Montana Natural History Center

Volunteering at Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden
2026-06-07 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-06-14 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-05 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-19 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-26 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-08-02 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-08-09 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Denver) | Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden, 404 H Road, Missoula, MT, 59804, United States
Dates: Select Sundays, May-August
Time: 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Location: Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden
The beautiful Native Plant Garden at Fort Missoula could use volunteers to weed, transplant plants out of the walkways and prune shrubs. Volunteering is available most Sunday mornings from 9:00-11:00 a.m. and you can pop in and out any time during that period. We will supply the gloves and tools but if you have your own feel free to bring them. In addition to working, you can learn about the plants, birds and ecology of the garden from Elena Ulev, the Garden Manager.
DIG IN! For more information on programs happening at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden, click here!

Nature Writing "Hush Hour(s)"
2026-06-08 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-07-13 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-10 18:00 - 20:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Second Monday of the Month
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Cost: Free, but please register
REGISTER HERE.
Whatever 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.
In this group, we’ll spend roughly the first 10-20 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.
Bring 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).
Feel free to BYOB and snacks. We’ll have light refreshments available.

Dig Your Own Native Shrubs
2026-06-09 09:00 - 11:00 | Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden, 404 H Road, Missoula, MT, 59804, United States
Date: Tuesday, June 9
Time: 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Location: Native Plant Garden at Fort Missoula
Cost: $20 MNHC members/$25 non-members
(1 child free per ticketed adult!)
REGISTER HERE!
Native shrubs are important for pollinators, nesting birds and other wildlife. The garden has an abundance of chokecherry, snowberry and Wood’s rose and you can dig up a bunch! We’ll first teach you about each plant then provide shovels and containers and show you how to dig and transplant the shrubs into your own yard.
DIG IN! For more information on programs happening at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden, click here!
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.

Virtual Naturalist Book Club #1
2026-06-09 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-07-14 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-08-11 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-09-08 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.

Color Mixing Greys, Blacks, and Neutrals for Nature Journaling
2026-06-10 13:30 - 16:30 | Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden
Cost: $45 MNHC members/$50 non-members.
Add your MNHC membership to your order when you check out!
REGISTER HERE! (Registration closes June 3rd.)
Master color mixing with artist Nancy Seiler!
Learn how to match the colors such as the dry hills around Missoula along with rocks and other natural objects that we find on site. By mixing blacks and grays with two or three pigments, you’ll achieve depth and interest in your journal pages instead of the colors looking flat. Nancy will be teaching from the QoR Mini 12-pigment set, so it would benefit you to have this set. The first two hours will be teaching and working with your pigments. The last hour will be color mixing on your own from objects you find at site with Nancy there to help you achieve color matches.
Instructor: Nancy Seiler received her Visual Communications degree from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1981. As a Golden Working Artist for Golden Artist Colors she presents lectures, demonstrations, and workshops in acrylics, watercolors, and oils in Southern California and Montana. She has taught classical botanical illustration and nature journaling since 2003. Her work is represented by Frame of Reference Fine Art in Whitefish and Bigfork, Montana.
Activity level: Easy. We will be sitting at picnic tables and/or folding chairs. Feel free to bring seating that you prefer. The bathrooms are port-a-potties.
What to Bring:

clothes appropriate for changing Montana weather conditions, layers
sunscreen, bug spray
water, snacks
your watercolor set
watercolor paper or watercolor/mixed media journal
#8 round brush or similar
graphite pencil and eraser and/or micro pen (any size point)
anything you may need to be comfortable sitting and journaling outside for 3 hours. There are picnic tables, but you may want your own chair, or pillow, or whatever you use when journaling.

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.

