Montana Natural History Center

Fall 2024 Online Master Naturalist Course
2024-10-15 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-10-22 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-10-29 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-11-05 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-11-12 10:00 - 12:00, 2024-11-19 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Denver) | Virtual Zoom Classroom
Are you a self-directed, curious learner, eager to explore your natural surroundings? Our immersive online certification course will help you develop naturalist skills and a deeper understanding of the natural world through a blend of live online classes, recorded lectures, guided independent study, and an in-person field weekend.
Fall Online Certification Course 2024
Tuesdays, September 3rd – November 19, 2024
10:00 a.m.-noon MDT
Field Weekend, September 21-22
Engage with the course anytime, anywhere. The online format can fit your schedule. Though attending the field weekend and live online classes is highly encouraged, they will be recorded and supplemental material can be provided. This class works best for independent learners who can complete activities outside of the traditional classroom format. Your instructors will be available throughout the course for one-on-one guidance and mentorship.
REGISTER HERE
Taught by MNHC Naturalist Christine Morris, this class includes:

a live Zoom or recorded lecture once per week for 12 weeks. 6 classes are live, 6 are recorded lectures.
weekly assignments
in-person weekend field experience in Missoula on September 21-22
course workbook
an online classroom platform to engage with instructors and fellow students throughout the course

We’ll cover a wide breadth of topics with the goal of giving you a foundation of naturalist skills and knowledge on which you can build. Learn how to identify common birds, plants, butterflies, insects, mammal tracks, and more. From landscape processes to lichen we will look at specific details and how each part contributes to the greater ecology.
Knowledgeable guest instructors include Missoula College instructor and botanist Greg Peters, botanist and author Peter Lesica, MNHC communications coordinator Allison De Jong, BLM Fuels Geoff Farinholt, artist and naturalist Jenah Mead, and Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum Curator Angela Hornsby.
View the course syllabus (some elements may be subject to change).
Upon course completion, students:

Will receive a Master Naturalist certificate and pin
Be a part of an engaged and curious Master Naturalist community
Have the knowledge and skills to perform environmental stewardship

To complete this certification course, students are expected to attend classes/view recorded lectures, complete weekly self-guided study assignments, keep a nature journal, and complete a final class project.
Plan on putting in about 5-6 hours per week including class time, independent study assignments, nature journaling, and final assignment.
Master Naturalist Certification is maintained by completing 20 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of continuing education each year. You will receive a new pin each year you certify!
Recommended Materials:

binoculars
hand lens or loupe
blank journal (required)
micron or small sharpie pen
colored pencils or watercolor pencils
bird guide such as Sibley’s Field Guide to Birds of Western North America
Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel
plant/flower guide such as Plants of the Rocky Mountains or Wildflowers of Montana (depending on what you can find in print)

Registration Information:

Cost: $355/$325 members
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. Read our full refund/cancellation policy.
Some scholarships are available! Please contact cmorris@montananaturalist.or for more information

Sip and Sketch Skulls with Jason C. Poole
2024-10-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Wednesday, October 16
Time: 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Cost: $30 MNHC members, $35 non-members
REGISTER HERE!
Find the beauty of line and form in MNHC’s extensive skull collection. You will enjoy access to grizzly bear, great horned owl, and Tyrannosaurus rex just to name a few.
Missoula based artist, Jason C. Poole will start the class by demonstrating drawing techniques particular to skulls and a discussion of anatomical features. As you begin your own study, Jason will provide both individual and class-wide pointers. This class is perfect for all skill levels. Enjoy a beverage (beer, or sparkly water) while you work!
Instructor: 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.
What to Bring:

H or 2B pencils (we will have plenty to use as well)
Sketch book no larger than 8 1/2 x 11 inches (we will have paper to use as well)

“The skulls were there and I could say something with them. To me they are as beautiful as anything I know. To me they are strangely more living than the animals walking around…” Georgia O’Keefe
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.

