Montana Natural History Center

Wild Wanders with Kids and Herbal Lemonade
2024-07-18 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Denver) | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Thursday, July 18th
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
REGISTER HERE
Join Sydney Morical and Cathryn Rann of Wild Wanders!
Allow your little wildcrafter a place to shine!
We are foragers by nature and children demonstrate this beautifully, but often lack of adult education means little ones think all plants will kill you unless they come from the grocery store. Come empower your child to harvest with confidence and glee!
Join us as we learn about wild edibles and medicinals along the Clark Fork River Trail. We will talk about identification, ethical and safe harvesting, properties of plants, and how we enjoy them. We’ll also do a little bit of wildcrafting to make some herbal lemonade and enjoy some foraged snacks. Feel free to bring a notebook, pen, and guidebook if you wish. Water is also a great idea!
We’ll start off by sharing a bit about who we are and why wild food and medicine is such an important part of our lives before letting the rest of the group introduce themselves. After some brief housekeeping we will start our wander which will be under one mile in total. We generally discuss 20-30 different plants and fungi on our wanders and only harvest as a group when populations are abundant enough to support it.
Instructors: Sydney Morical and Cathryn Raan are both passionate and longtime gatherers of wild food and medicine. They have also served on the Board of Directors for the Western Montana Mycological Association since 2018, planning events, teaching a wide variety of mushroom classes and keeping the fungal community engaged and connected. They both have experience in herbal medicine and agriculture (they will teach you about all the wonderful “weeds” around town), and a deep love of this land and all the plants living in their midst. They are humbled and delighted to be two of many on a long strand of plant-loving humans sharing their experience and knowledge with others.
Cost: $35 MNHC members, $40 non-members. Each ticket covers one adult and one child – please make sure to register your child with the free “child admission” ticket so our attendee numbers are accurate. Cost for each additional child is $15.

FAQs:
What’s the refund policy?
The 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.
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
Nope! We will have a list of all the attendees.

Saturday Kids' Activity: Geology Is Everywhere: Metamorphic Rocks
2024-07-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Drop in any time between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. for a hands-on kids’ activity!
Attention, (junior) geology enthusiasts! Join us for an exciting series of touch and learn sessions on geology. Master Naturalist and geology/earth sciences educator Jamie Watson will be leading these drop-in sessions the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month from April through July.
Geology is everywhere! In July, we’ll dive into metamorphic rocks and deformation, and learn about how heat and pressure on sedimentary rocks causes folds, faults, and the change from a sedimentary rock to a metamorphic rock. Bring your map from April’s activity (we’ll have more to pass out, too), so you can add in the locations of the different kinds of rocks we’re learning about and go see them for yourself!
Cost: Free with membership / cost of admission.

Virtual Naturalist Book Club #1
2024-07-09 18:30 - 20:30, 2024-06-11 18:30 - 20:30 | Virtual Zoom Classroom
Date: Monthly, on the second Tuesday of the month
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location/Platform: Virtual Zoom Classroom
The 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.)
Your hosts are Master Naturalist Suzanne Hendrich and Deborah Drain.
You will need a computer that can access the internet and Zoom platform in order to participate.
There are some spaces available in this book club. Contact cmorris (at) montananaturalist.org to sign up.
Group is limited to 10 participants.

MNHC Closed for 4th of July Holiday
2024-07-04 | Montana Natural History Center
MNHC will be closed on July 4th so our staff can enjoy the holiday! Happy 4th!
We ARE open on July 5th and 6th.

Scavengers Photography Club
2024-06-27 18:00 - 20:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Dates: Fourth Thursday of the month
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Come 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 on the last Thursday of every month.
At 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.
Note: Please bring your photos to share on a thumb drive to use in our computer.
“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.”
― Ansel Adams
Share your perspective and connection to nature through photography!

