Montana Natural History Center

miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
2024-09-30 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Denver) | 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!

Fall 2024 Online Master Naturalist Course
2024-10-01 10:00 - 12:00 | 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

Naturalist Field Day: Explore Primm Meadow
2024-10-02 09:00 - 14:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Wednesday, October 2
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Meet at the Montana Natural History Center. We’ll travel to Primm Meadow in the MNHC bus.
Feel the majesty of an old-growth, open stand of ponderosa pines as you explore the history and magnificent ecology of Primm Meadow. This park-like grove has been carefully utilized and managed by humans for thousands of years. Native Americans and homesteaders practiced understory burns to increase productivity of shrubs and crops. The ponderosas thrived in response, developing a resiliency to larger wildfires. Surrounded by forest that has been logged and replanted or burned, Primm Meadow is a window back in time.
Steven Kloetzel, Western Land Steward for The Nature Conservancy, will be our guide as we explore this special place. He will discuss restoration work, fire ecology, history, and more.
Difficulty: Easy/moderate. We will be driving through the gate right to the grove and walking in a loop. We will be walking/standing for up to 2.5 hours. We will have a picnic lunch, seated on the ground. No bathrooms.
What to Bring:

Clothes appropriate for changing Montana weather conditions – layers, rain, sun
Boots or shoes for walking
Water
Lunch/snacks
Anything you need to be comfortable outside for hours and on uneven terrain
Binoculars (optional, we have some to borrow)

Some scholarships are available. Please call 406.327.0405 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.

Protecting Pollinators and Native Plants - Lunch & Learn Climate Solutions Week Program
2024-10-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Thursday, October 3, 2024
Time: 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Cost: FREE
Join the Montana Natural History Center and Climate Smart Missoula for a Lunch & Learn program, Protecting Pollinators and Native Plants, during Climate Solutions Week 2024!
Our communities thrive with the biodiversity of native plants. Insects, birds, and mammals have evolved to rely on our native plant communities. We can support the vibrancy of local habitats and survival of fellow species by planting and caring for native plants. During this program you will learn how to make your own seed balls to distribute native seeds!
Fall is the perfect time for native seed planting. Many require the cold snap of winter to germinate in the spring. Seed balls are easy to transport and can be tossed in a garden patch or abandoned weedy area. We will provide directions on creating them and will have materials available for the first 20 people to make one to take home.
Bring your lunch!
After we make the seed balls we will screen a film about plants and pollinators. Sit back, eat lunch, and enjoy the movie!
Photo by Kelly Dix

Curiosity Cabinet Garage Sale
2024-10-05 12:00 - 15:00 | Montana Natural History Center
Date: Saturday, October 5
Time: 12:00-3:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Shop MNHC’s Curiosity Cabinet Garage Sale for curious naturalist items. Bones, books, shells, art, rocks and minerals, and so much more! One day only!
Are you interested in donating an item? Here are the kinds of curios and curiosities we’re looking for:

Natural history-related books and field guides
Rocks, minerals, shells, pressed plants
Nature-themed art
Clothing featuring flora/fauna
Taxidermy, bones, furs (please see below for restrictions)
Binoculars, magnifying lenses, microscopes, spotting scopes, nets, and loupes
Nature notecards/postcards
Vintage camping gear
Outdoor gear
Nature journaling supplies
And more!

MNHC reserves the right to keep, rather than sell, any item deemed appropriate for programmatic use.
Please note our donation guidelines before you drop anything off! Some items we can’t accept (for example – Is it alive? Is it radioactive?).
Please NOTHING:

Alive
Illegal (endangered species, protected species, songbird remains/specimens/feathers, etc.)
Cultural (arrowheads, etc.)
Stinky/moldy
Unsafe to handle (hides tanned with arsenic, radioactive rocks)
Inappropriate

And please no:

Magazines
Calendars

All garage sale proceeds will support MNHC’s programming for all ages. Join us in the fun, and thank you for your support!
