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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Montana Natural History Center
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250908T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250908T200000
DTSTAMP:20260509T025155
CREATED:20250819T195731Z
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SUMMARY:Nature Writing "Hush Hour(s)"
DESCRIPTION:Date: Second Monday of the Month\nTime: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.\nLocation: Montana Natural History Center\nCost: Free\, but please register \nREGISTER HERE\nWhatever genre you prefer — poetry\, essay\, prose\, flash\, etc. — writing can help us connect with and reflect on our natural surroundings in deeply personal\, unexpected\, rewarding ways. But finding the time to write can often be challenging. This writing “hush hour(s)” is designed to provide nature writers with a quiet\, supportive setting to work on your craft. This isn’t a workshop; this is space to write. \nIn this group\, we’ll spend roughly the first 20 minutes inviting individuals to share what projects you’re working on\, questions you might have about your work\, suggest resources\, any hurdles or writing blocks\, and writing successes! Then we’ll write\, write\, write. \nBring your notebook\, journal\, or computer. Writing prompts will be available if you’re feeling stuck\, or just want to play with words. Your MNHC group leaders are Allison De Jong (Montana Naturalist magazine editor and MNHC Field Notes instructor\, and writer) and Beth Conway (Events and Marketing Coordinator\, and writer). \nFeel free to BYOB and snacks. We’ll have light refreshments available.
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/nature-writing-hush-hours-5-5/
LOCATION:Montana Natural History Center
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Evening Programs
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250908T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250908T203000
DTSTAMP:20260509T025155
CREATED:20250812T183018Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260106T190209Z
UID:10003026-1757356200-1757363400@www.montananaturalist.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Naturalist Book Club #2
DESCRIPTION:Date: Monthly\, on the second Monday of the month (except January\, June\, July\, and August)\nTime: 6:30 p.m.\nLocation/Platform: Virtual Zoom Classroom \nThe only thing better than reading a fascinating natural history book (and there are so many of them!) is getting to discuss it with a wonderful group of like-minded people. We can help you do that! Join one of our free naturalist book clubs\, where you can read and discuss a great new book each month\, enjoying various perspectives and insights\, all from the comfort of your own home. (Cozy pjs are perfectly acceptable attire.) This book club meets September-May and breaks for the summer. \nBook List \nSeptember: Light Eaters\nOctober: The Serviceberry\nNovember: The Stubborn Light of Things\nDecember: Flight Paths\nJanuary: no meeting this month\nFebruary: Woman Among Wolves\nMarch:  What an Owl Knows\nApril: Restoring the Kinship Worldview                                                                                                                May: Tenacious Beasts \nYour hosts will be Sherry Staub and Cas Kendley. Sherry has led the Sacajawea book club for over two years in Bozeman and has extensively read in the nature book genre. Cas started and led a book club as a UM student and is looking forward to starting an advanced degree in forestry at the UM. \nYou will need a computer that can access the internet and Zoom platform in order to participate. \nInterested in joining? There are spaces available! Email Christine at cmorris [at] montananaturalist [dot] org to sign up. \nGroup is limited to 10 participants.
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/naturalist-book-club-2/2025-09-08/
LOCATION:Virtual Zoom Classroom
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Evening Programs
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250909T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250909T203000
DTSTAMP:20260509T025155
CREATED:20231214T180948Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250107T173314Z
UID:10001312-1757442600-1757449800@www.montananaturalist.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Naturalist Book Club #1
DESCRIPTION:Date: Monthly\, on the second Tuesday of the month  \nTime: 6:30 p.m. \nLocation/Platform: Virtual Zoom Classroom \nThe only thing better than reading a fascinating natural history book (and there are so many of them!) is getting to discuss it with a wonderful group of like-minded people. We can help you do that! Join one of our free naturalist book clubs\, where you can read and discuss a great new book each month\, enjoying various perspectives and insights\, all from the comfort of your own home. (Cozy pjs are perfectly acceptable attire.) \nYour hosts are Master Naturalist Suzanne Hendrich and Deborah Drain. \nYou will need a computer that can access the internet and Zoom platform in order to participate. \nThere are some spaces available in this book club. Contact cmorris (at) montananaturalist.org to sign up.  \nGroup is limited to 10 participants.