Native Plant Garden Immersion - Fall Session
2024-10-19 15:00 - 17:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Saturday, October 19
Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Location: Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden
Cost: $15 MNHC members, $20 non-members
Feel the land transition into autumn. Allow your senses, rather than your thoughts, to notice how nature transitions into a season of endings and renewal.
You may have visited the Native Plant Garden, but have you experienced it?
You may have seen it, but have you smelled, heard, touched, and tasted it?
You may have walked around, but have you simply sat in it to connect to the land and restore your physical, mental, and spiritual health?
Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide Sylke Laine invites us to come to our senses and follow our natural curiosity in the Native Plant Garden. As we slow down to give our thinking minds a break, we’ll not only experience plants in a sensual, intuitive way, but all beings that reside, from birds to bugs to boulders. And humans, of course.
We will close with a series of mindful invitations inspired by the Japanese practice of Forest Bathing, Shinrin-Yoku.
REGISTER HERE
Sylke will be holding 1 more seasonal nature immersion experience. Join her for:
Winter: December 22, 3:00 p.m. – Resting. Pausing. Stillness. Immerse your senses into nature’s capacity for restoration and renewal. Notice what winter feels, smells, sounds, and looks like at the Native Plant Garden.

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.

miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
2024-10-21 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-10-28 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-11-04 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-11-11 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-11-18 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-11-25 10:00 - 11:00 | Montana Natural History Center
The miniNaturalist pre-K program encourages curiosity for the natural world.
Dates: Every Monday, September – May
Time: 10:00-11:00 am
Location: Montana Natural History Center, 120 Hickory Street.
The miniNaturalist program encourages curiosity for the natural world through exploration and play. We sing songs, read books, play games, and develop skills with art and science tools. Each program begins with songs, movement, and stories. We then provide materials for learner directed discovery in our garden. We look for bugs and birds, color on rocks, build with branches, experiment with science tools and play with a variety of art materials.
Please bring clothes for outdoor play! We have some snow clothes to borrow.
Best for ages 2-4, though any age is welcome!
Cost: FREE!

Scavengers Photography Club
2024-10-24 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-10-31 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-11-28 18:00 - 20:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Dates: Last 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.
*During the holiday season, photography club has been moved from the last Thursday of the month to Oct 24, Nov 21, and Dec 19, 2024.
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!

MNHC Closed! Preparing for our Fall Banquet & Auction
2024-10-25 13:00 - 17:00 | Montana Natural History Center
We are closed after 1pm today to prepare for our Fall Banquet & Auction!
We look forward to seeing many of you there.

MNHC's Fall Banquet and Auction
2024-10-25 17:00 - 21:00 | University Center Ballroom, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, United States
Date: Friday, October 25th
Time: 5:00-9:00 p.m.
Location: University Center Ballroom
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY. Click here.
Join the Montana Natural History Center for a fun and nature-filled evening at our Fall Banquet and Auction on October 25th, at the University Center Ballroom!
Gather with us for an evening of food, drinks, and fun to support MNHC’s science and nature educational programming for our community, and support MNHC’s mission of connecting people of all ages to nature.
We will begin the evening with a large silent auction, filled with great items donated by local businesses, artists, and friends of MNHC. Grab a drink and mingle as you peruse this diverse array and engage in some fun and fierce bidding all while raising funds for a good cause! Once we have all had a chance to bid (more than once!) we will shift to our main event: the live auction! MNHC’s live auction is full of amazing experiences, adventures, and gear—you won’t want to miss it! See our live auction line-up, here.
Our emcee for the night is Mark Heyka, a local familiar favorite who will guide us through the evening. And auctioneer, Reed Tobol with Rivers West Auction, will keep the bidding hopping!
And because this is MNHC, we can’t hold an event without offering opportunities for some nature-learning, trivia, and a few surprises.
This year we’re making it even easier for patrons to participate in bidding: You’ll have the opportunity to bid & buy early on featured online items, as well as participate in-person at our exciting silent and live auctions on the night of the event!
Start browsing the catalog of live auction item now. You can even start your bidding (or buy it now!) on many of our silent auction items. Bring your best bids and a little friendly competition to this rewarding and exciting event!
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY. Click here.
We’re using the platform ReadySetAuction to manage our ticket sales and auction items this year. When you purchase a ticket, you’ll be sent an email, asking to set up an account. Rest assured that any information you supply is for MNHC use only and will not be shared with a third party.
Stay tuned for updates as they come in. MNHC staff, Board, and auction committee are working tirelessly to put together the greatest fundraiser yet!
THANK YOU!
A special thank you to our 2024 banquet and auction sponsors. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact our Development Director, Kellen Beck, at: kbeck@montananaturalist.org.

