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DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240514T183000
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UID:10001296-1715711400-1715718600@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-1-2/2024-05-14/
LOCATION:Virtual Zoom Classroom
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Evening Programs,Virtual Class
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240515T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240515T200000
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CREATED:20240516T010057Z
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SUMMARY:Tick Talk with Tom Schwan
DESCRIPTION:Date: Wednesday\, May 15\nTime: 7:00-8:00 p.m.\nLocation: Montana Natural History Center\nCost: $5 MNHC members\, $7 non-members\, students free \nIt’s tick season! \nTemper your fear with fascination. Ticks warrant our curiosity (what do they do in the winter?) and our caution. The connections between their unique biology\, transmission of pathogens\, and changing climate make for a timely tale. Dr. Tom G. Schwan\, retired after nearly 30 years of studying ticks and tick-borne diseases at Rocky Mountain Laboratories\, will also discuss practical prevention methods you can use while recreating this spring and summer. You may just find your inner scientist ignited as you identify ticks along the trail! \nTicks in western Montana have a special claim to fame: in the early 1900s\, seminal work on Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley led to the first description of a tick-borne disease of humans in North America. The term “zoonotic diseases” was coined by early Rocky Mountain Laboratories researchers to describe “diseases in nature communicable to man.” During this fascinating program you will also learn about the history and current research regarding ticks in western Montana. \nAbout the lecturer: Tom Schwan received his undergraduate training in biology at California State University\, Hayward\, where he also did his Master’s Degree in ecology. He next spent two years as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer working on wildlife-related projects at Lake Nakuru National Park\, Kenya. Tom then studied at the University of California\, Berkeley\, earning his Ph.D. in medical entomology in 1983. Tom then began three years of postdoctoral training at the Yale Arbovirus Research Unit at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven\, Connecticut. While there\, he studied viruses infecting ticks associated with seabirds. In 1986\, Tom moved to Hamilton\, Montana\, to join the Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML)\, which is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. There\, he was Chief of the Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens and Head of the Medical Entomology Section. He and his group investigated many tick-borne bacterial and viral pathogens\, however in recent years the work narrowed its focus to the biology of soft (argasid) ticks\, the interaction of spirochetes in their tick vectors\, improving serological tests for identifying human infections with spirochetes\, and identifying geographic areas where tick-borne relapsing fever poses a risk for humans in both western North America and West Africa. Tom retired in January 2014 but continues to be active through collaborations and writing. From 2013 through 2017\, Tom shared teaching an undergraduate course on vector-borne diseases at the University of Montana\, and in 2022 he taught a course for the University of Montana’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. \nReserve your spot:
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/tick-talk-with-tom-schwan/
LOCATION:Montana Natural History Center
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Discovery Day,Evening Programs
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240518T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240519T150000
DTSTAMP:20260425T195745
CREATED:20240518T150014Z
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UID:10000453-1716022800-1716130800@www.montananaturalist.org
SUMMARY:Master Naturalist Rendezvous
DESCRIPTION:Dates: Saturday & Sunday\, May 18 &19\nLocation: Hosted by the Montana Natural History Center. Sessions will take place at various sites in and around Missoula.\nCost: $40 \nEnjoy a weekend of programs and fellow Master Naturalists at our third Montana Master Naturalist Rendezvous! We are so excited to see you in Missoula this year! \nFeaturing nature journaling with Nancy Seiler!\, botany Peter Lesica and William Schlegel\, osprey with Dalit Guscio\, and so much more. \nFresh produce will be provided thanks to the generous support of Natural Grocers! \nREGISTERATION is CLOSED.  \nSATURDAY\, MAY 18TH\nCHOOSE YOUR SESSIONS WHEN YOU REGISTER. \nMORNING SESSION 1: Birding by Ear with Pat Little\nTime: 8:30-11:30 a.m.