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/virtual-naturalist-book-club-1-2/2025-09-09/
LOCATION:Virtual Zoom Classroom
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Evening Programs,Virtual Class
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250910T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250910T203000
DTSTAMP:20260509T025155
CREATED:20250624T205500Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250829T194113Z
UID:10002888-1757530800-1757536200@www.montananaturalist.org
SUMMARY:Hush of the Land: Stories from the Bob Marshall Wilderness
DESCRIPTION:Date: Wednesday\, September 10th\nTime: 7:00-8:30 p.m.\nLocation: Montana Natural History Center\nCost: Free\, but please register! (Donations are always appreciated.***) \nREGISTER HERE \nIn Hush of the Land: Stories from the Bob Marshall Wilderness\, Arnold “Smoke” Elser and Eva-Maria Maggi take the audience on a journey with horses and mules deep into the mountains of Western Montana. This engaging\, hands-on campfire storytelling event is based on the inspiring memoir Hush of the Land\, which chronicles the six-decade quest of packer and outfitter Smoke Elser to protect wild lands by bringing thousands of people deep into Montana’s mountains on horseback. Experience the joys and thrills of summer rides\, harrowing grizzly bear encounters\, fishing in clear mountain streams\, and many nights around a campfire in some of the West’s last wild places. In this lively program\, Eva shares how meeting Smoke ignited her love for storytelling\, while Smoke recounts how his testimony for the Wilderness Act and his fight to preserve and expand Montana’s wilderness lands influenced his career as an outfitter and educator\, giving him a voice at the center of Montana’s conservation movement. \nAbout the presenters: Arnold “Smoke” Elser is a legendary packer\, author\, teacher\, and U.S. conservationist who has traveled every trail of the 1.5 million-acre Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex in Western Montana on horseback over the past sixty years. As a professional wilderness outfitter\, he has provided a once-in-a-lifetime experience deep in the mountains for thousands of people\, many of whom had never ridden a horse before. His famous “Horse and Mule Packing Class” has been taken by the U.S. Navy SEALs\, U.S. Army\, U.S. National Park Service\, U.S. Forest Service\, as well as thousands of civilians and college students. He is the co-author of the leading textbook on horse and mule packing\, Packin’ in on Horses and Mules. His skills\, life\, and persistent work to preserve public lands and wilderness for future generations have been featured in the PBS documentary 3 Miles an Hour\, National Geographic\, The Guardian\, The New York Times\, and The Washington Post\, among others. Smoke is the recipient of numerous awards\, including the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Montana\, the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America\, the Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award from The Conservation Roundtable\, and the Backcountry Horseman of America award. He is honored to be the only inductee of both the Montana Outdoor Hall of Fame and the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. He lives with his wife Thelma\, their dog Spunky\, and their horses and mules in Missoula\, MT. \nEva-Maria Maggi is a writer\, teacher\, and packer. Her new book\, Hush of the Land: A Lifetime in the Bob Marshall Wilderness (Bison Books)\, is co-written with and about Montana outfitter\, conservationist\, and packer Arnold “Smoke” Elser. She holds a Ph.D. in political science and has been teaching college classes and giving public talks for over 15 years. Currently\, she teaches Wilderness Policy and Packing at the University of Montana\, Missoula. Her recent work has been published in Big Sky Journal and the Montana Magazine of Western History (both forthcoming). Her past research on Europe and the Middle East was published as the book The Will of Change (2018\, Springer) and in several academic journals\, newspapers\, and magazines. She grew up in Germany\, lived in Italy and Morocco\, and now calls Missoula home. \n***This program was previously offered free to the community thanks to support from Humanities Montana\, which has since lost their federal funding and shuttered their Montana Conversations programming. Smoke and Eva are committed to keeping their program accessible to the community; this is a free event and open to the public. Any donations are greatly appreciated and will support MNHC and these knowledgeable speakers.
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/hush-of-the-land-stories-from-the-bob-marshall-wilderness/
LOCATION:Montana Natural History Center
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Evening Lecture,Evening Programs,Presentation
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250916T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250916T193000
DTSTAMP:20260509T025155
CREATED:20250902T223908Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T155759Z
UID:10003100-1758045600-1758051000@www.montananaturalist.org
SUMMARY:Hunting Dinosaur Fossils in the Bighorn Basin!