Sketching and Drawing for the Nature Journaler with Jason C. Poole
2024-11-02 13:00 - 15:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Saturday, November 2
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
$30 for MNHC members, $35 for non-members
REGISTER HERE!
Learn top tricks for making sketching and drawing part of your Nature Journaling experience.
Pens, pencils, and watercolor along with some sketching basics can start you down a life long journey of looking at nature in a new way.
Jason Poole, local Naturalist and artist, will lead this fun and engaging class using museum specimens to hone skills new and old. Learn techniques for shape, shading, color, and line and the best tools to achieve the results you want.
Instructor: 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.
Materials Included:

paper
drawing and painting materials
Hot cocoa or La Croix

Some scholarships are available! Call 327-0405 to find out more.
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.

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Online Field Notes Writing Workshop, 6-Part Class
2024-11-05 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-11-12 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-11-19 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-11-26 10:00 - 11:30 | Virtual Zoom Classroom
Location: Virtual Classroom on Zoom
Dates: Tuesdays, November 5, 12, 19, 26, and December 3 and 10
Time: 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Explore various forms of nature writing, then research and write your own Field Note during this online, workshop-based six-part class!
Instructors:
Allison De Jong, writer, naturalist, and editor of Montana Naturalist magazine and Field Notes on Montana Public Radio
Drew Lefebvre, naturalist, writer, and owner of Turnstone Nature Education
In this six-part class, you’ll work with Field Notes editor Allison De Jong, naturalist Drew Lefebvre, and your fellow participants to research, write, and workshop your very own Field Note. We’ll read and discuss a variety of nature writing; brainstorm ideas; practice writing prompts; discuss tone, style, and research methods; and provide feedback for each other’s Field Notes. And you’ll have the opportunity to record your Field Note with Montana Public Radio sometime later this year, if interested. Many of the Field Notes aired since 2021 were written in previous workshops! (You can read and listen to them here.)
This class will be a delightful combination of natural history and creativity. You’ll get to explore a natural history topic of your choice, practice different writing techniques, get and give feedback on your and others’ writing in a small, supportive workshop setting, and finish the class with a lovely natural history essay that’s ready to be shared with the Montana Public Radio listening area (if you wish!).
Course fee includes a copy of our beautiful Field Notes from the Montana Natural History Center book*, a collection of 134 Field Notes as well as original artwork from dozens of naturalists from the program’s first 25 years. We’ll read and discuss several of these Field Notes in class, and the rest of the book is yours to enjoy at your leisure.
Cost: $175 MNHC members, $195 non-members. You can add your MNHC membership to your order when you check out.
REGISTER FOR THE FIELD NOTES WORKSHOP HERE.
What participants are saying about this workshop:
“The course was very engaging. The encouragement, group support, community formed, and great instruction was profoundly rewarding. The reading and writing prompts were inspiring. There was a great integration of emotion, creativity, naturalist’s knowledge, scientific knowledge and shared experiences.”
~Cynthia Swidler, Spring 2020
“I loved this class. Learning to write field notes was way different than what I expected. Allison and Drew both really brought to life the importance of sharing personal experience and scientific information in story form. I learned so much about the writing process, how to refine pieces for reading aloud, and how to give a voice to the voiceless. I have much more confidence about writing field notes now, and many ideas!!”
~Marnie Craig, Spring 2020
“A complete and successful experience! Involving, stimulating. Great to experience the writing and expression abilities of the other writers. I was often amazed how the leaders and the other writers could analyze, dissect, and interpret our reading assignments and any topic of discussion. I loved the class. A learning and writing experience for sure, thank you!”
~Terry Habeger, Spring 2020
“Thank you, thank you, thank you. This class was extremely grounding in a period of big transition in my life, and it really bolstered my self-confidence to sit with a group of strangers every week and feel seen and heard. Knowing that I have the capacity to sit down and write words that make people feel excited to go outside is an incredible gift, and I am very grateful for this class for it.”
~Zola Kell, Fall 2021
“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the classroom community. Would recommend taking this class for anyone interested in creative science/nature writing, either for fun or as a career.”
~Kayla Heinze, Spring 2023
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.
*The cost of the Field Notes book is non-refundable (if you cancel after you’ve received the book).
*If you are unable to pick up the book from the Montana Natural History Center, we will ship it to you for an additional $6.