\nLocation: Meet at MNHC\, travel to field site in personal vehicle/carpool \nGet more out of birding by birding by ear! Pat Little\, Master Naturalist\, MNHC’s front desk associate\, and passionate birder\, will start with a classroom session to introduce the practice of birding by ear and provide tips and tricks. We will then walk along the Kim Williams trail from MNHC to listen and look for our vocal spring birds! If you want to sharpen your skills or are new to birding by ear this class is for you. Find out how identify birds by their calls and songs. Learn how to start slowly\, gain confidence\, and increase your bird song repertoire. The birds are always saying something as we wander around outside. Now you can find out who is saying what! \nActivity level: easy walking. \nMORNING SESSION 2: Geology and Ecology in the North Hills with Ian Watson and Christine Morris\nTime: 9:00-11:00 a.m.\nLocation: Meet at the Greenough Dr. Waterworks Trailhead paved parking area. NOTE: Parking spots can be limited. If possible\, try to carpool with a friend or two. Or arrive early to be able to park in the residential area on Monroe and walk to the trailhead. This could take up to 15 minutes. \nGet a bird’s eye view of the Missoula Valley and hear the incredible stories behind its landscape features: \n\nthe building of the Rockies\nshortening (Rattlesnake mountains)\nextension (Bitterroot and Missoula valleys)\ndeposition of Paleogene/Neogene strata and valley bounding faults\nBelt rocks\nAnd of course the famous Glacial Lake Missoula!\n\nThe ecology of the North Hills is directly tied to ancient and ongoing geologic processes. Here you will find plants adapted to high winds coming through Hellgate Canyon and dry gravely soils. These cushion and mat-forming plants display characteristics more commonly seen at higher elevations. Geologist Ian Watson and MNHC’s Community Programs Coordinator and Master Naturalist instructor Christine Morris will take you on a flat\, level walk in a loop from the parking lot. For those interested in more a vigorous and steeper climb\, you can continue on uphill with the instructors to view geological features and plants along the ridge. \nActivity level: easy to moderate/steep walking. \nLUNCH\, from 12:00-1:00 p.m.: Free hot dog/veggie dog BBQ at the Montana Natural History Center! Plus chips\, salad\, and soda. And produce from Natural Grocers! Feel free to bring any item you would like to share. \nAFTERNOON SESSION 1: Journaling Missoula’s Springtime Native Plants with Nancy Seiler\nTime: 1:00-3:00 p.m.\nLocation: Meet at the Montana Natural History Center and walk to the Pierce Prairie (approximately .5 miles\, flat). We will meet indoors at MNHC if it is rainy and use herbarium specimens. \nJoin Nancy Seiler in Pierce Prairie to record native plants through close observation\, notes\, and drawing. Nancy will start with a tour of the location to point out the many plants that are blooming in mid-May here. She’ll start with a demonstration of how to start a drawing in your journal with tips on composition\, skeletal structure\, and what notes and call-outs to include. You will spread out to create a page in your journal. Nancy will be available to help you in your recording process. Informative handouts provided. Dress for the weather and bring something to sit on\, along with your journal\, pencil\, pen\, and watercolors\, if you’d like. In case of rain\, we will work from herbarium samples at MNHC. (Nancy Seiler has come out of her teaching retirement for this event!)  \nActivity level: easy walking\, seating on ground \nAbout the instructor: Nancy Seiler has been teaching botanical illustration and nature journaling since 2003. She has been a GOLDEN Working Artist for GOLDEN Artist Colors since 2015\, teaching people how to use acrylics and watercolors. Her fine art is represented by FOR Fine Art in Whitefish and Bigfork\, and by 709 Gallery in Montana Art and Framing in Missoula. Visit her website at www.nancyseiler.com. \nAFTERNOON SESSION 2: Botany with William Schlegel\nTime: 1:30-3:30 p.m.\nLocation: Crazy Canyon trailhead in Pattee Canyon \nWander the woods with U.S. Forest Service botanist William Schlegel. William is an incredible wealth of information and an inspiring instructor. Practice plant identification and learn amazing plant facts – ecology\, edibility\, and more! William will also discuss how you can get involved in an USFS/MNHC citizen science seed collecting project. Find out how to contribute to the stewardship of our national lands and get Master Naturalist hours while you hike in the forest this summer! \nActivity level: moderate walking\, uneven ground. \nAbout the instructor: William Schlegel a botanist and science educator from Ronan. Floristic inventory\, seed collection\, vegetation monitoring\, rare plant surveys\, botany reports\, pollinator surveys\, and identification of grasses are his botany specialties. \nWe will meet at the Crazy Canyon Trailhead in Pattee Canyon. There will be a moderate hike up to one mile through the forest and to a flower-filled meadow. See dozens of species and learn from the expert! \nSUNDAY\, MAY 19TH\nCHOOSE YOUR SESSIONS WHEN YOU REGISTER. \nMORNING SESSION 1: Meteorology lecture with Sarah Elsasser\nTime: 10:00-11:30 a.m.