DESCRIPTION:Date: Tuesday\, September 16\nTime: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.\nLocation: Montana Natural History Center\nCost: $15 for MNHC members\, $20 for non-members\n(Children 17 and under free with ticketed adult.) \nREGISTER HERE!\nIf you’re a fan of dinosaurs\, this evening program is for you! \nMNHC has partnered with Elevation Science Institute to prepare and conserve dinosaur fossils collected by their paleontologists and citizen-scientists each summer in southern Montana. These fossils come from the world-famous Morrison Formation of southern Montana\, rocks dating back over 150 million years! \nIt has been a record year for the team from Elevation Science Institute. Join Jason Poole to hear the latest from this summer’s field work digging up dinosaur bones in Montana’s Bighorn Basin\, some of which will be exposed over the next few months at the Montana Natural History Center before your very eyes! \nDrinks and light refreshments/snacks provided. \nInstructor: Jason C. Poole has worn many hats\, Adjunct Professor of Paleontology\, Scientific Illustrator\, art teacher\, and Paleontology field instructor. Jason has excavated dinosaurs on three continents\, including Africa\, South and North America. Paralititan\, Dreadnoughtus and Suuwassea are three dinosaurs worked on by Poole\, all were new to science when discovered and two of which are supermassive titanosaurs. Poole is also a Paleontological Artist who has published in National Geographic and whose art work appears in many museum and private collections. Jason resides in Missoula\, Montana and can often be found sketching in the studio and the great outdoors. \nWhat’s the refund policy? \nThe course fee (minus a 25% administrative fee) is refundable if a cancellation is made up to 7 days before the event. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline. See our full refund/cancellation policy here. \nDo I have to bring my printed ticket to the event? \nNope! We will have a list of all the attendees.
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/hunting-dinosaur-fossils-in-the-bighorn-basin/
LOCATION:Montana Natural History Center
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Evening Lecture,Evening Programs
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250917T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250917T190000
DTSTAMP:20260509T025155
CREATED:20250828T221122Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T035315Z
UID:10003098-1758130200-1758135600@www.montananaturalist.org
SUMMARY:Fall Tree Fruits with Marilyn Marler
DESCRIPTION:Date: Wednesday\, September 17\, 2025\nTime: 5:30-7:00 p.m.\nLocation: Meet at the Root Interpretive Center at University of Montana\, between Main Hall and the Natural Sciences Greenhouse. Free parking after 5 pm.\nCost: Free\, and open to the public \nCome on a short\, shady walk with botanist Marilyn Marler (MNHC’s Executive Director) to learn about fall fruit types in the State of Montana Arboretum at UM. Many trees produce fruit\, but they go way beyond the sweet edible varieties. Instead of pears and apples\, we’ll talk about legumes\, samaras\, capsules\, nuts and maybe a few berries. Non-crop tree fruits are beautiful and diverse. \nWheelchair accessible\, no prior knowledge needed. Kiddos welcome with a grown up but no dogs please (except service dogs).
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/fall-tree-fruits-with-marilyn-marler/
LOCATION:Montana Natural History Center
CATEGORIES:Community Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250918T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250918T200000
DTSTAMP:20260509T025155
CREATED:20250902T170011Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250902T170024Z
UID:10002414-1758218400-1758225600@www.montananaturalist.org
SUMMARY:Scavengers Photography Club
DESCRIPTION:Dates: Third Thursday of the Month\nTime: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.\nLocation: Montana Natural History Center \nCome find community and inspiration for your nature photography passion at our Scavengers Photography Club! Everyone is welcome – hobbyists\, enthusiasts\, professionals\, and new beginners! Peggy Christian\, artist\, author\, and Master Naturalist\, hosts this unique club. \nAt each session we will share our photos (up to 6 per person) and discuss current projects\, interests\, successes\, and challenges. Some sessions will feature a guest presentation on an aspect of photography. \nFor our September class\, Marcy James\, owner of Paper & Ink Studio in Missoula\, joins us for a guest critique focused on composition and intention behind the image(s). If you would like to have your pictures critiqued\, please email 3-5 large JPEG files to eyster.kathy@gmail.com by September 16. \nPhoto by Marcy James \nNote: Please bring your photos to share on a thumb drive to use in our computer. \n“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels\, in the deepest sense\, about what is being photographed.”\n― Ansel Adams \nShare your perspective and connection to nature through photography!
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/scavengers-photography-club-3-2-2-2-3-4/
LOCATION:Montana Natural History Center
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Discovery Day,Presentation
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250924T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250924T130000
DTSTAMP:20260509T025155
CREATED:20250828T193115Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250922T180348Z
UID:10003097-1758704400-1758718800@www.montananaturalist.org
SUMMARY:Voyage to the Varves: Glacial Lake Missoula Field Day
DESCRIPTION:Date: Wednesday\, September 24\, 2025\nTime: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.\nLocation: Meet at MNHC\, travel by MNHC bus\nCost: $40 MNHC and/or GLM Chapter members/$60 non-members \nREGISTER HERE \nSee Glacial Lake Missoula’s seasonal calendar recorded in sediment with geologist Jim Shelden! \nVarves are annual sediment depositions\, often recording seasons in differently colored bands. Darker bands are deposited in winter as organic matter settles\, and lighter bands are deposited in the summer as glacial flour and run-off sediments drift to the lake bed. Varves also give a minimum depth of water greater than 300 feet. Glacial lake varves are often beautifully preserved. \nThe Ninemile varves are crucial to understanding the story of Glacial Lake Missoula. Not only do they record the minimum number of years Glacial Lake Missoula existed\, they also record the number of times the glacial lake emptied in catastrophic floods\, forever changing the landscape. See these varves up close and hold pieces of them in your hands! \nJim Shelden will recount the story of Glacial Lake Missoula and the importance of the varves using materials and displays at the Montana Natural History Center. Then we will travel by MNHC bus to the Ninemile varves roadcut. You will be able to inspect the varves and take samples home. This program is a wonderful way to learn more about one of the major and defining geological events in Western Montana. \nActivity level: easy. \nWhat to Bring: \n\nWater/snacks\nClothes for changing Montana weather conditions\nSneakers or boots\nSack lunch for the bus if desired\nAnything you need to be comforatable standing\, sitting on the bus\, or walking\n\n  \nFAQs\nWhat’s the refund policy? \nThe course fee (minus a 25% administrative fee) is refundable if a cancellation is made up to 7 days before the event. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline. See our full refund/cancellation policy here. \nDo I have to bring my printed ticket to the event? \nNope! We will have a list of all the attendees.