Saturday Kids' Activity: Geology Is Everywhere: Sedimentary Rocks
2024-06-22 13:00 - 15:00, 2024-06-08 13:00 - 15:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Drop in any time between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. for a hands-on kids’ activity!
Attention, (junior) geology enthusiasts! Join us for an exciting series of touch and learn sessions on geology. Master Naturalist and geology/earth sciences educator Jamie Watson will be leading these drop-in sessions the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month from April through July.
Geology is everywhere! In June, we’ll explore sedimentation and sedimentary rocks – including Glacial Lake Missoula sediments! We’ll also dive into arrowheads and the effects of rivers and streams on sediment transportation and deposition. Bring your map from April’s activity (we’ll have more to pass out, too) , so you can add in the locations of the different kinds of rocks we’re learning about and go see them for yourself!
Cost: Free with membership / cost of admission.

Nature Journaling at the Summer Solstice
2024-06-22 12:00 - 14:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: June 22
Time: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Location: Meet at Milltown State Park Confluence Area
Register Now
If you have ever thought about starting and keeping a nature journal, this is your opportunity to start your journaling practice in the field!
Class will begin with a short discussion about the basics of starting a nature journaling practice. Then we will take some time to explore the landscape. Each student will have an opportunity to create a first page out on the trail with guidance. Handouts will be provided about materials to use, page composition/layout, and basic nature journaling writing and drawing strategies. Be sure to dress warmly since we will be standing or sitting for periods of time. The only materials you need for this class are a chair, pad, or blanket for sitting outside, a blank journal, a pen, and pencil. You may want to bring basic art supplies (colored pencils and watercolors) for adding color. We will have a few of these items available for use during class, and will provide you with guidance on the right supplies to purchase should you decide nature journaling is for you.
Recommended Materials:
Journal
Pen
Pencil
Instructor: Michele Esser is a 5-year Missoula resident and mixed media artist who completed her Master Naturalist certification in 2020. Professionally, Michele is a Technology Training Manager with an 18-year career in software training. When she is not working or making art, Michele is skiing and hiking, as well as volunteering at the MNHC or exploring a naturalist topic of interest.
FAQ
What’s the refund policy?
The 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.
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
Nope! We will have a list of all the attendees.

Poets in the 'Root
2024-06-15 13:00 - 15:00 | Montana Natural History Center
This FREE event is sponsored by Bitterroot Audubon, O’Hara Commons and Sustainability Center, Blue Heron Nature Tours, and the Montana Natural History Center.
Nature in nearly all manifestations has inspired poets since there were poets! And at least since the Roman poet Horace wrote Ars Poetica, or the Art of Poetry, in 19 BCE, literature, including poetry, has sought to both instruct and delight.
Poets in the ‘Root combines these two aims in an uncommon but simple way. One person reads a favorite poem or part of a poem that uses an element of nature to convey its message (we have a list if you want recommendations). Then, the same or another person gives an explanation (5 minutes max) of some aspect of that nature element. The explanation focuses on nature interpretation, not literary interpretation. Listeners get a bit of poetry and a bit of natural history.
Anyone can volunteer to read a poem and/or offer nature interpretation. Most will read poems by others, but if you’re a poet, we’d love to hear your own work. This is a fun way for Master Naturalists to earn credit towards certification.
We’ll have refreshments, including iced tea, wine, and snacks! Event will take place on the lawn of the lovely O’Hara Commons – please bring your own chair.
Want to volunteer? Have questions? Contact Micki Long at mickilong@gmail.com.
Free and open to the public!
Art by Deb Goslin.

