t-shirt

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Discover, Explore, and Connect at the NAI Heartland Region Workshop in Missoula!

Join us for an unforgettable experience at the NAI Heartland Region Workshop, April 23-26, 2025, in the heart of Missoula! Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, educator, or simply love exploring Montana’s rich landscapes and stories, this event is packed with engaging activities, expert-led sessions, immersive field trips, and dynamic keynote speakers designed for all.

You don’t have to be an interpreter to enjoy this workshop—you just have to love nature, history, and adventure! Teachers, scientists, artists, or anyone who loves exploring Montana are invited to this unique event to experience fascinating field days, thought-provoking discussions, and meaningful connections.

Why Stories on the Landscape?: Our region’s landscape is rich in stories that provide context for the way the world looks today. The mountains, waterways, ecosystems, habitats, flora, and fauna we see around us are all shaped by these stories. These elements of the landscape, in turn, influence humans: where we live, how we travel and recreate, and the history of our settlements. Just as learning our family history can inform our sense of self, learning the stories of our region can provide the foundation for understanding our landscape, its plant and animal communities, and our place within it.

Why Attend?

• Inspiring Keynotes: Hear from Mariah Gladstone, founder of IndigiKitchen, on Indigenous foodways and landscape interpretation, and Kallie Moore, paleontologist and PBS Eons co-host, as she uncovers Missoula’s prehistoric past.
• Hands-On Learning: Engage in expert-led concurrent sessions on Thursday and Saturday, covering interpretation, storytelling, and conservation topics. Plus, browse exhibits from over a dozen organizations providing tools and services for educators and outdoor professionals.
• Immersive Field Trips: Friday’s trips include exploring Indigenous food traditions, visiting ranching heritage sites, uncovering Missoula’s unseen history, and experiencing the Bison Range and conservation work on the Flathead Reservation.

Special Film & Discussion Night – Wednesday
Kick off the workshop with a screening of Life in the Land: The Seeley-Swan Region, a powerful film about rural Montana communities collaborating on conservation and land management. Filmmaker Lara Tomov will lead a discussion on ethical storytelling and working with communities to honor their message.

Evening Adventures in Missoula – Thursday Night
From a pub crawl and mural scavenger hunt to a Sip & Sketch rooftop session and a screening of the 1955 Western classic Timberjack, there’s something for everyone! Plus, your registration includes a ticket to the International Wildlife Film Festival, featuring stunning nature films at the historic Roxy Theater.

Forestry Day at Fort Missoula – Saturday
Experience the 28th Annual Forestry Day at Historic Fort Missoula, where you’ll see expert competitors take on axe throwing, log rolling, pole climbing, and more! Enjoy antique logging equipment demonstrations, a beer garden, food trucks, and a live steam-powered sawmill in action—all included with your registration.

Closing Banquet & Celebration – Friday Night
Wrap up the week with a lively banquet featuring an auction, local craft brews, and live music—a true Montana send-off!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

For those who want to volunteer, you can get $50 off their registration price.

For those out coming from outside of Missoula, you can book a stay at the Holiday Inn Downtown Missoula. Government employees even get a room discount!

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Registration Instructions

While MNHC is hosting this amazing workshop, the leading organization behind the event is the National Association of Interpretation. As such, we ask interested participants and our members to register through their platform. We’ve included instructions for how to do so. If there are any questions upon registering, please reach out to workshop chair Jennifer Robinson at jrobinson@montananaturalist.org.

1. You must create an account through the National Association of Interpretation in order to register for the workshop. To create an account, click here. Fill in the required fields.

2. Once you have a user name and password, make sure you are logged in and navigate to the registration page of this workshop, which is hosted online by the National Association of Interpretation. You know you are logged in if you are not prompted to log in once you are at the registration page.

3. Scroll down the page, and select whether you would like to register for the full workshop (Wednesday – Saturday), or just a single day. Make your selection.

• Full registration for NAI members is $350.
• If you are not a member, registering for the workshop includes a discounted membership. The $425 fee includes a 1 year membership to NAI plus full workshop registration.
• A single day registration for an NAI member is $130.
• A single day registration for a non-member is $175.

4. What comes with registration? Full registration includes all meals, experiences, gifts, transportation, supplies, and materials from Wednesday – Saturday. Single day registration includes all meals, experiences, gifts, transportation, supplies, and materials for the day you register for.

5. Fill out the fields for dietary restrictions (if applicable for you), emergency contact, and check the buttons for events you plan to attend if you are a full workshop recipient. If you are only registering for a single day, check the correct buttons for the day you are registering.

6. Look to the bottom right of the screen. Click on the blue button to save your responses. If you do not save your responses and try to navigate to the next screen, your responses will be reset and you will have to fill out the fields again.

7. After saving your responses, scroll down again. There is an optional donation section. Under that, you may select an off-site field trip experience if your registration includes Friday, April 25th. Full registration includes a field trip on Friday. If you sign up for a single day and that day is Friday, please ensure to select your field trip choice.

8. Choose your meal option for the field trip day if applicable.

9. Scroll back up the page and click on the blue button to continue your registration and submit payment.