Felted Animal Portraits with Melissa Thompson
2024-11-09 13:00 - 15:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Saturday, November 9
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
$30 for MNHC member, $35 for non-members
REGISTER HERE!
Join artist and previous MNHC Artist in Residence, Melissa Thompson, for a unique animal portrait art class at MNHC! Take inspiration from our vast collection of specimens to create an animal portrait using the wet felting process. You will cut and layer pre-felted pieces. Water, soap, and agitation felt the wool fibers together creating an amazing work of art! These textural pieces can combine the character of the animal along with evocative artistic elements of shape and color. Bring an animal of your choice to life through art. The animals can be full body silhouettes with shapes or faces or even imaginary animals.
This class is great for ages 8 and up!
Instructor: Melissa Thompson is a Missoula based multi-media artist. She received her BFA in drawing from the University of Montana in 1996. She has been a tattoo artist for 24 years, and in addition, she is a faux taxidermy maker, body painter and special effects makeup artist. She received her MA in Prosthetic Effects in 2022 from Falmouth University in Cornwall England. She occasionally teaches these various skills around Missoula, and exhibits work throughout the country. She owns Pomegranate Ink, an appointment only tattoo studio in Missoula.
Materials Included:

pre-felted pieces
Hot cocoa or La Croix

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
2024-11-12 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.

Nature Journal Book Binding
2024-11-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Saturday, November 16
Time: 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Cost: $20 MNHC members, $25 non-members
REGISTER HERE!

Create a blank nature journal with simple Japanese-style stitch binding.
Nature Journals record our observations, reflections, and natural phenomena. And they are works of art in their own right. Accentuate this role of ‘journal as art piece’ by choosing your covers and binding the pages yourself with an elegant stitch pattern. Japanese binding is a centuries old book making form where sheets are folded down the center, hole punched, and sewn along the spine. Keep this journal for recording the upcoming year, or give it as a gift to a naturlist in your life this holiday season. Each book will have 12 watercolor pages, one for each month of the year. You can use white paper or colored pages.
Materials included:

Mixed media paper
Watercolor paper
Cardstock
Embroidery needles
Embroidery thread
Hot cocoa or La Croix

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.
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.

Naturalist Trivia Night!
2024-11-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: November 21, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Show off your skills or come to learn something new—trivia nights are fun for any background level. Join a team when you arrive or bring a crew to compete in Naturalist Trivia Night. The night’s theme is geology/geography. MNHC teaching naturalist Ryan Mahar is running the show and is excited to host another fun trivia night.
This is a FREE event, but registration is required so we don’t overcrowd the space!
REGISTER HERE.
BYOB and snacks.
How does Naturalist Trivia Work?

Come with a team or join up with new friends when you arrive. MNHC staff will help you find a table.
There are usually 4 rounds of questions each frequently on a common theme such as “Montana cats” or “poisonous plants.” Some rounds are verbal, others are visual, or auditory (guess that bird call!).
After each round the answers are divulged and a score for each team is displayed.
Two hours later there will be a winner!

Exhibit Opening: The Salmonfly Project
2024-11-22 17:00 - 19:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Location: The Montana Natural History Center
Dates: November 22, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
This is a FREE event.
We are excited to invite you to the opening of our latest exhibit! Join us Friday, November 22nd from 5 – 7 pm as we officially open our newest Naturalist Field Station feature: The Salmonfly Project!
The Salmonfly Project is a Missoula-based conservation organization founded by Dr. Jackson Birrell and James Frakes. Their mission is to conserve aquatic insects for future generations through research, monitoring, education, and sound management and restoration practices. Stop by the Field Station to learn about the Salmonfly Project’s important work, the vital role aquatic insects play in our ecosystem and economy, and how you can get involved in the conservation effort!
Stonefly Nymph
You’ll get a hands-on experience with this exhibit as you test your aquatic insect identification skills, create your own flies at our fly-tying station, and observe a variety of species up close.
We can’t wait to welcome you as you explore the incredible world of aquatic insects with the Salmonfly Project!
This opening night event includes a presentation with James Frakes and MNHC’s Collections Manager, Alyssa Cornell. Refreshments provided!

Saturday Kids’ Activities: Moths vs. Butterflies!
2024-11-23 10:30 - 15:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Saturday, November 23
Time: 10:30-3:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Cost: Free with membership / cost of admission
Join us for exciting and educational Saturdays filled with delightful activities designed to captivate young minds and inspire a love for nature!
These drop-in programs feature activities, art, science experiments, and more. Stop in anytime during 10:30-3:00 for the fun! Kids might look for Osprey with binoculars, dissect owl pellets, or walk a model of the solar system. Every month features a new topic. The whole family can be involved, as the exploration and activities are suitable for a wide age range.
On Saturday November 23rd, we’ll be talking moths vs. butterflies! Come learn more about these amazing winged insects and what sets them apart from one another. Saturday Kids’ Activities are great for kids ages pre-k through elementary school.
