Montana Natural History Center

miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
2024-12-02 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!

Giving Tuesday 2024
2024-12-03 | Montana Natural History Center
GIVE TODAY!

This #GivingTuesday MNHC is raising funds to make nature education accessible to young people in our Montana community.
MNHC is committed to reaching more children in rural communities and making science education programs, and enriching youth activities, available regardless of financial means.
Your generosity means we can sustain affordable community programming for children at our center, hire exceptional seasonal instructors, fund scholarships, and expand our capstone Visiting Naturalists in the Schools (VNS) program that brings our Teaching Naturalists into 4th & 5th grade classrooms for the entire school year.
Last year, we engaged over 1600 students in 67 classrooms, and awarded nearly $18,000 in camp and classroom scholarships to kids in Missoula and our surrounding communities.
Your contribution means we can continue to break down financial barriers for schools and families, and help build connections between kids and nature that last a lifetime.
Every gift is appreciated! Every dollar makes an impact!
GIVE TODAY!

Online Field Notes Writing Workshop, 6-Part Class
2024-12-03 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.

MNHC's Holiday Bazaar
2024-12-06 17:00 - 19:00
Date: Friday, December 6th
Time: 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Cost: FREE! (Unless you buy something…)
MNHC’s Holiday Bazaar is back! This festive event brings together the best of the holiday spirit: local artistry, support for nature education, delicious food and beverages, and the joy of giving back to our community.
At MNHC’s Holiday Bazaar, you’ll find unique gifts crafted with care by local artists. From beautiful prints and photography to gorgeous glasswork and ceramics, there’s something for everyone on your list. By shopping here, you not only bring home one-of-a-kind gifts but also support our talented local artists and our Montana community.
So, join us at MNHC’s Holiday Bazaar, and enjoy a little magic of this special time of year by giving back, supporting local artists, and nurturing a love for learning and nature.
We look forward to celebrating the season with you!
MEET the ARTISTS
Artwork by Erin McNeill
Erynn McNeill / Up Moss Creek
Erynn McNeill is an artist, botanist, and scientific illustrator. While obtaining their Bachelor of Science in Biology they worked throughout the backcountry of Montana, Idaho and Alaska tracking animals and recording plant species until the fall of 2020 when isolation brought back an old love of creating art. Taking inspiration from their wilderness experiences, they created Up Moss Creek Studio in 2021 as a habitat for experimentation where they combine their knowledge of scientific illustration, botany, mycology and multiple art mediums to create realistic figure paintings, jewelry and art objects that highlight the hidden mossy worlds within western Montana’s diverse ecosystems. They are currently based in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana where they share a home with their partner Brandon, dog Dagwood, and cat Orion. INSTAGRAM: @Upmosscreekstudio
Photography by Brian Christianson
Brian Christianson / Brian Christianson Photography
Brian’s guiding principle is ‘what makes today different from any other day?’ With that question, he does his best to make strong photographic decisions about where and what to shoot. How is the light interacting with fall colors? What atmospheric conditions complement the feeling of spring wildflower blooms? What frozen/snow texture balances well with the semi-frozen creek? These are the types of questions that he love to explore! Each photographic outing affords an opportunity to practice, implement and evolve this practice. Every day is a new opportunity to better understand and photograph the landscape. INSTAGRAM: @bchristiansonphoto
Ceramics by Adelheid West
Adelheid West / Sticks and Stones Workshop
Adelheid West raises food and a family in Missoula’s Northside Neighborhood. She enjoys keeping her hands busy – weeding the garden, never ending house projects, knitting socks, directing kid art projects of all kinds, and cutting and gluing tiny pieces of paper. She also regularly sneaks out of her house and across the Scott Street Bridge to either turn pots at the Clay Studio Missoula or drink coffee and do computer work at Hunter Bay Coffee (too many distractions at home!). Adelheid has a B.A. in Political Science and Studio Art (with minors in German and Horticulture) and a M.S. in Plant and Soil Science. She works as a Grants Administrator for Missoula County. She’ll be sharing her pottery and paper-cutting with shoppers at the bazaar. INSTAGRAM: @artbyadelheid and @sticksnstoneswrkshp
Jewelry by Marrow Lee
Cass Stoltzfus / Marrow Lee
Marrow Lee was created based on the foundation that pretty things don’t have to be fussy. Pieces that feel like a reunion of sorts. Using found items from artist Cass Stoltzfus’ travels near and far, each piece speaks with a voice of its own. The dream is that they encourage you to not have to choose between beautiful and strong. Marrow Lee’s mission is to create pieces to inspire your spirit to wear through each phase of life. These designs are shaped by the rivers that flow through Montana, the slopes of humbling mountains, and the days that have brought untouchable happiness. INSTAGRAM: @marrowleedesigns
Textiles by Angie Evenden
Angie Evenden /
Pinyondraw Design
Angie’s artistic creations reflect her lifelong love of flowers, nature, textiles and color. Wildflowers captured her heart at an early age and drew Angie to botanical studies and to art. This interest led to a decades long career as a botanist and scientist with the National Park Service and Forest Service working in wildland landscapes across the western US. Now Angie can be found in the studio or outside enjoying a favorite wild place.
Painting by Jason Poole
Jason C. Poole /
Paleo Artist: Painting, Sketches, & More
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. INSTAGRAM: @jasoncpoolepaleoartist
Print by Kate Wasem
Kate Wasem
Raised in Pennsylvania Dutch country, art-schooled in Savannah, Kate found her way to Missoula in 2007 and has (mostly) been here ever since. A self-described baker and picture-maker, she’s spent the past 15 years working in neighborhood bakeries in western Montana and beyond, and it continues to inform her work. Her pictures are steeped in whimsy, humor, and a love for story – sometimes with a dash of sweetness, other times with a pinch of saltiness. A late-blooming naturalist, she enjoys weaving a colorful mix of flora and fauna into her drawings, paintings, and prints. INSTAGRAM: @kate.wasem
Jewelry by Michelle Nowels
Michelle Nowels / Ashes and Arbor
Michelle draws inspiration by looking for the beauty in nature and preserve it in creative ways, like her beautiful hand pressed paintings from cross sections of trees found through the Northwest. Each of Michelle’s pieces are handmade, and due to their nature — of being from nature — one of a kind. INSTAGRAM: @michelle_nowels