Summertime Wander with Herbal Honeys and Oxymels
2024-06-08 13:00 - 15:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Saturday, June 8
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
REGISTER HERE
Join Sydney Morical and Cathryn Rann of Wild Wanders!
For this summertime wander, we’ll be showcasing the range of flavors and medicinal properties present in a flight of foraged herbal honeys, vinegars, and oxymels. As we enjoy, we’ll explore the characteristics and applications of these various infused delights. We’ll then get a chance to see some of them in real time on our wander around the river, learn what they look like, and more about their community. Ultimately we’ll circle back to home base for a demo of how to craft your own infused honeys, vinegars, and oxymels at home with commonly found plants. This is the best time of year for making these creations!
We won’t be going far on this wander (we never do) but we will be meeting many plant friends along the way so bring your plant guides, notebook, and pen if you’d like. We’ll start off by sharing a bit about who we are and why wild food and medicine is such an important part of our lives before letting the rest of the group introduce themselves. After some brief housekeeping we will start our wander which will be under one mile in total. We generally discuss 20-30 different plants and fungi on our wanders and only harvest as a group when populations are abundant enough to support it.
Instructors: Sydney Morical and Cathryn Raan are both passionate and longtime gatherers of wild food and medicine. They have also served on the Board of Directors for the Western Montana Mycological Association since 2018, planning events, teaching a wide variety of mushroom classes and keeping the fungal community engaged and connected. They both have experience in herbal medicine and agriculture (they will teach you about all the wonderful “weeds” around town), and a deep love of this land and all the plants living in their midst. They are humbled and delighted to be two of many on a long strand of plant-loving humans sharing their experience and knowledge with others.
Cost: $30 MNHC members, $35 non-members
Kids welcome free of charge.

FAQs:
What’s the refund policy?
The 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.
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
Nope! We will have a list of all the attendees.

Summer 2024 Master Naturalist Certification Course
2024-06-07 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-06-06 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-06-05 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-06-04 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-06-03 09:00 - 16:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Summer (June) 2024 Master Naturalist Certification Course
MONDAY, June 3, to FRIDAY, June 7, 2024
Register now
This is a five-day intensive course held in the summer each year. Class meets from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day.
This class is compressed into a short window of time so we will delve deeply into three subjects. Our focus will be on learning the core skills of identification of: 1) flowers, shrubs and trees, 2) birds, and 3) insects. Instruction will also include time on local geology, mammals, fire ecology, and riparian ecology.
Instructors:
Christine Morris, Community Programs Coordinator and naturalist. Christine teaches the spring and fall Montana Master Naturalist courses, the Certified Interpretive Guide course, and coordinates adult programs and lectures.
Guest instructors may include Elena Ulev, naturalist, and Geoff Farinholt, BLM.
We’ll take full advantage of the summer season and spend most of our time afield. We will spend time in the cottonwood galleries of the river’s floodplain and venture to the conifer forest in Pattee Canyon. Get a handle on plant identification by recognizing patterns in form, catch and identify butterflies along the Clark Fork River, and recognize birds by song and sight.
“After completing this course, I felt much more closely connected to my Montana home, but the best part is being able to share my new naturalist skills with others so they can find their sense of place as well.” ~2017 Master Naturalist
Master Naturalist Certification Requirements:

The main project for this class is keeping a detailed naturalist handbook with species list. To get the most out of your experience, you should expect to spend a little time in the afternoon reviewing and organizing your daily notes, and tracking your observations.
Full attendance.
Complete the culminating exercise.

Please Note:
This is a university-level class. A significant amount of information is covered in 5 days. It is fun!—but also work to be proud of and take seriously.
Sample June Itinerary: Monday (flowering plants at Pattee Canyon), Tuesday (birds at Lee Metcalf), Wednesday (conifers and ecology at Lolo pass), Thursday (Insects at Greenough Park), Friday (Final exercise).
REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

Cost: $425 for members; $450 for non-members
We are able to offer some scholarships. Please contact us at 406.327.0405 for details.
2 University of Montana credits available, pending approval. This course is listed at UM ENST 391. A $155 fee is required to the School of Extended and Lifelong Learning to take the class for credit. Payment and information will be collected at the first class.
Full payment due upon registration. The course fee (minus a $100 administrative fee) is refundable ONLY if a cancellation is made 30 days before the first day of class. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline. Exceptions will be made for air quality due to wildfires. Read our full cancellation/refund policy.