Master Naturalist Club
2026-06-10 14:00 - 16:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Monthly, on the second Wednesday of the month
Time: 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: Various – contact club host
Share outdoor explorations and learning experiences with other curious naturalists at our monthly Master Naturalist Club! We will connect with experts and hone our skills, meeting at field locations around Missoula.
June Topic: Tour the UM Arboretum with MNHC’s Executive Director and Botanist Marilyn Marler
Wednesday, June 10, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Explore the State of Montana Arboretum at UM with group leader and Arboretum Committee member Marilyn Marler. The Arboretum showcases eight forest ecosystems of North America, with more than 2000 trees on campus illustrating the regions!
We suggest giving yourself extra time to find parking on campus. The lots closest to our meeting point all have pay parking for visitors, either through the Passport app, or with meters. Parking on campus is $1.25/hr. Visitors can park in any spot that isn’t marked as reserved or special purpose. Since it’s summer, finding a parking spot shouldn’t be difficult.
Wear your walking shoes and bring a water bottle, and we’ll see you on campus!
Club hosts: Master Naturalists Sarah Elsasser, Bill Buseman, and Elizabeth Johns

Interested in joining? There are spaces available! Email Christine at cmorris@montananaturalist.org to sign up.

Scavengers Photography Club
2026-06-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Dates: Third 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.
Photo by Kathy Eyster
For our June meeting, we’ll gather in the Natural History Center garden and Peggy Christian will help us turn an inventory of what we sense and feel into haikus. Then we will make photographs that support our haikus. Bring your camera or cell phone to join this introspective experience.
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!

Summer Master Naturalist Course for Teachers
2026-06-22 - 2026-06-26 | Montana Natural History Center
Are you a teacher — in the schools or in an informal setting (summer camps, afterschool, day care)? This course is for you! This certification course consists of at least 40 hours of instruction in a mix of lectures, in-class labs, independent study, and outdoor field trips. We’ll cover a wide breadth of topics with the goal of giving you an essential foundation of skills and knowledge on which you can build. Our summer session will focus on flowering plants, birds, and insects. We will emphasize learning methods and activities that can be adapted for a wide age range in formal or informal education settings.
Dates: MONDAY, June 22, to FRIDAY, June 26, 2025, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Location: We will meet at MNHC each morning. We will carpool to field sites.
Cost: $345 MNHC members, $375 non-members. You can purchase an MNHC membership when you register.
We are able to offer scholarships! Please contact us at 406.327.0405 for details. PLEASE REGISTER BY JUNE 10th.
REGISTER HERE
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. This is a five-day intensive course with pre-course readings and observation activities. Class meets from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. There will also be approximately one hour of independent study 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. This program will support teachers in using critical STEM skills in observation, investigation, data collection, and other science and engineering practices they can take back to their classrooms and use with their students.
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, Montana Natural History Center Garden Manager and Master Naturalist instructor; Geoff Farinholt, BLM fuels; Ian Watson, geologist; MNHC teaching naturalists, and more.
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.

Sample June Itinerary:

Monday: flowering plants at Pattee Canyon
Tuesday: birds at Fort Missoula and Maclay Flat
Wednesday: conifers and ecology at Bass Creek
Thursday: insects at Greenough Park
Friday: final exercise at Council Grove

Please Note: We will be walking, standing, and sitting outside most of each day. Physical activity level is easy to moderate with some uphill walking on trails. You may be walking up to 2 miles.
Please Bring:

Clothes appropriate for changing Montana weather conditions, good walking shoes or boots, sunscreen, hat, etc.
Water, snacks, and lunch
Something to write with
Binoculars and loupes optional (we will have them to borrow)
Anything you need to be comfortable walking, sitting, standing outside

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

Cost: $345 for members; $375 for non-members
This class has already been discounted for teachers. However, we are able to offer some scholarships! Please contact us at 406.327.0405 for details.
20 OPI Credits
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.

Watercolor Painting Wildflowers at the Fort Garden
2026-06-30 09:00 - 11:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Tuesday, June 30
Time: 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Location: Native Plant Garden at Fort Missoula
Cost: $20 MNHC members/$25 non-members
(1 child free per ticketed adult!)
REGISTER HERE!
Join us whether you are brand new to watercolor painting or a seasoned pro. You will learn some basic techniques including how to use your brush, mix colors and create strokes then get help painting a wildflower of your choice in the garden. You’ll be surprised at how good of a painter you are! All supplies are included or you can bring your own.
DIG IN! For more information on programs happening at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden, click here!
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.

Master Naturalist Club
2026-07-08 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-08-12 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-09 14:00 - 16:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Monthly, on the second Wednesday of the month
Time: 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: Various – contact club host
Share outdoor explorations and learning experiences with other curious naturalists at our monthly Master Naturalist Club! We will connect with experts and hone our skills, meeting at field locations around Missoula.
June Topic: TBA
Club hosts: Master Naturalists Sarah Elsasser, Bill Buseman, and Elizabeth Johns
Interested in joining? There are spaces available! Email Christine at cmorris@montananaturalist.org to sign up.