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/voyage-to-the-varves/
LOCATION:Montana Natural History Center
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Naturalist Field Experience
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250924T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250924T130000
DTSTAMP:20260509T025156
CREATED:20250804T203050Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260330T183906Z
UID:10003013-1758713400-1758718800@www.montananaturalist.org
SUMMARY:Drop-In Nature Journaling
DESCRIPTION:Date: Last Wednesday of the Month\nTime: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.\nLocation: Montana Natural History Center\nCost: Free with admission/membership! \nFellow naturalists! Are you looking for community\, accountability\, inspiration\, and more? We’re excited to offer monthly drop-in nature journaling / phenology wheel / nature writing sessions September-May. Bring your nature journals\, phenology wheels\, pens\, pencils\, and paints\, and have fun crafting your observations in community. We’ll have some supplies available (colored pencils\, micron pens\, watercolor pencils\, etc.)\, as well as field guides and specimens\, and we’ll provide a fun journal prompt\, too! For those working on phenology wheels – whether daily\, monthly\, or seasonal – this is a great time to work on your wheel template for the next month or catch up on your daily or monthly observations. \nScheduled over the lunch hour\, this is a perfect mid-day break; please feel free to bring lunch or snacks. \nThis program is FREE with admission/membership! \nCome join us for fun\, creativity\, and naturalist exploration! \n2025-2026 dates:\nSeptember 24th\, 2025\nOctober 29th\, 2025\nNovember 26th\, 2025\nNO SESSION in DECEMBER\nJanuary 28th\, 2026\nFebruary 25th\, 2026\nMarch 25th\, 2026\nApril 29th\, 2026\nMay 27th\, 2026 \nWe’ll be back in September!
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/drop-in-nature-journaling/2025-09-24/
LOCATION:Montana Natural History Center
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Drop in With a Naturalist
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GEO:46.8706038;-114.0060024
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250924T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250924T193000
DTSTAMP:20260509T025156
CREATED:20250702T231041Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T035658Z
UID:10002890-1758736800-1758742200@www.montananaturalist.org
SUMMARY:Saving the Big Sky
DESCRIPTION:Date: Wednesday\, September 24\nTime: 6:00-7:30 p.m.\nLocation: Montana Natural History Center\nCost: Free and open to the public\, but please register \nJoin authors Bruce A. Bugbee\, Robert J. Kiesling\, and John B. Wright for a presentation of their book Saving the Big Sky: A Chronicle of Land Conservation in Montana. In documenting conservation accomplishments and suggesting what more can be done\, Saving the Big Sky invites readers to participate in conserving Montana—or whatever cherished landscape they call home. \nREGISTER HERE\nDuring this lecture\, we’ll learn more about the compelling study of how six million acres of biodiverse land were conserved in Montana over the past fifty years. Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge about land stewardship has evolved and since the 1970s tribes\, nonprofit organizations\, land trusts\, and government agencies have conserved land in many creative ways. \nLight refreshments and book signings\, too. Offered in partnership with Fact and Fiction. \nAbout the authors:\nBruce A. Bugbee is a land conservation consultant and founder of American Public Land Exchange. \nRobert J. Kiesling is a real estate broker\, conservation consultant\, and former executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center and the Big Sky (Montana/Wyoming) office of The Nature Conservancy. \nJohn B. Wright has completed over one hundred conservation easements in Montana and the Rocky Mountain West and is professor emeritus of geography and environmental studies at New Mexico State University.
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/saving-the-big-sky/
LOCATION:Montana Natural History Center
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Evening Lecture,Evening Programs
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END:VEVENT
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