\nLocation: Montana Natural History Center\, Naturalist Classroom downstairs \nAre you curious about what you’re seeing when you glance out your window at the sky each morning? Do you wonder why the winds are blowing from the southwest one day and from the northeast the next? Do you find thunderstorms exciting\, and wonder how hail is formed? And what exactly is graupel? In this quick introduction to meteorology we’ll look at global circulations\, jet streams\, winds\, clouds\, and thunderstorms. You’ll come away with a greater appreciation and understanding of the weather that you step into each day here in western Montana. \nAbout the instructor: Sarah Elsasser has been a lifelong weather geek\, always checking the weather before heading into the outdoors. But her interest really kicked into high gear when she began flying airplanes\, and realized that understanding weather was crucial to the safety and enjoyment of every flight. She taught aviation meteorology courses for a community college aviation program for several years\, and enjoys sharing her understanding of weather phenomena with others. \nMORNING SESSION 2: Summer Raptors of Montana lecture with Chadwick Moore\nTime: 10:00-11:30 a.m.\nLocation: Montana Natural History Center\, Ellen Knight classroom upstairs \nThink identifying hawks and eagles is tough? You’re right\, it is. This practical lecture will emphasize identification of several diurnal raptors in Western Montana using size\, shape\, and flight behavior in addition to the more common approach of using field marks. \nChad Moore is a geographer and hydrologist by trade who counterintuitively spends a lot of time looking away from the earth toward the sky. He has years of experience hawk watching and telemetry tracking of birds of prey. Chad co-founded the Bridger Raptor Festival near Bozeman\, and can often be found driving the backroads of Western Montana with his wife and dogs. \nNoon-1:00 p.m. Lunch on your own. The Montana Natural History Center will be open. \nAFTERNOON SESSION 1: Botany with Peter Lesica\nTime: 1:00-3:00 p.m.\nLocation: Mount Jumbo saddle trail. From Rattlesnake Drive\, take Lincoln Hills Drive. Follow the winding road to the Trailhead parking area. Map Here (look for Saddle Trail) or type ‘Lincon Hills Mt. Jumbo Trailhead’ in your phone for driving directions. \nThis is your opportunity to go on a plant walk with expert botanist Peter Lesica! Peter is the author of numerous books and field guides\, including Manual of Montana Vascular Plants\, Wildflowers of Glacier National Park and Surrounding Areas\, Trees and Shrubs of Glacier National Park\, and many more. Peter will choose a location close to town for the best flower viewing. He will discuss identifying features\, natural history\, and fun facts for any naturalist. Note: the trail could be steep with moderate hiking. \nActivity level: moderate/steep walking\, uneven ground \n  \nAFTERNOON SESSION 2: Osprey with Dalit Guscio\nTime: 1:00-3:00 p.m.\nLocation: meet at the Montana Natural History Center. Walk or carpool to site TBA day of event. \nLet’s talk about our local summertime ospreys with Dalit Guscio\, CFWEP’s Missoula program director! When do they return? Where do they winter? Who feeds the chicks? How do they migrate in the fall? What are we monitoring in the Clark Fork Watershed? We will meet at an active nest and have scopes available. \nActivity level: easy walking. \nAbout the instructor: Dalit Guscio is the Missoula program director of the Clark Fork Watershed Education Program (CFWEP). She spends her time educating our youth about watershed health and monitors Clark Fork osprey chicks as a proxy for watershed health. Opportunities to volunteer with CFWEP in Missoula area or Butte will also be addressed! Check us out at cfwep.org. \nSo many fabulous sessions – we look forward to spending the weekend with you! \nCost: $40.00 per person\nLodging and transportation not included. \nPlease Bring: \n\nSnacks and water\nClothes appropriate for changing Montana weather conditions\, layers\, rain and shine\nBoots or shoes for trail walking\nNotebooks and writing implement\nBinoculars (optional\, we will have some to borrow)\n\nThe Montana Natural History Center will be open and free to Master Naturalists on Saturday\, May 18\, and during lunch on Sunday\, May 19. See displays on ecology\, geology\, paleontology\, and Glacial Lake Missoula. \n \nThank you Natural Grocers! \n  \nNearby lodging options: \n\nMissoula KOA\nLee Creek Campground (open May-September. Call 406-329-3814 for opening date. First come\, first served)\nHoliday Inn Downtown Missoula (Downtown and close to the Montana Natural History Center)\nBest Western Hotel\nDoubleTree (walking distance to downtown)
URL:https://www.montananaturalist.org/event/master-naturalist-rendezvous/
LOCATION:Montana Natural History Center
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Conference,Discovery Day,Master Naturalist Class
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