Woodburns by Brezeart
Breze Schmitz / Brezeart
Breze, like the wind, is an artist inspired by life! There is so much beauty in life and for Breze it all comes down to the simple things. It’s the world of details in a single piece of pine bark. Or, the catchy melody comprised by just a few tones. She is not an artist who sticks to the same subject matter for an extended period of time; life is too short for that. Although she does have a main muse–NATURE! Breze prides herself on being a unique artist of many styles in multiple mediums. Her work ranges from animal works to abstract oil paintings and funky graphic drawings. She draws realistic charcoal drawings, wood-burnings and vibrant landscapes and has created a line of sculpted jewelry. Breze is based in Missoula, MT and hoping to grow more arms so she can keep creating more and more! INSTAGRAM: @brezeart
Glasswork by Kate Stone
Kate Stone
Kate Stone balances her career in science and ornithology with artistic pursuits that blend concepts of nature and sustainability. Last summer she started tumbling glass bottles in a solar-powered concrete mixer to create a smooth product quite like sea glass. She sells the glass for use in potted houseplants, in terrariums and aquariums, or in succulent gardens. She began combining the glass with dried plants from her garden to create botanical suncatchers and pendants. She’s expanded that work to include other natural items and waste from her home like coffee grounds and tea leaves. Kate will have a variety of glass and botanical products on hand and will share some techniques for integrating plant material into art projects.

Saturday Kids' Activity: Frogs!
2024-12-07 10:30 - 15:00
Date: Saturday, December 7
Time: 10:30 a.m.-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 Saturday programs feature activities, art, science experiments, and more. Stop in anytime between 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. 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, December 7th, we’ll hop into all things FROGS! Saturday Kids’ Activities are great for kids ages pre-k through elementary school.