Birding Extravaganza in the Fort Garden and River
2026-07-14 09:00 - 11:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Tuesday, July 14
Time: 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Location: Native Plant Garden at Fort Missoula
Cost: $20 MNHC members/$25 non-members
(1 child free per ticketed adult!)
REGISTER HERE!
Migratory birds have returned for breeding season! The garden and the adjacent Bitterroot River corridor host a symphony of sounds. We will easily hear and see 30 species, including a nesting osprey and house wrens, gray catbirds and warblers. We will bird in the garden then walk down to the river to see waterfowl, raptors and woodpeckers.Your guide for this afternoon is MNHC’s Garden Steward and Master Naturalist Elena Ulev.
DIG IN! For more information on programs happening at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden, click here!
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.

Scavengers Photography Club
2026-07-16 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Dates: Third 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.
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!

Twenty Native Plants for Food, Medicine, and More
2026-07-28 09:00 - 11:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Tuesday, July 28
Time: 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Location: Native Plant Garden at Fort Missoula
Cost: $20 MNHC members/$25 non-members
(1 child free per ticketed adult!)
In this class, we will stroll around the Native Plant Garden and adjacent floodplain to find at least 20 species of native plants that can be used for food, medicine, dye, cordage and more! From yarrow and black cottonwood to golden currant and Oregon grape, so many plants have useful and wonderful qualities.
REGISTER HERE!
DIG IN! For more information on programs happening at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden, click here!
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.

MNHC Open House!
2026-07-30 18:00 - 20:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Thursday, July 30th
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History center
Cost: Free and open to the public
Join us for an MNHC Open House! Come and experience a sampling of the incredible programs and nature educators that have defined the Montana Natural History Center for over three decades. We’re hosting micro programs throughout the evening where guests can choose from birding sounds trivia, rock painting and rock hounding, native plant education, taxidermy talk, and so much more! Enjoy print making with artist David Miles Lusk from Anomal Press. And be sure to bring in your gems and rocks and try and stump geologist Bruce Baty! The UM’s own Monte will be there to help teach us a little more about Montana’s bears!
There’s a little something for all interests and all ages.
In addition, as we celebrate 35 years of nature education in western Montana, we’ll be unveiling our new display that honors these last three+ decades and invites our community to see themselves in the next great chapter of MNHC.
This Open House coincides with our Membership Drive. Our goal is to double our current membership. Come and check out MNHC and get to know more about our quality programming and membership benefits that include free admission to over 300 science and natural centers across the nation, including Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman and Exploration Works in Helena.
Ice cream, raffle, and light refreshments included!
We can’t wait to host you on July 30th at this special community event.

Nature Journaling at the Fort Garden
2026-08-11 09:00 - 11:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Tuesday, August 11
Time: 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Location: Native Plant Garden at Fort Missoula
Cost: $20 MNHC members/$25 non-members
(children 17 and under are free when accompanied by a ticketed adult)
REGISTER HERE.
Are you curious about how to keep a nature journal? Or are you a seasoned nature journalist looking for some new techniques and ideas? The Fort Garden is a treasure trove of interesting plants and animals with plenty of subject matter to add to a journal. Supplies including paper, pencils, colored pencils, watercolor paint, paintbrushes and magnifying loupes will be provided.
DIG IN! For more information on programs happening at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden, click here!
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.

Watercolor Painting Wildflowers at the Fort Garden
2026-08-25 09:00 - 11:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Tuesday, August 25
Time: 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Location: Native Plant Garden at Fort Missoula
Cost: $20 MNHC members/$25 non-members
(1 child free per ticketed adult!)
REGISTER HERE!
Join us whether you are brand new to watercolor painting or a seasoned pro. You will learn some basic techniques including how to use your brush, mix colors and create strokes then get help painting a wildflower of your choice in the garden. You’ll be surprised at how good of a painter you are! All supplies are included or you can bring your own.
DIG IN! For more information on programs happening at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden, click here!
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.
